Just have to say, that we're getting close to 100 reviews! O.O =D YAY! I feel the love people! It makes me really happy that ya'll love something that makes me happy doing! It keeps me motivated to continue! Hehe

Chapter 21- Promises In The Dark

Lora

We woke up early the next morning. Well, I woke up early the next morning. Randy was still asleep, lying in an awkward position on his left side. I quickly shut off my phone's alarm before it had time to reach Randy's ears. The three of us, John, Randy and I, were heading out a few days before everyone else, to get to North Carolina. I slipped from the sheets as lightly as I could, and grabbed the change of clothes I prepared last night, and headed for the bathroom. I peeked over my shoulder as I shut the door, seeing Randy's peaceful face still fast asleep.

I smiled to myself as I turned the water knobs, adjusting the temperature, thinking about last night at the show. I hadn't meant to let the words slip from my mouth. I always ramble, never thinking, when I get flustered like that. They were out there before I knew it, and I couldn't take them back. Now, I'm glad that I couldn't. I had felt the change in the room when Randy realized what had been said. Even now, thinking about it, sent chills down my back. And when he said the words back, those three words, just eight letters, I felt the shift in our relationship. Like all the stupid fighting we had done that day was meaningless, and all that mattered was the now and from now on. It was a wonder how I managed to get back to work to bring Raw to a close.

I opted for curly hair today, not knowing if Randy was awake, and I had no plans of waking him up with my hair-dryer. I threw on some quick make-up, and cleaned up the bathroom, gathering all of my things. Randy was indeed still asleep when I went back to the bedroom, and I stopped for minute, watching him breathe. How was it possible for the man to make my heart race when he was asleep? I thought. I knew not to question it. Instead, I went to the mini-fridge and walked a bottle of water to his side table, and sat the bottle of Aleve down next to him. I knew he was going to hurt when he woke up. I went back to the fridge and began to pack his ice-bag. I heard the sheets start to rustle and the mattress squeak and I knew Randy was waking up. Sure enough, I heard him groaning in pain. I smiled at the stream of profanities flowing from his mouth. Somehow, Randy was sexy when cussed like that. Usually, I thought it was distasteful. I guess Randy was the exception to every rule. I stood, turning towards him with his ice pack.

"There's some Aleve and water right there," I said, pointing at the table. I walked over to him, and didn't even hesitate to start strapping his pack around his broad shoulder. Randy's eyes locked with mine, as I tried to be as careful as I could. The thoughts of his spot with Edge last night still swam in my head and him on the floor writhing in pain. It made me nauseous. I heard him sigh in content when the pack was in place. "There you go."

Before I could turn to walk away, Randy's left hand grabbed my own, pulling me back, and dragged me into his lap. I laughed softly, staring into his bright blue eyes that held no sign of sleep anymore. His arm snaked around my waist and he rested his forehead against mine. I gingerly draped both arms around his neck, not resting them fully on his shoulders. Randy leaned in until his lips were barely brushing mine.

"I love you."

His lips grazed over mine with every word. I closed my eyes, smiling. Those words sounded even better now, than I had remembered them last night. My stomach flipped over in its spot, and my chest clinched tightly. I leaned in and lightly pressed my lips to his, savoring his taste for the moment. But I had to pull away. If we were going to catch our plane in an hour an a half, I had to pull away.

"I love you, too, but you need to get ready now, or John'll be banging the door down. And I'm not paying for it," I said, using all my will power to stand up from his lap. Randy blinked several times, and I understood how he felt. It was like coming out of daze, when we were together. I had to fight the smug smile on my face that I had the same effect on him that he had on me. But old Randy was back in a flash, sending me one of him infamous smirks. He slipped from the bed and headed for the bathroom, pausing at the door.

"How am I going to take a shower by myself? I'm a criple," Randy complained, pouting at his arm in the sling. I, however, saw the glint in his eye. I put my hands on my hips, making a face.

"I can call the Big Show if you like," I offered. I nearly lost my poker-face when Randy faked a look as he considered it. It looked so believable. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

"I'd rather have you helping me lather." And he disappeared behind the closed door. Damn him, I thought. I was no where near on the same level as he was when it came to the art of the tease.

oo

I thought the plane would never touch down in North Carolina. My stomach was in knots as I gathered my carry-on bag and waited to be let off the large metal contraption. It had been a week since I had seen Casie, and I missed my best friend terribly. There was so much I wanted to tell her; about the shows, about our friends and about Randy. I was dying to tell her about the turn in our relationship. And, in truth, I wanted to hear her opinion. Because Casie had been there every step of the way. From the first fights, to friendships, to what we were now.

And it wasn't just me on edge as the plane rolled to a stop. John was in the row in front of Randy and me, and I could tell by the way he was holding hisself that he wanted off the plane. And in a hurry. He missed Casie more than any of us. And who's to blame him? John was practically living with her in hotel rooms, spending nearly all his time with her. I shuddered to think how lonely he must be in a hotel room all by hisself. I didn't want to think about when Randy's shoulder healed completely, and we went back to our "ajoining" room situation. It took all my energy not to lose my temper with the people on the plane as they disembarked at ungodly slow speeds. It was a miracle that we made it to a rental car in one piece. It was another miracle that we managed to talk John out of driving. Neither Randy nor I thought John was in any kind of state to drive; because we wanted to actually see Casie while we were in town, and not end up in the hospital oursevles. Randy was not able with his shoulder, so I climbed into the massive SUV that Randy had picked out. Huge SUV's must be a man thing, I thought as I pulled on the road, and listened to the GPS system tell me where to go.

It took about fourty-five minutes to get from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to the small town of Garner just outside of Raleigh. I turned on the last road the GPS spoke out, and John said that Casie's house was the fourth one on the left. The road was less busy and was more secluded than the others we had been on. I slowed as I passed house number three, and turned into the drive-way. Casie's house was something that I pictured her to have. It was a small two-story home, bricked in grey, with vines growing up from the ground. A small chimney jutted from the ceiling what was shingled in black. A silver car was parked in the small drive-way, and a curved walk led up to the royal blue door. I parked the SUV behind the car, and got out. Randy came around the front, standing beside me, and we silently decided to let John go ahead of us both. Our footsteps echoed off the stone walk against the trees that surrounded the house. I watched as John hesitated only slightly before he rang the doorbell.

I nearly gasped when Casie answered the door. She had changed so much in just the week we were apart. The white tank top and pajama pants that usually fit her perfect were loose in all the wrong places. She had her mahogany hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, showing the ever growing paleness of her skin. The circles under her eyes were a deep purple now, and her lids drooped. But as soon as she saw who was at her door, her face lit up, and I saw a ghost of the old Casie. She swung open the storm door and flung herself into John's arms, kissing him deeply. I felt the stinging in the corner of my eyes, and forced myself to look away. This was not the time. I couldn't focus on how bad she looked, or scared I felt right now. Randy's hand came around my waist, squeezing me softly. God, he knows me so well.

"Oh, God, it's so good to see you all," Casie said, releasing John, and pulling me into her arms. I didn't fail to notice that her hug wasn't nearly as strong as it was only seven days ago. But I kept my mouth shut, and hugged her back. I ignored how my heart kept dropping.

"I missed you. I've been drowning in testosterone," I joked, as I pulled away. Casie covered her mouth as she began to laugh. But her laughter turned to coughing. My brows knitted in concern as John reached for her, trying to help. But Casie waved him off, motioning for us to follow her back into the house. She led us to her living that was bigger than expected, if you were just looking from the outside. I sat next to her on her brown couch, with John on her other side.

"How are you feeling?" Leave it to Randy to ask the question everyone wanted to know, but was scared to voice. He always seemed immune with the elephants in the room. I saw Casie smile at him.

"Besides having cancer, I've been just fine," she laughed. I smirked at her. Well, at least she's come to terms with her situation; if any of the rest of us hasn't. I heard Randy chuckle softly from his spot in the chair. Even John was trying to smile. It was good to see him on his way back to his old self again. It was strange and down right distrubing to see him the way he's been; like he was outside his own body.

"What's your schedule like this week?" John asked, gently taking her hand, playing with her fingers. My lips pulled back in a smile watching the two of them. It warmed my heart to see them on their way back to normal.

"Well, I had chemo today, that's why I'm so tired now," Casie said and I felt the atmosphere shift in the room. She's never really talked about how severe her cancer was, and she had to take chemotherapy? I felt the rush of panic pump through my veins. Randy sat up straight and clenched his hand. But Casie held up her own hands. "Wait, just hold up. It's not as bad as it sounds. On Thursday, they are performing the LEEP procedure on me. That's the loop electrosurgical excision procedure. It's hard to explain, but to make a long story short; they are going to cut the cancer out of me. But I have to have one more round of chemo tomorrow." I had to take a deep breath to try and wrap my brain around what she was saying. Cut it out? I looked at Casie. She seemed so calm. Her voice was steady and resolved. Was that all it was? I didn't see how she was so calm, and I was a complete wreck on the inside. "And what else?" I asked, thinking surely that couldn't be all. "That's it. The chemo is shrinking the cancer and they're going to cut it out. And I should be back at work within a week. But not able to compete for at least three more. And the Raw after next is in Charlotte, just across the state, so I can meet you guys there, and go on with you until I'm completely healed."

I rested my elbows on my knees and buried my head in my hands. Finally, I let my emotions wash over me. Casie was going to be okay. I had been so worried for so long. Worried for John, and for her. But, knowing that my best friend was going to be alright, it was like a hundred pound weight had been lifted off of my heart. The stinging in my eyes returned, and this time, as hard as I tried, I couldn't fight it.

"Lora, are you okay?" I heard Casie ask. I almost wanted to laugh. Casie, a woman with cancer, was asking me if I was okay. I nodded, swiping angrily at my stupid tears. I felt her hand come down softly on my shoulder. "Then why are you crying?"

"I've just been so worried," I said, regretting saying it immediately, because it sounded so selfish. "And I know it's not your fault. You don't know how happy I am to hear you say this," I whispered, and reached across the couch and tugged her into my arms. Casie's laughter met my ears, and made me realize again how much I missed my best friend.

oo

Thursday morning came too soon for all of us. We had been having too much fun to think about what lay ahead in our near future. When Casie was awake, we all piled into the living room, and watched her favorite movies, which was a lose/win situation for me. On one hand, I hated most scary movies, had since I was a kid. But on the other hand, I had Randy to cling to when things got too scary, which I knew boosted his ego; I hadn't figured out if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet. And when Casie was asleep, John would stay with her in her room, in case she was to need anything, while Randy and I camped out in Casie's guest room. Something odd happened in the few short days we were there. While John and I were mothering our own wounded, Casie and Randy slowly started to form a bond that they never really had before. Albeit, they formed it based on the teasing of John and I. It was the same on the other end as well. John and I seemed to grow a bit closer as friends, when we would vent about something Randy or Casie had done to deny our help. This whole experience brought me to realize that the oddest situations can bring anyone closer together.

I found Casie in her kitchen when I came down the stairs. Her hair was in the recently-usual ponytail and she was wearing jeans and baggy shirt that looked like it came from her high school days. I could tell the chemo from yesterday was still wearing on her. I fixed me a glass of orange juice and sat at the small kitchen table, and she followed behind me.

"Not to sound like a mother," I said, making a face, "but are you nervous?"

Casie laughed softly, but it was strained. "It's a mixture. Nervous, scared, and excited. I just want to get back to normal life, you know?"

I didn't know in the sense Casie was talking about, but I definitely could relate to getting back to normal life. But, something hit me, what was normal about being on the road all the time with the WWE? What was normal about living in hotels? What was normal about having a house, and never even sleeping in it? Nothing about my life had been "normal" since I started my job here. But what I had called "normal" didn't have me meeting my childhood idols. My old "normal" didn't invovle being someone that people looked up too. My old "normal" didn't include Randy. And I wouldn't want normal without him.

"Normal isn't all it's cracked up to be," I said, smiling at my cup of juice. "Sometimes you need the rocks in the road to know what you have."

Casie smirked and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Was that about me, or Randy?"

I laughed lightly, "Both."

Casie looked over my shoulder, and I turned to see John and Randy walking through the living room and into the kitchen. As if on cue, we both stood up and met the boys at the archway by the front door. I didn't argue with John this time about driving. I could tell that he was more himself now that he had Casie by his side. I was confident that we would make it to the hospital in one piece. I held Randy's hand the entire ride, and he traced lines on the back of my hand, trying to soothe my nerves. I wanted nothing more than to get this day over. I jumped slightly as John pulled the car to a stop. I hadn't been paying attention to his driving and was mildly shocked to find we were already at the hospital. We all got out and followed behind Casie as she led the way to the right floor.

They checked Casie in, and it wasn't too long after that they called her back. It wasn't surprising that John didn't hesitate in falling into step with her as she was led behind a huge set of double doors. That left Randy and I in a small waiting room. That was one thing I was never good at. Patience ran very thin in my family, and I got very little of it. Randy pulled me away from the crowd of people by the front desk into a secluded corner and sat us down. He went even further, and pulled me against his chest, letting me rest my head in the crook of his neck, always careful of his hurt arm. I tugged his arm in my lap, and ran my fingers up and down his skin, tracing the intricate patterns of his tattoos. Again, Randy was the exception to the rule. I didn't really like a lot of tattoos on someone, but somehow, on Randy, it fit. He wouldn't be Randy without them.

It had been an hour, and I looked up to see John pushing the double doors out of the way. He looked extremely tired. "It's over, they've finished."

I sat up, off of Randy's chest, "Well, what about the cancer?"

John smiled softly, some of the old light flickering in his eyes. "It's all gone."

I stood from my seat and ran to John, and threw my arms around his neck. I felt his come around my back, and embrace me tightly. I didn't complain when it began to hurt. I knew he needed an outlet, and he didn't want to hug Casie this tight. I didn't even want to hug Casie this tight, and I was no where near as strong as John. John sniffed and let go of me. I watched as he wiped his eyes with the back his hand. My heart leapt my throat. John was crying. Never in all my days would I have imagined that.

"Well," he said, his voice gruff with emotion, "I'm going to go back to her. They are going to release her today. It's just an out-patient procedure."

And with that, he turned around and headed back through the double doors. I spun around towards Randy, and hugged him tight around the waist. He pressed his face into my hair, and wrapped his left arm around my shoulders. My life wasn't normal, nor did I want it to be. I wouldn't be where I was, wouldn't have the friends I had, or be with who I was if my life was normal.

A/N

Well, Casie is finally out of the woods! I know all of you are relieved! Mostly for John's sanity! Lol.. But don't go away yet, I have some juicy stuff planned for the future! Heheh!

Eisac Namhort, Duchan Mandic, Christina89, JoolR, Dreamin'BIG, AshleyBabe86, SuperStar89, Viper-Desi, KimmieCena, Xandman216, Thiala, Barnsley Gal 09, roknpstergrl, miamitravel, , southerncharm21, Cecilyyy, undermyumbrella, babyxbxgurl, hardycenagrl and Krista Hardy gotta give it up to my lovely reviewers! let me hear it! (or see it actually.. lol)