Kane walked out into the bright desert sun and quickly found Robin sitting on the hood of their rented Durango with Spike cuddled in her arms panting. The big man couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He still marveled at the sensation of it. To him, it felt like he'd never truly been happy before Robin and every day since he'd gone to the hospital that horrible night, he'd thanked whoever was upstairs for bringing her into his life.
For so many years, he'd been silently jealous of his brother and Sara. He was happy for them, no question, but ever since the fire had left him somewhat other than normal, Kane had seen himself as unworthy. When Stacy had paid attention to him, he had begun to think that maybe he had been wrong but she never really loved him and that memory hurt. It was Robin who had finally broken him of the thought entirely.
"Hey there sexy." She grinned as he walked up and took the wiggling Terrier out of her arms. Spike growled his disapproval but quickly settled to licking Kane's mask.
"Hey yourself." He smiled and lifted his mask to kiss her. "Where's Mark?" Robin rolled her eyes and jerked a thumb toward the windshield. Kane's eyes followed it and he saw the cause of her irritation. His brother was on the phone again and judging by the look on his face, it still wasn't going well.
Kane's shoulders drooped slightly. "How long has he been at it this time?" He groaned. Robin shrugged.
"He was on it when I came out."
Kane muttered something crude and four lettered under his breath and counted slowly to ten. Then, he counted to twenty. He and Robin both had tried to reason with him but it never did any good. Mark was obsessed with Sara's leaving the tour and her subsequent emotional distance. He'd call home eight or nine times a day if they'd let him. Robin especially had been doing her best to keep him from it.
"He just doesn't seem to get it does he?" Kane grumbled as he watched Mark's heated gestures through the window. Robin shook her head. "He's acting like a thirteen year old girl with a crush."
"Mark really doesn't do well alone does he?" Robin asked as she slid down the hood to the ground and retrieved Spike, setting him on the ground and wrapping his leashed around her wrist.
The small dog immediately set to sniffing every square inch of pavement near the front passenger side tire.
"Not since he met her. Back in our younger days, he was quite the ladies' man." Kane was chuckling as he remembered it. Robin raised an eyebrow at him. Mark's former escapades were no big secret around the locker room but now, neither was his devotion to his wife. Part of the redhead wished she'd been around for some of the stories she'd been told. There was many a drunken night Mark was told about later. Apparently, he'd had a very good time indeed.
Abruptly, the passenger side door flew open and Mark's cell phone sailed out. Kane and Robin watched in stunned silence as it traveled through the air before shattering on the concrete of the parking lot.
"God fucking damn it!" Mark roared jumping of the truck behind it.
"Problem there bro?" Kane pressed gently. The pure malice in Mark's green eyes was enough to wipe any sign of the threatening smirk off his brother's face.
"I've gotta go." The older man growled and turned toward the Strip. Kane sighed and made to follow.
"No!" Robin blurted and jumped in front of him. Kane cocked his head to the side, his hand firmly on his hip. "I'll go after him." She offered.
"You always go after him." The big man in front of her countered even as he took Spike's leash from her outstretched hand.
"Yes, I do." She agreed. "There's less screaming and bloodshed when I go. You, my dear, are not terribly subtle."
Kane found himself wanting to argue but unable to. She was so very right. He and Mark did not confide in each other. Attempts at doing so had only ever ended badly. Mark's idea of compassion was cracking a beer or twelve and forgetting whatever it was you were upset about. If that didn't work and Mark was your only option, you were shit out of luck.
"Fine." Kane grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Go get him and I'll head back to our room."
Robin smiled the smile that never ceased to take his breath away and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Be back before you know it." She assured him and reached up to kiss him lightly on his mask before darting off after his brother.
As Kane watcher her go he was alternately saddened and warmed by her actions. He hated it when she wasn't with him but her intentions were in the right place. As a matter of fact, she had probably single-handedly kept what little family he had together. If it had been up to him to keep Mark in one piece they would have already come to blows. Mark was too proud to ever tell him the whole truth of his fears and Kane was nowhere near patient enough to wait out his brother's ego.
Robin was definitely right. Left to their own devices, the two of them would have killed each other.
Kane shook his head and sighed. Yep, he was a lucky man. There was no two ways about it. So was Mark if he'd just stop panicking and realize it.
The big man frowned inwardly as the thought crossed his mind. Mark always got…weird when Sara went home but normally she was understanding about her husband's insecurities. As a rule, it was her that defused him and got his mind back on track.
"Not so much now." Kane muttered to himself as he turned and headed back into the casino.
The inside was a riot of noise and flashing lights but the big man didn't really hear any of it. His mind was trying to wrap itself around why Sara was acting the way she was. She definitely wasn't acting like herself and it upset him.
Sara had been his closest confidant and his best friend until Robin came along and he liked to think he was still close to her. Through all his trials and tribulations with his insecurities about his scars and his relationship dramas, she'd been there for him. She listened and hugged him when he didn't think he deserved human touch.
She'd always been the only one he'd never doubted.
Time to return the favor. He thought as he skirted an old couple sprinting for a slot machine and turned toward the elevators, flashing his keycard to the security guard on the way by.
"Mark wait!" Robin called to the big man's back as he pushed through the crowd. He didn't even look back. The redhead felt an irritation brewing in her gut but did her best to squelch it. Mark was upset. The last thing he needed was someone else yelling at him. However… "Calaway you big shit! STOP!"
She giggled to herself when he actually missed a step. The laughter died on her lips though, when he turned his green eyes on her. There was more hurt and fury behind them than Robin had ever seen.
The redhead took his moment of shock as an opportunity to catch up.
"What do you want kid?" Mark growled with all the warmth of a penguin in the polar bear club.
Robin sighed heavily and laid a hand on his arm. It was important that he knew he didn't scare her. If she was ever going to get him to open up, he had to know she was an equal. "I want you to come back to the hotel with me and tell me what's going on."
Mark pursed his lips briefly in confusion. If Robin knew any better she'd have said he wasn't used to people being so bloody honest. "I don't wanna talk about it." He rumbled and stepped backward, his hands on his hips. He was staring at the ground so hard Robin thought he was searching for answers in the concrete.
"C'mon big man." Robin almost whispered as she edged closer and slipped an arm around his waist. "Don't let it eat you up inside."
"What the hell would you know huh?" Mark spat and turned out of her grasp. Before Robin knew what had happened, he was a full five yards away and disappearing through the crowd.
"Damn those long legs." Robin grumbled and hurried after him.
"Go away Robin." Mark said flatly as she caught up with him.
"No." The big man glanced down at her and picked up his pace. Sighing heavily, Robin followed. "Mark, come off it. You're tearing yourself apart and I will not stand idly by and watch you do it."
"Why the hell can't you take a hint?" Mark spat down at her. Momentarily, Robin was taken aback but she refused to let him get away. As she saw it, he had no one without Sara around. Sure, he had his brother but this was not a situation Kane was capable of dealing with. "I don't want to talk!"
"Yes, I think you do." Robin sang, jumping as she walked beside him to emphasize her point. Serious hadn't worked, maybe he'd go for the giggle factor. The big redhead gave her a very strange look but did begin to crack the tiniest grin. Good, she was getting to him regardless of what he was hurling her way. "Come on back. We need to eat, you need to relax." Robin took a chance and grabbed his arm.
Mark jerked to a halt once he'd gone as far as his arm would allow, then turned his heated stare on her again. It made Robin's heart melt. For a brief second, the Undertaker mask dropped and she could see into the pain inside him. It was full and unadulterated hurt on his face. This giant of a man beside her was so scared she ached to make it go away.
Since her return, she and Mark had become fast friends. They joked and laughed and talked about most things but what was raging in him now was something he never let loose. Mark did not show weakness. He did not appear unsure or afraid. It was as if that part of his character had rubbed off into his everyday life. Robin however, was determined to show him the error of that line of thinking. This wound could not be left to fester. He needed it off his chest before he imploded.
"Why do you care little girl?" His tone wasn't as angry suddenly. It was openly curious.
Robin shrugged. "I thought we were friends Taker." Much to her surprise, the big man began to laugh. He laughed so hard; he had to sit down on a nearby bench to collect himself.
The redhead wasn't sure whether to let him go on or find another way to distract him. Luckily, Mark made the choice for her.
"We're friends, yeah." He said and wiped at the corner of his eye as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.
"Then talk to me. I hate seeing you like this." The big man shook his head as she sat down beside him. "Get it off your chest, whatever it is."
For a very long time, Mark stared out at the crowds of tourists as they wandered by. Robin was unsure what to do. He was obviously searching, but for what? Maybe she'd overstepped her boundaries after all. He was closing down again.
"Alright." She said finally. "Just…don't be gone for long. You've got to eat before the show. I know you're not eating."
"No, wait." He said quietly reaching out to grab her wrist as she stood to leave. Robin was struck so dumb she sat back down looking at him expectantly but Mark had lapsed back into thoughtful silence.
It was a very tenuous moment. Robin looked perfectly casual as she waited for him to decide what came next, but her insides were crawling with her impatience. This needed to be done as much for Mark as for anyone who had had the misfortune of having to interact with him since Sara left. He'd been such a pain in the ass. His already short fuse had just gotten shorter and there was barely a civil word out of his mouth. Kane and Robin alone seemed to be partially immune to it.
"Sara…" He began finally, shaking Robin from her thoughts. "She…she's so cold to me now." The redhead could hear in his tone how hard the words were to say. "It's like she's a completely different person."
"Maybe she just needs a break from everything." Robin offered. Mark's head snapped up, his green eyes boring into her with his disbelief.
"A break from me?" His voice shook and it made Robin's heart lurch. Where was the indomitable will she'd grown up watching on TV? As she looked into her friend's eyes, the stoicism gone from them, she wished she had all the answers.
"I dunno Mark." She sighed. "I don't see how, you and I always seem to have a pretty good time." Mark actually chuckled as she bumped him.
"Yeah we do." He said but was still staring out into the crowds. "She's my life Robin…and I'm losin her."
Oh god, the pain in his voice was tangible. "Give Sara her space. It's obviously what she wants right now." Mark shook his head in disgust.
"I don't know if I can." He whispered then shook his head standing up. "C'mon, lets get back before Kane eats our luggage."
The change was so abrupt Robin sat staring at his outstretched hand.
"You alright little girl?" He was grinning but it was a put on and Robin knew it. Oh well…she couldn't force him to talk no matter how much it pained her. At least he wasn't radiating anger anymore. That was a start.
"Yeah, I'm good." She finally said standing with the help of his hand. "How about you?"
Mark shrugged and casually tossed an arm around Robin's shoulders. "I'm done freakin out if that's what you mean." He said glancing down at her as they walked. His face was still drawn and tight with frustration but being around him felt like being near Mark again. It was the best she was going to get for now.
"And it's not like I could pick up my phone and call her now is it?"
Robin tried to stifle the giggle that escaped. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have chucked it out of the truck?"
"No, I don't suppose so." He agreed but the heaviness was still there. Robin slid her arm around his waist and squeezed gently. "I need her with me." Robin nodded. There wasn't much else to do. What Mark needed was an ear and the redhead was good at that when she tried. "Ever since we got into that stupid argument over Stacy she's been…different."
"Different how?" She asked. Mark shrugged again and Robin felt herself wilt minutely. For half a second, she thought she might have been getting somewhere. She should've known better. Talking to Mark was done in his time and not a minute sooner.
Sighing, she settled closer into his ribs and walked on in silence. She was surprised however, when he guided her past their hotel. "Any idea where you're going there big man?" She chuckled. Mark shrugged again before guiding her down a side street between two massive casinos.
"I'm not done calming down." He said simply and found another bench to perch on, pulling Robin down beside him. "Kiddo…I don't know what to do." Robin shifted to face him but didn't say a word. "It's like everything went to shit overnight."
"She just needs some time to acclimate to being home." Robin offered but Mark shook his head.
"I should've said I was sorry."
"Sorry for what exactly?" She asked. Mark looked away.
"I was just tryin to make her see what she was getting into. Stacy and Test won't leave her alone because she's mine. They sure as hell didn't leave you alone because you were my brother's did they?"
The comment made Robin bristle slightly. That was definitely one thing she did not want to talk about. "I'm sorry little girl. I shouldn't have said it like that."
"I'd have preferred you didn't say it at all." She muttered and fought the urge to cover her belly with her arms. Mark must have seen it in her. The big man swore under his breath and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Don't listen to me kid. You've got your own stuff to deal with." He offered squeezing her gently to emphasize his point.
"No Mark, don't be sorry. You're absolutely right. Fear of the big and scary didn't stop them once, it wouldn't have stopped them from getting to Sara either."
"So I didn't overreact?" He asked pulling back slightly with the smallest of grins on his face. Robin offered one in return more because he'd asked her for her opinion than because he was smiling at her. It made her feel just a bit better that he seemed to genuinely want her insight.
"Your intention was in the right. Your methods however, leave something to be desired." She chuckled. Mark elbowed her in the rib but at least he was laughing.
"I'm not that bad am I?" It was Robin's turn to shrug. "Oh that's so unfair."
"How is it unfair? You and your brother are more alike than either of you will ever admit."
"I'm not sure how to take that." He chuckled and stood up, offering her a hand again. Robin took it and wandered down the street with him.
"All I'm saying is neither of you are very good at using your internal edit button."
Mark raised an eyebrow at her and jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Think before I talk eh?" Robin nodded.
"And sometimes, don't talk at all." She said and Mark shot her a wry look.
"Alright…alright." He muttered. "I got your point. I'll leave Sara alone for now."
"Can I get a promise on that?" She giggled. Mark glanced over at her as they walked.
"My word's not good enough for ya?"
"That's all I'm asking for." Robin grinned triumphantly. "Just give her some space Mark. That's probably all she needs." The big man grumbled deep in his throat. "Is that a yes?" He frowned but didn't speak.
As they broke out onto the Strip, Mark still hadn't answered her. Robin wasn't too bothered by it. If absolutely nothing else, he'd talked to her. It was one hell of a start.