Title: Solving Problems (20?)
Rating: We'll go for a nice safe R, M in parlance
Content: mentions of domestic violence, drug use, swearing, sex
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters mentioned herein, except for Laura, no offence meant.
Summary: Laura hasn't been around the wrestlers of the WWE for a while. When she returns, things have changed, schisms have formed, and all is not well. Can she sort things out?
When Randy had called Laura it had only confirmed her worst fears. She could hear the doubt in his voice, and that was all she needed. Her self esteem had fallen to a massive low, and the emotions she heard in his voice did nothing but grind it into the floor.
She made a decision. She had to go now, before the baby was born. She'd told him right from the start that he could back out if he wanted, that she could look after the baby alone if necessary. Randy's parents had offered their help, and it was appreciated, but Laura couldn't face them right now. If Randy didn't want her, then so be it. She'd just go back to New York and learn to survive on her own again.
Laura packed her bags. She was too far gone to fly, but she could still get back to New York by coach. It would be a good few hours, but she didn't feel that she could stay any longer. She needed Randy right now, but he evidently didn't need her.
It was purely by luck that Randy's mom chose that evening to check up on Laura. She'd taken to doing so at least once a week, concerned for her grandchild's welfare, and it was in shock that she found Laura with several bags packed, just waiting for a cab to take her to the coach station.
"Laura, where are you going love?"
Laura didn't want a confrontation, she didn't want to have to explain how she felt, she felt irrational enough as it was. It wasn't as if Randy had come out and said he didn't want her. His actions had made it pretty much clear though.
"Randy doesn't want me. I need to go now."
"Sweetheart, I don't know what's happened, but wait a few days. You can't go anywhere in this condition." Elaine was afraid of losing her grandchild, and also losing the good friend that she had made in Laura.
"I can't. I can't stay here, knowing he doesn't want me." Everywhere Laura looked, it reminded her of Randy. Every little thing was a symbol of the relationship they'd had, and everything taunted her about how life should be.
"Where will you go?"
"Back to New York. It's the only place I have."
"Please, don't go. Not until you've spoken to him."
"I've spoken to him Elaine. I recognise the pain in his voice, he can't tell me how he really feels cos he's scared he'll hurt me. I just know that he'll hurt me in the end though, and I can't take putting myself through that. I'm getting out now. I love him, which is why I'm leaving. I have to."
"Please Laura, stay. At least until you know for sure how he feels. Randy can be a fool, but when he realises what he's losing he'll come round."
"I can't stay here Elaine. I love him too much and it hurts me to be here without him. This is his home, it's not mine anymore."
"Please. Stay with me and Bob. At least until you've spoken to him again. Don't travel in this condition, you're too far gone and you shouldn't be alone right now. I know we're not the people you need but we're here and we care. Please, don't go."
Laura wanted to be alone, but at the same time that was the last thing she wanted. She assented, weary, exhausted and emotionally spent. She allowed Elaine to lead her to the car, and take her back to Randy's parents house. These people said that they cared, and that was the most that Laura felt like she could cope with right now.
Randy was in turmoil. He'd spoken to his mom, and was terrified to know that Laura was preparing to leave him. However, that news wasn't enough to calm his fears, and he still couldn't bring himself to deal with that. The thought of losing her was scary, but not scary enough to motivate him to go home and see her.
He felt like he had no one to turn to. Hunter wouldn't understand how he could walk out on his child, Chris would kill him for hurting Laura, Lita was too close to Laura, Batista seemed to have his own issues that he was dealing with; there was no one he could talk to.
His mom called him regularly, berating him for his behaviour, updating him on Laura. He knew that he should go home and sort this out, but couldn't actually bring himself to face his girlfriend. To know that he had caused her pain would be too difficult to face. It was a matter of days until Laura was due to give birth, and he would have to make a decision sooner or later, one way or another.
Chris had called Laura to see how she was getting on, and had been able to tell in her voice that something was wrong. She wouldn't tell him anything, knowing that he'd only go and blame Randy. She didn't want to be the cause of strife between them.
Chris was perceptive though, he could tell that something was wrong. If Laura wasn't prepared to tell him what had happened, he'd find out from Randy, even if he had to beat it out of him.
"Orton? I want to talk to you." Randy wasn't that surprised when Chris approached him with a thunderous look on his face.
"Jericho, what's up man?" Randy tried to keep his tone neutral, not wanting to antagonise the man he knew had an awesome temper.
"What's happened with you and Laura?"
Randy took a deep breath and looked at the floor, unwilling to meet the anger in the eyes of the man who only had Laura's best interests at heart, "I walked away. I can't handle it, so I walked away before I hurt her too much."
Jericho punched Randy hard in the face, drawing blood. "You fucking bastard." Venom was dripping in his voice, as he drew his arm back to punch Randy again.
"I know." The contrition in Randy's voice was enough to stop Chris momentarily. "Believe me, you can't hate me as much as I hate myself right now."
"You promised her that you wouldn't hurt her." Chris was about to hit him again when Hunter burst into the room.
"What the hell's going on here?"
Chris looked at Randy with disdain. "Ask him. He's the one who's walked out on his girlfriend and child."
"Randy?" There was hurt in Hunter's voice, not least because the young man had been such a good friend to Hunter over the past few months, helping him deal with the challenges parenthood had brought.
"He's right man, I have. I've fucked over Laura and I've deserted her and the baby. I'm not proud of that but I'm fucked if I know what else to do right now. I'm so scared of becoming a father I'd rather run away."
Hunter knelt down by Randy's side. "You'd run away? Fuck man, I never thought I'd hear you say that."
"I never thought I would. I love Laura, honestly I do… but I am so fucking scared of bringing that child into the world… I can't be the father Laura wants me to be, I can't be the father the baby needs me to be. I'm better off away now, before I can hurt them any more than I already have." Randy turned away from them both, "they're better off never having been near me."
Hunter shook his head; he'd had doubts when Steph had first become pregnant, but the excitement had soon outweighed that. For Randy, he could see that it was entirely different.
Chris looked at Hunter in shock. His first thought had been for Laura, he hated seeing her go through bad stuff. He hadn't even considered Randy's side of the story. Often, people forgot that Randy was only 25; he had achieved so much in his career, and had carried himself so well, that he often seemed more mature than his years. The young man was tearing himself apart over this though.
"Randy, what did you tell me all those times I was nervous? You said that once our baby was born, I'd be fine. It'll be the same for you man, it really will." Hunter put his hand on the young man's shoulder, wanting to help him but at the same time completely unable to comprehend how he could feel like this.
"But if I'm not?" Randy looked up at Hunter, the man he idolised, the man who had helped him so much, "how much would that fuck up our kid if I were to mess up and run away. That's what I do, isn't it, run away when things get too tough for me. I did it in the marines and I'll end up doing it now. It's better that the kid never knows me, than for us to be happy for a while and then it all fall apart. You've seen how I deal with pressure: when I split up with Jenny before I met Laura, what did I do? I took it out on the girls here. I can't trust myself to deal with things, and I can't put Laura through that in the long run."
Hunter shook his head, this was way too much for him to deal with. This was the sort of thing, that if it was anyone else, he'd call up Laura and ask her advice. He couldn't do that now though. He was torn, and knew that Steph would seriously kick his ass if he didn't sort this out. He just had no idea how.
Chris figured it would be best to give Randy some time alone right now, and that he and Hunter needed to talk about what to do. Chris was all in favour of going to St Louis to make sure that Laura was OK, but Hunter guessed that Randy needed them more right now. He knew Laura had Randy's parents to rely on, and would call on Steph and Lita if she needed them.