Ok, so I know this chapter took nearly two weeks but I've been really busy. No one told me that going to college was going to mean so much work. I should sue. Anyways, this chapter is very transitional but there are key parts that will mean more later, (psst, particularly the part about Jenni's family, sshh, you didn't hear it from me). Thanks for all the reviews and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 11: Holiday Spreads, Lights and Evil Aunts.
"Well look what the cat dragged in."
"Good to see you to Nate."
Randy didn't even look up from his breakfast when answering his brother. He instead turned to his mother and requested more bacon. After arriving three hours ago he had no urge to sleep and had instead been up talking with Elaine.
"Where's dad?" Nathan asked as he intervened and stole Randy's bacon.
"Gone to bed." Elaine answered. "He's not feeling too well."
"Aha." Nathan said nodding. "Now if I remember rightly there is someone missing here. I believe the only reason I was happy about Randy being here so much was because I was under the impression that a hot brunette girl by the name of Jennifer was going to be joining us." He wagged his finger around the kitchen. "I see no brunette girl."
"Jenni's not coming until the 21st. She insisted on going to New York for a couple of days," Randy answered not quite hiding the unhappiness in his voice. Why she wanted to spend time alone in New York where she admitted she only talks to one person (the ambiguously gay guy who lives in the apartment downstairs) he didn't know, he wasn't happy about it but after their bust up he wasn't stupid enough to say something.
"Fair enough. She hardly ever spends anytime at home."
"No," he agreed. "Whenever she's not here she goes to someone else's. I've told her before to move here but…" Randy frowned and speared at the sausage on his plate, "she's stubborn."
"Hi Beck," Randy said entering his little sister's room.
"Oh hi Randy. I was just about to come down and see you." She said turning away from the mirror where she had been applying her make-up. I haven't been up long."
"Really," Randy said thoughtfully, "I could have sworn I heard you moving around nearly two hours ago."
"Oh I er…I was just going to the bathroom."
"Sounded like you were pacing."
"No. No, I was just…exercising."
Randy frowned at her before asking carefully. "Are you ok?"
"Me? Fine, great. Never better. I'm…good."
"Don't lie to me Becky."
"I'm not lying," she answered hotly.
"Yes you are otherwise you wouldn't be all worked up."
"I'm not worked up."
"Yes you are and all I'm trying to do is find out if you're ok."
"Oh and I suppose you care do you?" She snapped.
"Of course I care. I'm your brother."
"Only when it suits you," she shot back with the kind of venom he had never heard from here. So much so that it shocked him.
"What's that suppose to mean."
"Work it out for yourself I'm going out."
With that she stormed past him, thundered down the stairs and left the house, slamming the door behind him.
"Glad to see you too Becks," he muttered to himself.
"When's Aunt Evil coming?" Randy said while absentmindedly flicking through the latest SmackDown! Magazine.
"Randy," his mother said sternly, "You had better be nice to her while she's here."
"Why?" He replied childishly.
"Because she's family."
"Uncle Edward was family, and I don't ever remember you being nice to him."
"That's completely different. Your Uncle Edward was a vile man who shouldn't have been allowed near people. Ever."
"God rest," Randy said with nodding his head sadly.
"Amen," Elaine said quietly.
They were quiet for a second, possibly remembering Uncle Edward or possibly because there was something that one of them was desperate to say. It turned out to be the latter when Elaine asked in a way that was clearly curious despite trying to be casual.
"So Randy, how're things with you and Jennifer?"
"Me and Jenni? Fine." Randy spoke without even looking up from his magazine, which Elaine noted, had stopped on a holiday spread with the Divas!
"Everything back to normal then?" She probed.
"Of course," he replied, still not giving anything away. Partly because he didn't want to say something he might regret and partly because he was still reeling from his thoughts last night. The thoughts that he was in love with her. The realisation had hit him with a shock and he had grudgingly realised that this was no longer some off hand crush that he could ignore and expect to go away. This was the real deal.
"Well good," Elaine said. "Come help me with these new Christmas lights. Nathan's not tall enough."
"Okay," Randy said unmoving.
"Randy?"
"Yeah?"
"Now."
"Ok."
Elaine moved over to the breakfast bar in which Randy was sitting besides and snatched the magazine from his hand.
"Hey I was reading that!"
She pointedly lifted up the magazine at the page in which he had it open. There were no words.
"It's pictures of some of your female work mates half-naked. There isn't anything to read."
"Perhaps to the mundane eye there's nothing to read but, to artful minds like mine that is…poetry … in bikini clad form." Randy frowned looking away for a second as though running that excuse over in his mind before nodding, "Yes poetry."
"You amaze me," Elaine responded shaking her head and smiling despite herself.
"I amaze many mother,." He said as though cursed. "I amaze many."
Elaine squinted up at the lights that Randy had just finished hanging.
"Do they look straight to you?"
Randy tilted his head slightly before shaking it, "No."
"Do you want to get up there and do it again?"
Randy tilted his head at his mother again, "No."
"Do you think you could go up and fix them while I make us a spot of lunch in the kitchen?"
He frowned before finally answering with more than one word. "I'll do you a deal. We leave them like that and I'll take you out for lunch. My treat."
Elaine looked at him frowning slightly, "Your treat you say?"
Randy nodded at her and she turned her head back to the very obviously wonky lights, "Ok."
The next afternoon Randy and Bob were sat in the lounge area of the airport.
"I still don't see why I had to come. It only takes one of us to pick her up."
"Well son, look at it this way, would you want to spend a car journey alone with that woman?"
Randy didn't have to take long to consider that, he shook his head, looking much like a child who had been told to eat vegetables.
"That reminds me, we need to come up with a plan. Some kind of tactic to stop her from getting a word in edgeways."
"We'll be lucky," Randy scoffed.
"Well obviously she's going to be her usual annoying self but what we need to do is cut her off at every opportunity – especially after we make it clear that she'll only stopping for Christmas. If she somehow manages to wrangle an invite for New Years we'll never be rid of her. Now it's not so bad for us because we don't live there full time but think of your mother. Think of Rebecca and Nathan. They don't deserve that."
"Oh I see, she starts talking about how miserable it is to spend time alone and before she can say "What are you up to a New Years?" one of us swoops in with the get-the-hell-out-card."
Bob nodded, "That's pretty much the plan."
"I like it," Randy nodded along.
"Oh God," Bob groaned.
"What? Have you found a kink in the plan?"
"No, she's here. And she's brought that annoying little dog with her."
Randy looked up to see a large woman wearing the wrong colour make-up and wheeling a large suitcase behind her. A tiny little Chiuahua dog sat slightly squished underneath her left arm. Teresa Berkley had arrived.
"Bob," she squealed when she was close enough. "Oh it's good to see you."
"Teresa it's good to see you too. You look…well it's good to see you."
She pulled him into a hug, her suitcase lying abandoned behind her and her dog giving a muffled bark.
"Oh," she said when she pulled away. "Let me see my nephew."
She looked at Randy who had been about to pick up her suitcase for her.
"Oh Randall, it's been far too long."
"If you say so." At his fathers' harsh look he amended, "How are you Auntie?"
"Oh my boy you know, life's wearing me down. But I try to stay my up-beat self, can you believe I'm 57?"
It took all the self-control Randy had not to make a smart comment then and instead he just smiled. She didn't seem to notice the internal struggle he had; she was too busy talking about herself.
"Of course Mr Elvis here keeps me young," she said gesturing to her dog. "But home isn't as friendly as it once was and now…well I find myself getting lonely."
Bob and Randy exchanged a look but before they had a chance to say anything she was talking again.
"Let me look at you Randy," she seemed to critically inspect him for a few seconds. "I always forget how handsome you are…shame you're so arrogant really."
Randy's eyes widened but before he could say anything Bob nudged him with a warning look in his eyes.
"I'll just get your suitcase Aunt Tessa," Randy said crisply.
"Oh Randy I've told you, don't call me Tessa. Makes me sound like a dog."
"Whatever you say Aunt Tessa."
Later on at the Orton house they family were having dinner and Teresa had barely stopped talking about herself the entire time.
"Of course I said to him, I said Billy, you are very dear to me, but a woman like myself cannot be tied to one man."
"What did he say Teresa?" Elaine asked politely.
"Well he was devastated of course. But it had to be done; I could never be with anyone exclusively. It wouldn't be fair to the gentleman. While most women back home are hamburgers I've always been succulent steak."
"Seems to me like she must have eaten all the women back home," Nathan said under his breath from his place next to Randy who quickly muffled his laugh.
"But," she said, "enough about me."
"If only," Nathan whispered again.
"Randy, tell me about your fiancé. What's her name again? Mel? Millie? Molly?"
"Sam," Randy interjected, "only she's not my fiancé anymore."
"What do you mean she's not your fiancé anymore?"
"I mean we're not getting married. We split up."
"Elaine," Teresa said to her sister, "How did you allow this to happen?"
"Excuse me?"
"How did you allow this to happen? He was finally settling down and you have let him mess it up."
"I didn't allow him to do anything. He makes his own choices. Oh and as far as 'finally settling down' goes, he's only 25 he has plenty of time to get married, if he wants to that is."
"So you ended things did you?"
"Yeah," Randy replied defensively.
"Who is she?" Teresa asked suspiciously.
"Who is who?"
"The woman you left your fiancée for. Who is she?"
"There's no one." Elaine cut in. "Him and Samantha were just no longer good for each other. It didn't work out."
"If you say so."
"I do." Elaine said sharply, effectively cutting off that line of conversation.
At two am most of the house was asleep but Randy wasn't tired so after attempting to sleep for about an hour he went downstairs for something to eat. On his arrival in the kitchen he saw his mother nursing a mug of coffee and sitting staring at the breakfast bar.
"Mom?" He asked, "Are you ok?"
"Oh yes dear I'm fine. What's wrong could you not sleep?"
He shook his head, "You?"
"No, I never sleep much over the Christmas time you know that."
"Yeah Christmas, or maybe you're seriously regretting inviting Aunt Tessa to stay with us."
"Hmm," she made a non-committal noise of agreement.
"Thank you," he said surprising her.
"What?"
"For sticking up for me over the Sam thing. I really don't need to obsess about her."
Elaine smiled at him and then changed the subject, "What time is Jennifer coming tomorrow?"
"Around 12.00. I offered to pick her up but…" He sighed before going quiet.
"How is it with you two? Really?"
"Hard to tell. I mean…I can't even work out how I feel let alone thinking about how she feels…or how she doesn't."
Elaine didn't say anything sensing that he had something else to get off of his chest, and apparently she was right.
"I'm different around her. It's like, I know we've always been a bit flirty with each other but lately I keep finding a reason to be…" he paused trying to think of the right word but his mother seemed to understand what he meant.
"Over-friendly?" she asked.
"I guess. Practically everything I say to her lately has a double meaning, usually not a subtle one."
"How is she with you?"
"Well she responds to it most of the time but that's what she's like, she's a flirty girl. I just don't know what it means."
"Maybe you should talk to –"
"I don't wanna talk about this anymore," Randy said standing up and turning away.
"Randy, you can't run from this forever."
"Watch me," he said walking out of the door.
At breakfast the next morning Nathan and Becky were fighting for the phone. Bob was tucking into his breakfast. Elaine was trying to look interested when Teresa started talking about how a famous actor had supposedly proposed to her and Randy sat brooding, staring at his uneaten bagel.
"Give me the phone!"
"Sorry sis. You snooze, you loose."
"Oh grow up!"
"You grow up!"
"Would you two keep it down," Bob said, "Some of us don't wanna hear you two squabbling every morning."
"Sorry dad."
"Yeah dad, sorry."
"Are you ok son?" Bob asked turning to Randy.
Randy didn't say anything right away he just nodded pushed his bagel away. "I'm gonna go work out," he said absent-mindedly before walking slowly out of the room ignoring his parents concerned looks.
He didn't know how long he worked out but it must have been a long time because as he put the weights back on their stand he looked up to see Jenni standing in the doorway.
"Hey Sailor. Working up a sweat?"
"I don't know babe. You better come over feel me up," Randy smirked.
"You'll be lucky," Jenni said smirking back. "Most you're getting from me is a hug."
"Works for me. Come snake your hands around my hot, tight body. I have no objections to that."
"Of course you haven't got any objections, I mean…look at me." She twirled, "Who wouldn't want me wrapped around them?"
Randy just smirked as she came over and gave him a one-arm hug. As she went to pull away he reached out and pulled her back to him so that she was right against his body. When he finally let go of her she raised an eyebrow at him to which he merely shrugged.
"What can I say babe. I can't get enough of ya."
"Understandable," she said nodding her head.
"What time did you get here?" He asked as she sat next to his weights.
"Just now. Said hi to your mum, didn't have to see your Aunt because she was sitting in the living room complaining about the Christmas lights being wonky or something, I don't know. Anyway I decided to come up and see ya. How are ya babe?"
"Peachy."
"Really?" She asked, "I'm in more of an apricot phase myself but…each to their own."
"You're nuts," Randy replied laughing at her.
"No I just told you, apricot."
After dinner everyone moved over from the dining room into the living room while Randy and Nathan went to get drinks for everyone Teresa decided to ask Jenni some questions.
"So, Jennifer is it?" Teresa asked.
"Yes."
"Why is it that you're spending the holiday's here?"
"I was invited." Jenni said pleasantly.
"Of course you were invited." Bob said from his place on the couch. "An Orton Christmas without JenniferSage doesn't bare thinking about. I think it's five years since you've been coming here. Wouldn't have it any other way."
"Thank you Bob." Jenni smiled genuinely touched.
"Hmm, so do your family not mind you not spending Christmas with them? If I had ever reproduced I think I would want my daughter to be with me over the festive period."
"Well that's a little difficult. My mum died when I was 17. Haven't seen the rest of my family since."
"She died? Oh I am sorry," Teresa said not sounding sorry at all. "So you don't really have anyone then do you?"
Jenni looked torn between taken aback and furious but before she had any chance to respond Elaine spoke sharply to her sister.
"Of course she does. She has us."
"Well I'm sure but you must feel like an outsider sometimes though." Teresa said to Jenni, "Like you shouldn't really be here."
"Hey now hang on a minute," Bob said, "I won't have you talking to her like that, not in my house and not anywhere else."
"Besides," Becky intervened, "We all love Jenni. And she knows it, don't you Jen?"
Jenni smiled slightly in Becky's direction but her eyes didn't change.
"Relax I don't mean to make her feel bad," Teresa said trying to seem friendly, "You understand that don't you dear?"
Jenni nodded stiffly at her but her eyes retained the far away look in her eyes that she had been keeping since the word family came up.
"I'm merely saying that it must be hard for Jennifer. Imposing on you like this. Like a charity case."
"Don't you dare call her that?" Elaine exclaimed her eyes cold. Far away from the kind look she usually had.
"I'm just saying –"
"Well don't! Don't just say!"
"Elaine. Really it's fine. Everyone has an opinion its fine." Jenni said calmly, "although I've had a pretty long day so I think I'm just gonna head off to bed. Night everyone."
Jenni calmly manuvered herself around the furniture and out of the door at the end of the room. The room stayed silent and the tension was thick. So when Randy and Nathan entered the room with everyone's drinks no-one answered right away when Nate asked,
"Wow who died?"
"Where'd Jenni go?" Randy asked the room, "It's not like her to pass up a drink."
"She went upstairs," Bob said with a glare in his sister-in-laws direction. "She was tired."
"Oh, well I'll take her drink up to her then, consider it a night-cap." Randy who hadn't picked up on all the glares in his Aunt's direction said.
"Son I think she might want to be left alone."
"Why would she want to be left alone?" Randy said looking around the room.
"I think," Elaine said finally stopping her glaring to look at her son, "that Jennifer might be glad of some company."
"Yeah," Randy replied still confused as to what must have happened, "I'll go check on her."
"You might want to take more than the one drink," Elaine said quietly, "I think she'll need it."
Standing outside the bedroom door Randy stood his hand poised to knock but guessing that she would ignore that he slowly opened up the door and scanned the room, his eyes resting on her lying on her back staring at the ceiling.
"The ceiling needs painting," she said without looking at him.
"Mom's probably been asking dad to do it for ages."
Randy moved over to the bed and sat on the corner of it.
"I was half expecting the door to be locked," he said staring at her face.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before you came up."
"You know me so well."
She half smiled at the ceiling but didn't say anything else so he spoke up.
"Here," he said handing her one of the two glasses in his hands. She sat up 'Undertaker' style and took the glass.
"Thanks," she murmured taking a sip.
"No problem and there's plenty where that came from," he said holding up the bottle in his other hand.
She moved back on the bed so that she was propped up against the pillows and gestured for him to sit next to her. He did as she wanted and propped himself up on his elbow facing her.
"What happened?"
"Your charming Aunt had a few things to say about me not having a family and being an outsider."
"What!" Randy exclaimed, "What the hell gives her the right –"
"Randy, relax. I've heard worse."
"It doesn't matter if you've heard worse you shouldn't have to hear anything. God I hate that bitch," he said angrily.
She sat quietly with a sad look on her face while Randy ranted about his Aunt. He noticed the look on her face and carefully asked, "Are you ok?"
She didn't look at him she just nodded her head.
"Babe, don't lie to me."
"Not lying," she answered simply.
"What's wrong Jen," he said moving further up the bed concerned.
"Nothing I'm fine."
"Jenni…come on. Tell me."
"It's just…she made me think about my mum. I don't like thinking about my mum."
"Why not?" Randy asked carefully.
"Thinking doesn't change anything. Doesn't bring her back. Besides, it's not like I have any right to miss her."
"Of course you do. She was your mom."
"You don't understand."
"So tell me," he prodded.
"No," She said quickly finishing her drink.
"Babe, I can't help you unless –"
"I don't want your help. I don't need your help."
Randy sighed trying to mask the hurt on his face, Not that it mattered she wasn't looking at him. She was staring straight ahead. They sat in silence for a while and he just stared at her, trying to work out what to say.
"Why are you here?" She asked still looking ahead.
"I want to make sure you're ok."
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. And I'm not leaving until you are so don't you be getting any ideas about telling me to push off."
"Randy?"
"Yeah?"
"Push off!"
"Not a chance."
She smiled a little then and finally turned to look at him and held up her glass, "Fill me up."
"Have you ever noticed that we spend most of our free time drinking?"
"Yeah I guess we do. So what? We're young, hot and loaded. We can do whatever we want."
Jenni laughed at his response and filled their glasses before settling back into Randy's arms. He smiled, happy that he seemed to be doing a good job of cheering her up.
The pair were lying on the bed, their heads propped up on the pillow. He had his arm around her shoulders and his other arm over her stomach, his glass resting on her abs.
"You smell nice," she said suddenly.
"I always do."
"Yeah but I've never really noticed. I'm never this close to you for very long."
"You only have yourself to blame for that."
"I guess."
"So," Randy asked quietly, "any chance if I ask you if you're ok you'll be honest?"
"Nope."
"We'll at least you're honest."
"Isn't that the point?" she asked with a sly smile.
"Are you ok?"
"Fine," she answered.
"You're lying."
"What are you planning on doing about it?"
"Nothing," he replied. "I guess I just wish that you trusted me."
"Careful Randy. Sounding sensitive is one thing. Sounding gay is quite another."
"Ha ha," he shot back sarcastically. "I'm serious Jenni, I wish you trusted me."
"I do. Or," she sighed in his arms and turned to face him, "I trust you as much as I trust anyone,"
"What if that's not enough?" he said quietly looking down at her.
"It's just too bad."
After a while Randy noticed that her breathing had steadied and realised that she must have fallen asleep. He put his glass down and pulled the blanket over her. He gently pushed some hair out of her face and went to stand up. As he did so however her hand moved and settled over his stomach. Not wanting to wake her and also enjoying being this close to her he wrapped his arm back around her and settled down comfortably.
"Just too bad huh babe?" he asked ruefully. He ran his fingers gently through her hair. "You'll trust me eventually."
He soon fell asleep not noticing that his mother had opened the door slightly as was watching the scene.
"Just a matter of time," she said quietly before closing the door, "Just a matter of time."
Ok. I gave you a long chapter (even if it isn't my best) so I wouldn't be offended if you gave me a good review. Or a bad review, whatever you guys want is cool. I've got loads of really good ideas for this story but I am always open to suggestions. So let me know. (DollFace sniggers at her clever plan to get people to leave more reviews)
I hope you enjoyed it.
Love Ya! Dollface!
