TITLE: Behind This Façade – Chapter 16
AUTHOR: Kerry
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT: Pretty tame
CATEGORY: angst
SPOILERS: None
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, no one.
DISTRIBUTION: yahoo groups. Please ask

CHARACTERS: Vince, Linda, Shane, Stephanie, Paul, Marissa, Declan.

Chapter 16

Friday Night – Titan Towers

Vince was in his office, leaning back in his chair, eyes closed. He was thinking of what the main storyline was going to be on Raw the following Monday, ratings had been consistently high for the past four months and he wanted to keep on with that streak, to do that the fans had to be entertained.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice "well, I can see you're not asleep, what are you thinking about?"

Vince slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Just the storylines for this Monday, nothing groundbreaking."

Linda smiled, "well, if it's enthralling as its been recently, I'll be glued to the TV set."

"You really think it's been good?" He smiled.

"Of course I do, and it seems to have reflected in the ratings so obviously I'm not the only one who has that opinion." Linda said. "I was just wondering if you wanted to have supper together like you suggested yesterday? God knows how long I'm gonna be here tonight."

Vince nodded, "Sure, I know the feeling." He said, getting up, his back creaking in the process.

Linda laughed, "And I thought I was bad!"

"Yep, the sad fact is my age is now starting to show." He laughed, "My whole body has been playing tricks on me lately."

"It's probably all those matches you've put yourself through over the years,"

"Well, I've stopped them now, so hopefully, it'll start to get a little better." He said walking over to her. "Shall we go?"

"Sure, and I'm glad to hear you're not planning on participating in any more matches," Linda said, shaking her head. "I worry about you when you're out there, you take too many risks."

Vince smiled to himself, secretly pleased she had just admitted she still worried about him. "I think I'll leave that to the younger guys now, they've got more guts than me."

Linda laughed, "Vince McMahon, I don't think anyone on this planet has more guts than you."

Yeah, that's why I let you go so easily is it? Vince thought to himself. He opened the door and gestured for Linda to go through. They walked to the canteen in an awkward silence, got their food and sat down.

They were the only two people in the canteen, apart from the catering staff and even they were preparing to clean up and go home. Most of the office staff had left hours before hand.

"So, how's the new place coming along?" Vince inquired, he hadn't seen it yet.

"It's great thanks, it's practically finished now. I've got it just how I wanted it. You'll have to come round and check it out, maybe you could come for dinner one day?" Linda asked. "Everyone else has come to see it apart from you."

Vince shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to say. "Well, I've been pretty busy but I'd love to come round sometime, we'll have to arrange that." He wasn't sure whether or not he'd like to see how well she was coping in her own place, although dinner at her place might be the first step to reconciliation, a small part of him hoped.

"Good, I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid it." She smiled.

"Nah, like I said, I've been busy."

Linda nodded, "so what about you? Have you begun looking for a place yet?"

Vince slowly shook his head, "No," he said quietly.

"Oh, well, just so you know, I don't mind whether you stay there or not. You're welcome to the house."

"In other words you don't care." Vince said with a frown.

Linda looked at him and shook her head, "I didn't say that, what I meant was that, well, I don't want the house because there are just too many memories, I couldn't stay there on my own. I guess I'm just surprised that you can."

He looked at her, "sorry," he mumbled. "Didn't mean to jump down your throat."

"It's okay," she said quietly.

"I'm hardly ever there anyway so it doesn't really bother me."

"But what about when you meet someone, I mean, surely it's going to be awkward staying where we shared our life together."

"What do you mean when I meet someone?" He asked as he stared intently at her. "There's only one woman I want but she's barely part of my life anymore."

They looked at one another in silence and Linda's heart was in her throat, he couldn't believe what he had just said.

Vince shrugged his shoulders and looked away, "Not that it matters now, as she's already beginning to date other men."

"Vince, don't, you can't keep on like this." She said, her hand reaching for his.

He moved it away, "How did your date go last night?"

Linda looked down, "It was fun thank you."

"What's he like?"

"Nice, I think you'd like him. Don't do this to yourself, just leave it."

"Why?"

They were interrupted by one of the staff, "We're going now, so if you just leave your stuff on the table, we'll clear it up tomorrow morning."

They both looked up.

"Okay, thank you." Linda said, giving a polite smile.

They turned the lights in the main kitchen off and walked out, leaving Vince and Linda completely alone, you could hear a pin drop until Vince spoke.

"Why?" He repeated, standing up.

"Because, you don't really want to know," she said slowly and deliberately. "You're just torturing yourself Vince."

Vince shook his head and walked round the table and kneeled down beside her. "No," he whispered. "Torture is being this close to you and not being able to touch you. Torture is knowing that you're dating another man, yet knowing that he could never love you as much as I do." He said moving closer to her, he took her face in his hands, slowly moved towards her and kissed her, she immediately responded to his lips, at that moment she had forgotten the reason why she wasn't with him. All she was thinking was that he hadn't kissed her with this much passion for a long time, and how much she had missed it.

He gently pulled away but kept her face in his hands. "I love you," he whispered.

Tears brimmed to her eyes, "Why are you doing this?" she said quietly, "we separated for a good reason Vince, there's nothing to say that it won't be the same if I come back to you."

"That's where you're wrong Lin; it wouldn't be the same I promise. Since you left, I've realised what an idiot I was, I treated you so awfully. But when I go home Linda and you're not there, it's so empty, even at the worst point, you were still there to welcome me home. You always tried, you never gave up but I took you for granted. You loved me but I couldn't reach out to you, I couldn't reach out to anyone."

"I gave you so many opportunities Vince, I asked and asked what was wrong but you never let me in. Do you how painful that was? I loved you so much, we were the best of friends, I was your wife and it still wasn't enough. I was sharing my bed with a total stranger, even when you were asleep you were so distant, I didn't know you. I can't go back to that, I just can't."

"Linda, I'll turn around and leave you alone right now and I'll never ask anything of you again, if you just tell me that you don't love me."

Linda stared at him and shook her head, "you know I can't do that."

"Then as long as part of you still loves me, no matter how much or how little, as long as you still love me, there's still hope for us." Vince said, with hope in his voice. "I know what I've let go now, if you come back to me, we'll start over, I'll make sure I never treat you like that again, I guarantee it, I promise you. I've never broken a promise to you Linda and I don't intend to start now. Please believe me."

She looked at him, she was so confused, she didn't know what to think. Part of her loved him so much and wanted to give him another chance but another part of her said he couldn't change that easily.

She suddenly got up and pushed him away, "I have to go," Linda said, she turned away from him and started to run out of the cafeteria.

"Wait! Linda! Please!" But it was too late, she had run out already. He stared where she had just ran out, he sighed and sat down, he knew chasing her wouldn't do the slightest bit of good, he knew Linda well enough to know that she had to think.