DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.
The next morning Claire woke up alone. She sat up slowly and looked at the empty space beside her. The pillows were exactly as they'd been the night before. The sheets were equally undisturbed. With a deep sigh, she realized Randy hadn't come to bed at all last night. She was still deeply confused. Ever since the restaurant Randy had been so distant. He wasn't saying anything. That silence bothered her more than she cared to admit. If he had ranted and raved, shown some outward expression, she wouldn't have been as bothered. But the absolute calm he exuded was not a good omen. Shoving back the blankets, Claire forced herself to get out of bed.
Padding down the stairs on silent feet, Claire looked around the quiet house. Usually she could hear the low sounds of a television, but this morning she heard nothing. Moving into the kitchen, Claire looked around. Monica was mysteriously absent. Claire pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it with orange juice. A plate of fresh biscuits sat next to the carafe of juice. Claire picked up a biscuit and carried it over to the breakfast table. She halfheartedly began picking at the small circle of baked goodness. She knew they were homemade, Monica rarely made anything out of the box. Claire's attention was captured by the opening of the back door. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she saw Randy's tall form enter the kitchen. He paused mid-stride as soon as he saw her.
"You're up." he said.
She nodded slightly in response as her eyes moved over him. He looked incredibly tired. Considering he hadn't bothered to come to bed, she wasn't really surprised. The lines around his mouth were tight. His eyes had lost their usual brilliance.
"I need to go into town. Do you want to come with me?" he asked. He wasn't sure why he asked. He was still mad as hell and hurt beyond expression. But he was also very aware of the fact that their time together was coming to a crashing end. In less than 24 hours they would go their separate ways.
"That would be nice." Claire said softly as she looked down at her practically untouched breakfast. She picked up the glass of juice and stood, "I'll get ready."
Randy leaned back against the counter as Claire left the room. With a ragged sigh he wiped a hand over his face. God, he was just so tired. He was tired of all the bullshit. He just wanted to shake Claire and ask her just how crazy she was. Her words still didn't make any sense. If she loved him, why didn't she want to be with him? Why didn't she give him the chance to say what he wanted to, no needed to? That was what had kept him up all night. He just couldn't get past the question of why. It seemed as if that was the pattern shaping his life. Forcing himself to start moving, he moved to the table and picked up the remains of Claire's breakfast. He was wiping the counter when Claire returned to the kitchen.
Randy looked at her and felt his breath catch in his throat. He stared at her as if trying to commit every single detail to memory. Her hair was hanging in loose waves down her shoulders, her eyes were wide and curious. He would try to remember her just like this, standing in his house, looking like she belonged there. Whether she knew it or not, she did. She was such a part of his life and she didn't even realize it. She belongs with me. Randy thought as he picked up his keys and opened the back door.
Claire wasn't surprised that Randy was practically silent as he drove into the city. Silence had been the status quo for longer than she thought reasonable. But the silence was really starting to wear on her nerves. She knew something was wrong but she had no idea how to get him to open up. Randy could be as unmovable as a mountain when he wanted to be.
Randy parked the BMW in the parking lot of the mall. He waited as Claire moved around the front of the car before falling into step beside her. Claire was walking quickly to the entrance when Randy suddenly stopped. He turned sharply toward Claire.
"Get back in the car." he said.
Randy walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. Without a word, Claire slid into the seat and reached for her seat belt. She had learned not to question Randy when he told her to do something. She trusted his instincts implicitly. Randy shot Claire a heated glare before backing the car out of the parking space. That simple, knowing look told Claire everything she needed to know. He was angry now. Anger was something she knew how to deal with. The brooding silence was not something she was equipped to handle. Claire sat quietly as Randy drove to a part of the city she hadn't seen before. She was surprised when Randy pulled into the parking lot of Francis Park. He shut off the engine and quickly stepped out of the car. Wordlessly Randy moved to Claire's side of the car and opened the door. He waited as she slowly unbuckled her seat belt. He sensed her hesitation.
Without a word he turned on his heel and strode into the park. Suddenly, he was breathless, his chest pumping to suck in enough air. He was tired of playing games. He was tired of not being honest. He wanted answers. And Claire was going to give them to him. Claire followed hot on his heels. She came to stand in front of him. He saw the anger blazing in her eyes. FINALLY! He thought. They were finally on the same page emotionally. He stared at her hard, his blue eyes unblinking.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Randy?" Claire demanded.
Randy wasn't sure what possessed him. One moment he was ready to have it out with her. The next, he was so completely enchanted by her, he couldn't stop himself. He roughly reached for her, jerking her hard against him. Her lips parted in protest, giving him the opportunity to he needed. He captured her lips with his, his tongue quickly delving into the warm depths of her mouth. He kissed her thoroughly, unable to get enough. The heat of her supple body wrapped around him, holding him in a seductive cocoon. He wanted to stay like this forever, just the two of them and their increasing passion. Randy's hand reached up to slowly stroke the softness of Claire's cheek. He marveled once again at the silky texture. It took every ounce of his self control to break the kiss. Leaning his forehead against hers, Randy stared deeply into her eyes. He saw himself reflected in the dark blue depths.
"Did you mean it?" He asked. His voice was low and rough. The sound of it, so close to her ear, caused her to shiver.
"Mean what?" Claire asked. The hazy fog created by his kiss was not lifting.
Randy took a step away from Claire and reached for her hand. He lead her over to a metal bench and sat down heavily. He kept his eyes trained on the pond in front of them. He noticed that the lilies were starting to bloom. The last time he had seen them, the pond had been frozen by the cold Missouri winter.
He didn't trust himself to look at her as he asked, "When you said you want time apart, did you mean it?"
"That's what all of this is about?" Claire asked in surprise. She had absolutely no idea that this had been what was bothering Randy. In a way, it was almost too simple to believe.
"Answer me." Randy said. He winced at the sharp edge of his words. His blue eyes moved to her face, "Please."
Claire swallowed hard and leaned back against the bench. How was she supposed to answer that? She wasn't entirely certain herself. Nervously she picked at the small spot on the hem of her shirt.
"I don't know." she finally admitted after a long moment.
She was so confused. Their relationship had progressed so quickly. One minute they couldn't abide the sight of each and the next they were consumed by the flames of passion. It was such an incredible turn around that she wasn't sure how to handle it. She'd had a few relationships. None of them had been as passionate or all-consuming. Her relationship with Randy was so intense that it scared her. Sometimes quite literally. She was scared of all the emotions Randy stirred in her. He overwhelmed her to the point nothing else mattered. As long as she was with Randy, all was right with the world. When they were apart, she really felt as if a part of her was missing. All she could do was think about when they were together again. The whole time they'd been in St. Louis, she'd known that they were on borrowed time. She hated the thought of having to go back to Stamford. It had been the proverbial black cloud hanging over their heads.
Claire had tried valiantly to convince herself that she really did want time apart. There was nothing she could do to stop what was going to happen. Randy would go back on the road and she would go back to her lonely studio apartment. As much as she hated the idea, what could she really do? The powers that be had long ago set the wheels in motion. Both she and Randy were, unfortunately, just going along for the ride. And because of that, she had told Randy that time apart would do them good. She'd regretted the words as soon as they'd left her mouth. It was not what she wanted by any means, but how was she going to stop it?
Randy wrapped his arm around Claire's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He turned to her and took her hands in his.
"It's not what I want, Claire. I don't want things to end this way." he said.
Claire looked at Randy. She was surprised by his honesty. Yet again she had failed to give him credit for being an emotional man. He wasn't outwardly emotional but he felt his emotions deeply. That was part of why she loved him so much.
"Me either." Claire said softly. She looked down at their joined hands and blinked back the onset of stinging tears.
"Then why did you say you did?" Randy asked. He had to know why she had tried to force a separation between them.
Claire took a deep breath and looked out at the pond. She watched a dragon fly land on one of the lilies closest to them. She shrugged slightly as she searched for the right words.
"I don't know, Randy. I'm just scared." she admitted softly.
Randy blinked slowly, unsure that he had heard her correctly. He'd never expected to hear her admit that fear had been the motivation.
"What are you scared of, baby?" he asked.
Claire shook her head slowly. "I'm scared that this is all just a dream. I'm scared that when you go back on the road things will change."
Randy sucked in a deep breath. He had been feeling the same way. The thought of living even a single day apart from Claire tied his stomach in knots. He knew that his life was so much better with her in it. It was odd to know that even though they felt the same way, they decided to handle things in an utterly opposite manner. Like always, Claire had decided to pull away. He, on the other hand, had decided that the only right thing to do was to propose. He still, in the very depths of his heart, believed that Claire would be his wife. Come hell or high water, one day she would bear his name. But first he had to prove to her that nothing would ever separate them, especially time and distance. He vowed that he would keep her ring with him until the time was right to put it on her finger. He reached out to stroke the hair away from her face. How odd that he realized he loved her even more. Maybe love really did turn a man into a raging idiot.
"Claire, look at me." he demanded gently. He waited a moment for her to respond. However, her gaze stayed locked on the pond. Randy moved from the bench to kneel in front of her. Claire's gaze moved to Randy as he knelt at her feet. He reached for her hands and gently enfolded them in his.
"I can't lie to you. Being apart from you is going to kill me. You're my life and I love you. Nothing can change what I feel for you." Randy's voice was soft and filled with all of the emotions rampaging through him. He wanted Claire to know that this was just as difficult for him.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Randy." Claire whispered as the first scalding tears escaped.
"I know, baby, I know. I'm going to miss you so much. We'll find a way to make this work. I swear it." Randy vowed softly as he looked up at Claire.
"You promise you won't try to replace me?" Claire asked. She knew it was a stupid question but temptations were plentiful on the road.
Randy felt a smile tugging at his lips. "How could I? You've ruined me for every other woman out there. You are the only woman I love, Claire."
Claire took a deep, calming breath. There was just such a openly honest look on his face that she couldn't do anything but believe him. Randy had always been a man of his word. Now was no different. He was 100 percent committed to keeping their relationship alive and well. As long as he was willing to make things work, so was she. All her life she had been the one to play it safe, to end things before she got hurt. But not this time. She had would do whatever was necessary to make sure Randy knew he was still an important part of her life.
"And you'll call me, every day?" Claire asked. She hated the way her voice sounded so unsure.
"Every morning and every night." Randy said.
"Promise?" she asked.
Randy gave Claire a slightly annoyed look. "Yes, Claire, I promise."
Claire smiled softly as he looked down at Randy. Nothing in her life had ever been so right. Randy was the piece of herself that she'd always felt was missing. Now that she'd found him, she didn't want to find out what life would be like without him. She prayed that she should never see that day.
***A/N – Please review.***
