The next day, Vanessa was sitting on her couch waiting for Randy to come so he could explain why he left seven years ago. Dave was in DC visiting his daughters, so she did not have her usual support, but she knew that she needed to hear this on her own. Megan was visiting Vanessa's parents in Maine, since she rarely saw them, so telling her about Randy was her daddy would have to wait another day. Vanessa felt her nerves going a mile a minute as she waited for Randy to get there. She suddenly then closed her eyes and her mind wondered to what had happened the day before.
FLASHBACK
Randy looked at Vanessa and could not help but feel extremely guilty for everything he had done to her. He noticed that she was no longer facing him, but she was looking at the wall on the other side of the room. Randy sighed as he realized that she had gone through so much in the last seven years and it was all his fault. If he had not had left, life would have been so different. Suddenly he heard some crying coming from Vanessa, and he felt his heart drop. He went up to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, then he gently turned her around and slowly took her into his arms with no resistance. He closed his eyes and savored the fact that he was holding her in his arms again. He smelled her sweet perfume and slowly fell in love with her again. "Oh sweet Angel," said Randy as he stroked her back, "I am sorry, so sorry. I never should have left you, oh baby, I am so so sorry."
Vanessa's tears slowly subsided and she looked up at him with her tear stained eyes, which turned out to be her biggest mistake. Randy gently wiped the tears from her eyes and looked deeply into her eyes. "Randy…." Suddenly Randy eyes roamed down to her lips and the connection that they had once felt several years ago brought his lips down to hers. Vanessa was shocked that he kissed her, but suddenly she felt her eyes close as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with the longing she had long thought dead. Suddenly Randy deepened the kiss and began to roam his hands down her back, as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted the sweetness he had been denied for so long. Their tongues did a slow tango that lovers had done for thousands of years, and the rest of the world had long disappeared. A few minutes later they finally broke the kiss in badly need of some air, and when Vanessa opened her eyes, reality had sunken in. She immediately shoved Randy away from her as she could not believe what she had done. She put the couch immediately between her and Randy as she said, "That should NOT have happened."
"Vanessa," said Randy, "it did happen-"
"Well it should not HAVE! Don't you get it! I am engaged to be married! I should not be kissing other men!"
END FLASHBACK
Vanessa then opened her eyes and sighed that she had let her mind wondered again. She then looked at her engagement ring to Dave and smiled sweetly knowing that once this thing with Randy was over, she could marry Dave and be happy for the rest of her life. Suddenly she heard the doorbell ring and knew it was Randy. She stood up and adjusted herblouse as she made her way to the door. Vanessa sighed as she said, "Moment of truth." When she opened the door, she sighed as she looked up at Randy, "Hi." She was shocked at what she saw, he was clean shaven and his hair was shorter, so he looked like he did seven years ago, although you could tell that he had a few years on him.
"Hey," said Randy as he entered the house, "I am surprised that you still live here in the home we made all those years ago."
"Well, I did not have the heart to move and I also had the hope that you would return." She then turned and took his jacket from him to hang it up.
"Where's Megan?" asked Randy since he wanted to see his daughter.
"She is not here," said Vanessa as she made her way to the living room, "she went to visit my parents in Maine for the week."
"Oh," said Randy with a note of disappointment in his voice, "and how are your parents?"
"They are fine, although if I were you, I would avoid my dad at all costs, that and Rose."
"How is your sister?"
"Good, happier than she has been."
"That's good."
"Do you want a drink or anything?"
"No, thank you."
"All right," said Vanessa as she sat down on the couch, "are you ready to tell me what happened seven years ago?"
Randy sighed lightly as he looked at Vanessa and sat down next to her, "Yes, I have been for a while now. Hopefully when you hear why I left, maybe you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Randy looked into her blue-green eyes that were once full of love for him, now filled with hurt and anger, and could not help but fall in love again. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever known both on the inside and the out. When she came into his life, she had brought a light that he never thought he would feel or have. During the time he was away, that light was no where to be found and he felt miserable. He had regretted leaving to this very day, since he thought at the time it was best, but he realized now that if he never left, live would have been so much different. If he did not leave, he would still be married to Vanessa, and they would be raising Megan and any other children they would have had as happy as they ever would have been. Instead of them being divorced, Megan not knowing that he was her father, and the love of his life getting married to the one man he never thought she would marry. Although he was glad that she was not marrying Triple H, since THAT would really kill him.
"OK Randy," said Vanessa interrupting his thoughts and snapping him back to reality, "Why did you leave seven years ago?"
Randy sighed as he was about to tell his story, "When Catherine died, it was the hardest thing that I had been through, it was worst than any injury I had ever received. I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest, and Big Show stepped on it." He closed his eyes as he remembered when the doctor told him.
FLASHBACK
Suddenly he heard someone said, "Mr. Orton?" When he turned around he saw a doctor standing behind him, "Are you Mr. Orton?"
"Yes," said Randy and he said, "how is my wife?"
"She will be fine after a few days rest..." said the doctor.
"And the baby?" asked Randy with a note of desperation.
The words he never wanted to hear came out of the doctor's mouth, "I am sorry Mr. Orton, but we lost your little girl."
Randy felt like his heart was breaking in a million pieces when he heard those words. The tears were beginning to flow, then he looked at the doctor, "My little... girl?"
"Yes Mr. Orton," said the doctor, "it was a baby girl."
"Can I see my wife?"
"Yes, you can."
"Does she know?"
"Not yet," said the doctor, "I figured you would want to tell her. I am sorry for your loss." The doctor put a comforting hand on Randy's shoulder, then went to see his other patients with a heavy heart, since it always hurt him when he lost a child.
END FLASHBACK
"I know," said Vanessa, "when you told me I was devastated."
"It was so hard, since everything was going so perfect for us, and then when I found out we were having a baby girl… man I felt like I lost a piece of my soul that I know that I can never get back. The funeral really got to me, and I know it did you as well, since our little girl was already gone and we never got the chance to hold her, see who she looked like, what her personality was going to be like, and if she would have been the first female Orton wrestler." Randy sighed as he closed his eyes to fight the tears from coming, "Anyway, as time went on after Catherine's death, I kept feeling like the world was closing in on me. So I decided to get away for a few days… but that night before I left, I did not expect you do to what you did."
FLASHBACK
A few months later, Randy came home from Raw taping and smiled as he looked at his home. He was happy to be home, since he was going to be with his wife. Life was slowly moving on after their daughter's death. They named her Catherine Marie Orton and buried her in the family cemetery. After her death Randy and Vanessa both threw themselves into work, but still made time for each other. Randy entered the house and placed his stuff on the floor. Suddenly he heard, "Randy is that you?" He smiled when he heard his lovely wife's voice.
"Yeah baby," said Randy, "it's me."
"Wanna come into the den? I've got a surprise for you." Randy smiled as he made his way to their den and he was amazed at what he saw. There were candles all over the place and a small picnic was set up with a nice Italian dinner. "Well?" said Vanessa as she walked up to him, "What do you think?"
"It's wonderful," said Randy as he removed his jacket, "what's the occasion?"
"It's the anniversary of our first date," said Vanessa as she wrapped her arms around him and looked into his blue eyes, "and this was just what we did."
Randy kissed her sweetly and lead her to the food, "I remember, let's dig in." They sat down and ate the meal in peace. A little while later they were cuddling on the floor and Randy looked at the love of his life. "Have I told you that I love you?"
Vanessa smiled as she intertwined their fingers, "Not lately..."
"I love you more than anything."
"I love you too Randy," she kissed him with all of her heart and soul, in which Randy returned. He deepened the kiss, and scooped her up into his arms and carried her to their bedroom where they showed each other how much they loved each other.
END FLASHBACK
"After we had made love and you were asleep, I was up the whole night awake thinking how I was going to leave you behind, and immediately I was going to tell you and say that I was leaving… but then I actually fell asleep and when I woke up, you had gone to work. So I left that note, which to this day I regret leaving you with, since I wished I had said goodbye to your face."
Vanessa looked at him, "Why did you leave by yourself? Why didn't you ask me to come with you?"
Randy smiled lightly, "I thought that if I was alone, I could feel better and be strong for you, since I knew that it hurt you more than it did me, since you got to feel Catherine move inside of you and you had that bond with her."
"Didn't you realize that I needed you? Just having you near me was all I needed, whether you were holding me or sitting by my side. Randy, you were my strength during that hard time, and then when you left… I thought I lost everything that was near and dear to me. Until Dave became the one person who brought me back to life. And then when I found out I was having Megan, my God, I thought my life was over… but when I held her in my arms, I knew that life was going to be OK."
Randy looked at Vanessa and more guilt consumed him, "I am sorry Vanessa, maybe if I had stayed… maybe I would have felt that too."
"Can I ask why you stayed away for seven years?"
"Well originally I was going to stay away for only a few days, and was going to be back for Catherine's anniversary… but for some reason, I could not find the heart to come back."
"I see, what made you come back?"
Randy looked at her and took her hand in his, "You did. I know it's crazy, but the entire time I was away, you were my every thought and dream. I had missed the presence of you and I needed to feel your love again. Of course," he then stroke the engagement ring on her finger, "I did not expect to find out that we are no longer married and you are marrying Dave. Not to mention a WWE Diva and the current Women's Champion."
Vanessa smiled lightly, "Yeah, I am currently a ten time women's champion, so I have the record of the most title reigns… as well as being the youngest woman in WWE history to be the Women's Champion, as well as any champion. Here is the million dollar question… where were you? You were hard to find, did anyone know where you were?"
"I was on a remote island in the Caribbean, and no, no one knew where I was."
"How were you not recognized? I mean you are a celebrity."
"Well, I used your maiden name… everyone thought I was Randy Eaton, not Randy Orton, and as to my face… apparently I look completely different with facial hair and longer hair, so no one recognized me. So, do you forgive me for leaving you the way I did?"
Vanessa looked away for a moment thinking if she really could forgive him, but then she looked at him again and realized that part of moving on with her life would be to forgive, and she was no longer angry at him for leaving. "Yes Randy, I forgive you."
Randy smiled and felt that weight being lifted off his shoulder and he hugged her, "Thank you, thank you."
She had a thought and she asked the question she really did not want to know the answer to, "Were you faithful? Or are there other children somewhere?" She pushed away from him to get a real good look in his eyes as he answered the question.
Randy understood why she asked and he took her hand again and placed it over his heart, "Angel, you are the only woman in my heart… I could not even look at another woman without thinking about you. You are everything to me, you're my heart, my soul, my universe. I don't think I am can go on my life without you. Vanessa, I am still in love with you, and I want to restart what we have."
Vanessa immediately got off the couch and went as far away as she could, "Randy, I am marrying Dave in a couple of months. I love Dave and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."
Randy got up from the couch and got up close to her until their lips were only a few inches apart. Vanessa's heart started to race and her breath suddenly got quick and short as she got the strong smell of his cologne Obsession that she had always loved. "How can you marry him… when you still want me?"
Suddenly he closed those inches apart and kissed her with the passion he had so long been denied, as he pulled her tightly into his arms. Vanessa was shocked that he did that suddenly, and she tried to push away him, but he refused to budge and suddenly her body responded to him as she felt herself close her eyes and begin to kiss back. She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him to her until there was no space between them as Randy slid his tongue through her open mouth and teased her tongue with his as he deepened the kiss. Slowly he glided his hands down her back and then cupped her butt and then lifted her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist, never breaking the passionate kiss. He finally broke the kiss and then slowly began to kiss her neck causing her to gasp in pleasure. She arched her neck to give him more access to her neck and moaned softly when he gently bite her neck, then licked the spot to soothe it. "Randy…" she whispered in passion as she felt his hand heading toward her blouse. Just as she felt the blouse being opened and a hand was about to open her bra… her cell phone began to ring. Immediate Vanessa snapped back to the reality as she grabbed her phone and saw DAVE on the caller ID. She then untangled herself from Randy, went on the other side of the room and then answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey baby!" said Dave on the other line, "How are you?"
Vanessa faked a smile as she said, "I am great, but I am missing you terribly. How are your daughters?"
"They are good, and I am missing you too, but I will be home tomorrow."
"That's great! I can not wait to see you baby."
"Me too, where is Megan, I want to say hi."
"She is at my folks."
"Oh right, I forgot, well I gotta go, but I will see you tomorrow."
"OK baby."
"I love you so much."
"I love you too Dave."
"Bye baby."
"Bye," said Vanessa and then hung up feeling relieved and guilty at the same time. Just then she felt Randy was standing right behind her, she closed her eyes as she felt his hand against her bare skin, but then she quickly shoved it away. "No Randy."
Suddenly he turned her around to face him, "You can not deny it Vanessa, you still want me, I felt it in that kiss! Admit it Vanessa! You are still in love with me!" He looked into her eyes and he saw the desire and confusion in them, and before she could deny it he said, "You may no, but I can see it in your eyes that you do." He suddenly got close again, "even now, you want me."
Vanessa looked at him dead in the eyes and said, "I may want you, but I am ENGAGED to DAVE!" She raised her left hand and showed him the ring. "I am going to marry Dave whether you like it or not. I am no longer your wife… and I am going to spend the rest of my life with Dave." Suddenly Randy kissed her again and immediately her body responded to his touch, while her mind was screaming to stop the madness that he caused.
Suddenly he broke the kiss and stepped away from her, "Can you honestly say that Dave makes your respond like that?"
"I think you should leave."
"I will leave now, but believe me Angel, this is not over between us." With that he left with a satisfied smile on his face. When he finally left, Vanessa began to feel cold and it was not because her blouse was wide open.
