DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.

***A/N – I really want to give a shout out to all of you. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and leave awesome reviews. I am eternally in your debt!

This is part 3 of 3. I know it's a shortie but I didn't want to take away from the emotion of the scene! ***

Claire sat back in her chair with a satisfied smile. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed a meal so much. Each bite was a delicious morsel from heaven. She certainly didn't think she had room for coffee much less desert. Part of her wasn't entirely sure she would be able to walk out under her own power. Her midnight blue eyes moved slowly over Randy. The blue silk shirt her wore made his eyes sparkle. The top two buttons were undone, giving Claire a glimpse of his tanned skin. She didn't realize she was staring until Randy reached across the table and tapped the back of her hand with a finger.

"Earth to Claire." he said.

Dragging her gaze away from her wayward thoughts, Claire forced herself to meet Randy's steady stare. "I'm sorry I was just thinking."

Randy smiled as he cocked his head to the side to study Claire. If he lived to be a hundred, he would never get tired of looking at her. She was just so beautiful. The flickering candle glow cast her face in a soft glow.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking, too." Randy said.

Claire arched a brow as she reached for her wine glass. She took a small sip then placed the glass back on the table.

"Really?" she asked as she ran a fingertip along the rim of her glass.

Randy reached for her hand, taking both of her smaller hands in his. He looked down for a long moment, noticing the difference between them. Her small, elegant hands were nearly lost in his much larger grip. He studied the pale pink polish on her nails for a long moment.

"I've been thinking about a lot of things." he said. His blue gaze flicked up to Claire's face. He watched her carefully, judging her response.

"Like what?" she asked.

"About you. About us." Randy said softly, his thumb moving in a slow circle over the back of her hand.

Claire leaned her head to the side. She was pretty sure Randy was easing his way into the conversation she really didn't want to have.

"I don't like to think about you going back to Stamford. I want you to stay on the road." he said.

The fact that he didn't say "with me" was not lost on Claire. Randy was having a difficult time expressing himself. And it wasn't surprising, considering how hard this was for both of them.

"I want to stay with you." she said.

Randy took a deep breath as he leaned toward Claire. He rested his elbows on the table as he continued looking down at their joined hands.

"I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you. The day you walked into my life, everything changed. You've made me a better man. That's something I can never repay."

Claire nodded in agreement. They had been to hell in back just in the few short months that they'd been together. She'd seen more drama and heartache in those days than she'd ever thought possible. But through it all, she'd never known love like this before. Randy loved her with an all consuming passion. He gave her everything he had, heart and soul.

Leaning back in his seat, Randy let go of Claire's right hand. He slowly moved his hand into his lap and carefully slid it into his pocket. His fingers closed around the small velvet box. He moved forward again, carefully hiding the box under the blue and white table cloth.

"I've never been the kind of man that thought about the future. Now that's all I can think about. I think it's time we made some changes. "

Claire knew exactly where Randy was going with this. Part of her had even expected it. Ever since the e-mail from Stephanie, she had been wondering if their passion would survive the separation. Relationships were hard enough; add in the fame factor and the distance, the circumstances changed drastically. Randy, apparently, had been thinking the same thing. After a few months of being apart, they would both be able to decide if the relationship would survive.

"I agree, Randy. I think going back to Stamford is a good thing. Maybe some time apart will do us some good." she said.

Randy felt as if he'd been sucker punched. All of the air left his lungs in a rush. His fingers clamped tightly around the box he held. He felt the soft velvet give way under his grip. He stared at Claire in shock. He'd never been more sure of anything in his life. Once he had made the decision to ask Claire to be his forever, he didn't look back. In the last 24 hours he'd imagined this scene over and over. In each version he knew exactly what he was going to say. Hell, he was even going to get down on one knee. He would pledge his undying love and devotion only to her. Then he would ask her to make him the happiest man on the planet. None of his imaginings had ended like this. He'd never expected Claire to say that she wanted to take a break. How had he misjudged the situation so badly? He wiped his suddenly clammy palm down the side of his pants. What he supposed to say now? Randy nodded mutely, unable to speak past the hard knot in his throat.

"I know it's not easy going to be apart. But it will be good for us. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?" Claire smiled slightly, hoping to take the edge from her words.

Randy nodded, unable to even look at Claire. He didn't want her to see the crushed expression in his eyes. Tossing his napkin onto the table, Randy excused himself. He muttered something about going to the men's room and quickly strode away. Claire blinked slowly in surprise as Randy abruptly moved into the restaurant.

Locking the restroom door behind him, Randy forced his lungs to suck in a deep breath. He moved to the sink. Leaning down, he braced his weight on his arms. His head fell forward, his shoulders bunched tight. The ache in his chest grew worse. Unconsciously, his hand moved to left pec, just above his heart, and rubbed slowly. His gaze fell to the hand still clutching the black velvet box. Unconsciously his grip tightened until he felt the box give under the pressure. Shaking his head slowly, Randy trailed his thumb over the curved lid of the box. He was so sure she would accept his proposal. Hell, he didn't even get a chance to make the proposal. She'd shot him down before he'd even made it that far.

Randy shoved the box into his pocket and reached for the faucet handles. He cranked the cold water on full blast. Shoving both hands under the waterfall, Randy scooped up a handful and rubbed it over his face. The icy coolness was a balm against his heated flesh. Pressing a cold hand to his cheek, Randy's eyes locked onto his reflection in the mirror. He almost didn't recognize himself. The expression in his eyes was dull, flat, nearly lifeless. His skin was pale. Staring at his reflection was like into his past. The image in the mirror was a photograph of the man he used to be. The face staring back at him was full of negativity and condemnation. He could hear the voice in the back of his mind taunting him. He hear the gales of helpless laughter echo in his brain.

Who did you think you're fooling, Orton? You haven't changed. You're still the same selfish bastard you've always been. What makes you think you're good enough for her? You really are insane.

Covering both of his ears with his hands, Randy tried to silence the excited voice. That voice had been with him his entire life, mocking him, telling him he wasn't good enough. He couldn't stand to hear that sick laughter, those bitter words. The voice was right, he wasn't good enough for Claire. He'd deluded himself into believing he could make this work. He fooled himself into thinking he was good enough for Claire. The voice continued tormenting him, reminding him of all the times in his life he'd failed. The Corps. Rosalyn. The baby. Over and over the voice kept chanting. Unable to tolerate it one second more, Randy's gaze locked on his reflection in the mirror. He was going to shut the bastard up once and for all. Without thinking, Randy slammed his fist into the mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

Randy blinked hard several times, clearing the fog from his vision. He watched as the shards of glass rained down into the porcelain sink. He sucked in a sharp breath as he looked down at his hand, noticing the specks of blood starting to appear. Funny, it didn't hurt as bad as he thought it would. If it had hurt like the blazes of hell, he'd be fine with that. Anything was better than having to listen to that fucking voice. Shaking the glass from his hand, Randy stuck his hand under the water. The cuts stung with a terrible ferocity. As long as he had that pain to focus on, he would be okay. The pain from the cuts was infinitely easier to deal with than his broken heart.

***A/N – I hope this side of Randy wasn't too overwhelming. Please review!***