A/N: Updated. A new chapter for you guys. Well, first of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. I have to say, I'm really enjoying writing this, and even more so sharing it with you.
So, here is the next chapter. Please read and review. I disclaim.
The sound of a five year old snoring gently welcomed Randy to the morning. Both crystal blue eyes fell open at once, with the room coming into a clear focus. The rain from the previous evening had given way to a sun-kissed start for the day. Streams of revitalising light crashed through the windows, filling the room with a morning glow.
The bedroom window was open slightly, allowing a gentle breeze to disturb the half closed curtains. Sighing, Randy moved to stretch his arms and stopped. The weight on his chest made him realise that it was going to be impossible to move all that much. Moving his gaze downwards, he felt a lazy smile touch his lips at the sight of Juliet. She was still fast asleep, her small blonde head resting on Randy's chest as though it were a pillow. In fact, her entire body had somehow managed to use Randy as her own personal pillow. Her legs barely reached to his waist, and her arms although stretched out around his torso, barely made it to his sides.
Feeling a contended sigh escape from his mouth, Randy couldn't resist temptation. Bringing up his own arms, he carefully held them around his slumbering daughter. Holding her close to him, he fell into a slight doze. The steady breathing of Juliet, punctuated with occasional snore was easily the most soothing sound he had ever heard in his life.
The bliss couldn't last however, as all the facts from last night reasserted themselves in Randy's memory. The circumstances in which he had found his daughter were anything but desirable. This little angel snoring on his chest no longer had a mother. She would grow up without having the most important woman in her life there for her. A wave of grief swept over Randy. He was deeply sorry for Juliet's loss, and equally sorry for himself. There were so many things that were left unsaid between him and Beth. And they were going to remain that way forever.
Already on the brink of tears, Randy held Juliet tighter, burying his head in the soft waves of her hair. The scent was soothing to Randy, making him feel at least a little calmer. Planting a kiss on the crown of her head, he did his best to move her onto the bed. Her weight was negligible in his arms, but he still moved the softest care. Gently laying her down on the bed, he made sure she was comfortable on the white pillow. Stroking her hair back from her face, she stirred gently, but remained asleep.
Pulling the covers up around her and the stuffed rabbit, Randy was content to simply sit on the edge of his bed and watch her sleep. Her angelic features were completely at peace, reminding him so much of the mother she had lost. Randy's shoulders heaved in a heartfelt sigh. As much as he felt some kind of connection with the girl, the idea of him acting as a stable parental figure to her scared him more than a 'Hell in the Cell' handicap match against The Undertaker and Mick Foley. He barely managed to take care of himself, not to mention the fact that his life was geared around him and what he wanted. Could he adjust his entire existence to allow Juliet into his world? Did he really want that? Once the novelty of her sweet face wore off, would he want the responsibilities that came with being a father?
More importantly, could he cope with such responsibilities? Even if he did want to take care of Juliet, who was he kidding to even dream that he could do the job? And yet, Randy knew he would do anything for Juliet. She might have been his daughter for five minutes or five years, it didn't make a difference. She was part of him and he of her. Randy might not be the best father in the world, but he knew he was going to do his best to be everything this little life needed. He owed at least that much to the memory of Beth.
Taking comfort in his resolution, Randy finally came to life. Sliding out of the bed, he readjusted the boxer-briefs around his waist. Finding a pair of sweat pants, he quietly pulled them over his legs and selected plain white tee-shirt from the unpacked case next to his bed. Gently closing the bedroom door behind him, Randy headed out into the main area of his apartment. Conscious of every floor board beneath his weight, he moved as quietly as he could on his toes, not wanting to disturb Juliet.
Reaching his destination, he removed his phone from its holder and punched in a familiar number. Holding the receiver to his ear, he tapped his fingers on the surface of the wall as he waited to be connected.
"Hello. You've reached the Orton's. We're not available to take your call at the moment. Please leave your name and number with a message, and we'll get back to you."
Randy felt his shoulders sag as the answer machine came to life with his mother's voice. He had hoped, now in vain, that his mother would be there to answer. The beep sounded in his ear, reminding him he was still connected. "Hey Mom its Randy. Listen I really need to talk to you. Are you there?" There was no sound of anyone picking up the phone, causing Randy to vent his frustration in another huffed sigh. "Would you call me as soon as you get this message? It's really important. My cell is on as well. Thanks."
Hanging up his phone, Randy turned and headed back across his apartment towards the kitchen area. Resting the flat of his palms on his hips, he surveyed what was before him. And it wasn't a whole lot.
Randy was not one to keep food lying around in his home. Apart from the fact he couldn't cook if his life depended on it, he was away from his home for the most part. It didn't make sense to buy food in bulk as it would only spoil. He would sooner order something in than cook for himself anyway. As it was, he wasn't a particularly big fan of breakfast, but his mother's mantra of it being the most important meal of the day sounded afresh in his ears.
Breakfast was important, and no doubt Juliet would want some when she woke up. Scanning his cupboards, he was confronted with the grim prospect of alcohol and left-over fajitas from god only knew when. Not the most appetising meals for a grown man, much less a little girl.
Finally finding bread that hadn't gone blue, Randy retrieved two slices from the pack. Placing them in the toaster, he realised that in all the time that he had the appliance, he'd never once used it. Selecting the highest setting available, thinking it to be the right one, Randy set about finding something to put on the toast.
He was completely out of chocolate spread and peanut butter. He had figured that those two things would be what any child would want on toast. When he was a kid, he consistently ate toast and peanut butter.
With those two options out, Randy knew that he didn't stock any kind of fruit preserve and there was no butter to be found in the fridge. Scratching his chin thoughtfully, Randy wondered if mayonnaise would make a substitute. It would have to. There wasn't anything else to use.
Removing the jar from the fridge, he turned back to face the main room. He stopped suddenly, noticing Juliet was stood in the doorway to his bedroom. He hadn't heard the door open, and wondered how long she had been watching him. Juliet's hair was slightly dishevelled and she rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists. Clutching the rabbit in one hand, she tilted her head as she studied Randy from across the room. Randy smiled warmly, stepping around the island and crossing towards her.
He stopped as he noticed Juliet looking alarmed. Holding his hands up to appear as non-threatening as possible, his voice remained even and soft as he spoke. "Good morning Juliet, did I wake you?" Juliet's face remained placid save for the blinking of her eyes periodically. "Did you sleep okay?" It seemed Juliet still had nothing to say. She remained standing in the doorway without speaking.
Randy exhaled slowly, his head hanging down in defeat. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't feed his daughter because he was completely under prepared. And for whatever reason, she simply refused to say anything at all. Caught wondering how traumatic last night must have been to her, Randy was taken by surprise as Juliet took a step forward. Taking another one, she moved slowly across the floor of the apartment until she was stood directly opposite him.
Her head fell back as she looked up at him, her eyes studying him with wary interest. Randy smiled softly, deciding to remain quiet and allowing Juliet to decide what she wanted to do. If he was even going to entertain the idea of being her father, she had to at least to feel comfortable around him. Finally, after much consideration Juliet allowed her stuffed animal to slip from her grasp. Lifting her hands upwards, her fingers strained to reach Randy.
It suddenly dawned on Randy what it was she wanted. In an instant he bent down, his hands landing on either side of her waist. Lifting her high off her feet, he held her close to his chest, whispering softly into her hair. Juliet seemed just as eager as he was to be held, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Her face buried itself in the curve between his neck and shoulder, her arms a vice grip.
Oxygen was becoming a real issue for Randy, but that didn't matter to him. He cradled Juliet close to him, gently stroking his hand down her back. Feeling the warmth flooding through his body, Randy wondered if there was a problem in the world that couldn't be cured by a hug from his daughter. When she finally released her grip, Juliet leant backwards, studying Randy's face up close.
With her right hand, she traced the curve of Randy's cheek with her palm. Her finger intently probed the curve of his lips and the straight line of his nose, before cupping his chin between her hands. Both her hands found their way to Randy's ears, and pulled them like they were handle bars to a motorcycle. Randy could only smile as she continued to explore his features. She seemed particularly intrigued with his neck and shoulders, squeezing and rubbing at the muscles there.
Seemingly happy with her discovery, her lips curved into a smile. Randy felt his breath stolen away at her face. If she was angelic before, she positively lit up when she smiled. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with more vitality, as two little dimples formed on her cheeks. Her baby teeth were perfect and white, perfectly set in her mouth. Chuckling softly, Randy was fully prepared to stand there for the rest of his life and just watch her smile.
"Your face is different to my Grandpa's." Recovering the shock of her voice, Randy feared he would drop her due to his fright. She spoke. Juliet finally spoke. She had a soft voice, just like her mother had. Her small mouth formed the words in an adorable child-like fashion, causing Randy's heart to melt. She truly was perfect.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Randy chuckled, bringing another smile to Juliet's face.
"His nose is bigger than yours." Juliet observed. "And he has hairy ears." Juliet's face contorted into a vision of disgust. It brought a rumbling laugh from inside Randy's chest. He was so thrilled that she was actually speaking that she could have been swearing like a trooper for all he cared. "You look prettier than he does."
"Thank you." Randy smiled, feeling a pool of tears collecting in his eyes. He had heard how your child could reduce you to tears at any given opportunity. But he honestly didn't realise how much the words of one little person could touch him so deeply. "You're very pretty too." Juliet grinned with glee, not affected by the adult perception of modesty or embarrassment. She absolutely revelled in being called pretty it seemed.
"My mommy says I'm a princess and all princesses are pretty. When I grow up, I want to be a princess." Juliet beamed, reciting a childhood desire with ease.
Randy felt her words tug at his heart. The way he mentioned Beth in the present tense made his heart feel like it was on fire. She seemed unable to accept what had happened to her mother, crippling him with sadness. Maybe she was just too young to understand the concept of death. But Randy saw no reason for breaking her little heart yet by trying to enforce the absolute on her developing mind. So much had already changed for her. It was better to ease her through the pain of losing her mother gradually than dumping it all on her at once.
Holding her close again, Randy sighed into her air. "You are already a princess. You're my princess."
He didn't know where the words came from, but Randy couldn't have possibly meant them anymore. Juliet chuckled with amusement as Randy smiled at her. "Who are you?" Her question was innocent, and perhaps a little belated. She was happy enough she share her childhood fantasy, but not question who he was. Childhood innocence may have been a blessing for Juliet, but it was enough to shatter what remained of Randy's heart. It seemed she had as much idea of who he was as he had had of her actual existence.
Randy considered the question. Should he introduce himself as Randy, or Daddy? Could she accept the news that he was her father, and would be living with him for the foreseeable future? Would she even want to know he was her father? Maybe it would be better to introduce himself as her friend to begin with. She could get to know him, and like him for who he was before he earned the right to be called Dad. After all, who was he to insinuate himself into her life? Did he honestly have the right to call himself her father at such an early stage in their relationship?
Randy already knew he answer to that. "Well Juliet…I'm your Dad." Juliet's face looked blank. "I'm your father Juliet. You're my daughter."
Juliet's face seemed to reflect her brain processing this new information. It broke Randy's heart to know that she didn't know anything about him. Obviously Beth had already decided not to involve him in her life at all. That extended to Juliet not knowing who her father was. The childhood logic was evident with Juliet's next question. "Do I have to call you Daddy?"
"No Juliet. Not if you don't want to." Randy assured, squeezing her tighter. "You can call me Randy if you like. That's my name."
"Randy." She repeated, forming the sound with her petite mouth.
"Randy." He repeated smiling. She seemed to take that in without difficulty. Spurred on with a little more confidence, Randy decided to try his luck. "We can be friends if you like?"
Juliet nodded enthusiastically, bearing her pearly white teeth as she grinned. "Okay. We can be friends. Do you like Barbie? I have the new 'Beach Barbie' with her pet dolphin Splash. We can play with them right now if you want to?"
Randy tried to hide the expression of revulsion. Where did it say in the job description playing with dolls? As it was, he was saved by the sound of the toaster. It popped upwards, exposing two utterly blackened slices of bread that should have been toast. Randy looked perplexed at the smoking pieces of bread. Where had he gone wrong? He'd put the bread into the machine, and switched it on. Why wasn't it toast?
Juliet scrunched up her nose at the scent of burnt toast, looking back at Randy with unsure eyes. "Do you want to play Barbie with me Randy?"
Randy grinned. "Sure I do. But first, I though I'd take you out and buy you some breakfast. Is there anything you'd particularly want?"
Juliet pondered the question for a moment, before nodding her head. Her perfect mouth opened to speak, but fell immediately silent at the sound of something scrambling at the front door.
Turning his own head to see what it was, Randy's eyes widened considerably as the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was all five-foot-five of his girlfriend of over a year, Chase McGowan. Her brunette hair hung in loose curls down past her shoulder blades. They danced around her features as she shrugged off her faux-fur coat. Throwing it down on the near by chair, her inordinately expensive heels clattered against the wooden flooring as she walked into the apartment.
From behind her designer sunglasses, she spotted Randy. More importantly, she registered the fact that he was holding a five year old girl in his arms. In painfully slow motion, she removed the glasses from her face; her green eyes narrow with suspicion. Her frosted pink lips curled into an unattractive sneer as she spoke.
"Baby, do I even want to know what the hell you are doing?"
Randy smiled weakly, holding Juliet closer to him. "Chase…you'd better sit down. There's something I need to tell you…"