A/N: Wow, uh, it's been like, a month. More. Almost two? Shit, I'm sorry. I just can't figure out how to end this. Probably because I don't want to.
So you guys, like… know Lily went crazy, right? Not like Mad Hatter crazy but like… psycho Randy crazy. So… thus the change in voice in this chapter.
There's just something about murder that makes a woman feel classy.
Lily could feel people turning their heads, glancing, judging as she walked up the steps toward the building that held her troubled, yet so incredibly handsome, husband. She knew they knew she was his wife, and that Holly was his daughter, because that's all he raved about. How beautiful they were, how they were the only women he needed in his life.
Most of them didn't even believe she existed until she visited him.
She always made sure to come see him on cold, sunny days. They didn't get many of those, but the times they did, those in particular were the ones she enjoyed the most. He was so warm when he hugged her, and it was never fully appreciated unless she was chilled to begin with.
He looked cold today, though. His cheeks were pink while he waited, glaring up at the sun, the blue of his eyes catching the transparent light bouncing off his squinted expression.
Holly was so young, gripping her jacket, hand half in her mouth.
"Look, Holly," Lily smiled when he glanced down, then up again, noticing her. "Look, it's Daddy. Can you say 'Hi, Daddy! You're almost free!'"
But Holly just pushed her face into her neck.
He stood, almost unfolded himself, looking so completely angelic in that white shirt they made him wear. He had dog tags around his neck. Holly noticed them when he bent down, the metal clanging together.
"You always pick the coldest damn days," he said lightly, and hugged both of them to his chest, his big hand coming up against Lily's head.
She leaned back, eyes to the sky, and he pulled her sunglasses down to smile. "And yet, you're always so warm," she whispered.
"Only when you're here." He took Holly, cradling her against his big arm, and she just about melted into him, rubbing her face against the fabric of his shirt. "She got big."
"Every day."
"Wanna sit down?"
Lily nodded, shivering slightly when a gust blew in, scattering leaves and the papers from the guy across from them. The guards were watching him when they walked in, but now their eyes were on the them, waiting for something to happen.
"How's therapy going?"
Lily looked over at him, but his gaze was on the baby. "Fine. My therapist is… very easy to work with."
"She say anything?"
"Not yet."
"She'll crack soon." He started jostling Holly, but she whimpered, beating her head against his collarbone. "Good thing she's—Holly, cut it out."
"She's been into head butting things lately."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. Your mom said she almost knocked your dad's knee out of place."
Randy held Holly high, watching the sunlight hit her face, her curls. He pursed his lips. "Think she'll be a wrestler one day?"
"I have no doubt in my mind."
He put her on his knee, glancing up. "How are you feeling?"
Lily cocked a brow over her sunglasses. "Since when do you care about feelings?"
He couldn't help the dirty smile. "Since I knocked you up."
"You can't knock up your wife."
"You weren't my wife then."
Lily looked away, trying to hide her smile. No matter how used to him she was, she still couldn't hold his gaze when he was being such a… pervert. "I'm doing fine."
"Good. My folks?"
"Have been wonderful. Spoiling Holly and myself."
"They should be." His lashes dropped when Holly's hand came out, grabbing for him. "What? What do you want?"
She giggled and started to eat her fingers.
He looked back at her. "She hungry?"
"I don't think so." Lily went to take her sunglasses off, but the clouds moved, blasting her with sunlight again. "She ate before we left."
Randy ran both his hands over her hair, smoothing her curls back, watching them spring forward. "She talking yet?"
"Nothing major."
"What'd she say?"
"Orton."
He laughed slightly. "Yeah?"
"Only when you're on TV."
"She's calling Daddy by his last name now?"
"She knows she can get away with anything."
"Even murder."
Lily glanced up at him through her lashes, him looking down through his. They both smiled. "Like father, like daughter."
"Like mother, like daughter."
"You've corrupted us all."
"It's a gift."
Lily held her palm out, and Holly touched her, glancing at her curiously. "She looks so much like you. It hurts sometimes."
He was watching her, she could see it out of the corner of her eye. "Hey."
"What?"
"Look at me."
Lily pushed her sunglasses up. "No."
"What'd I tell you?"
"Randy—"
"Look at me."
She sighed, trying to hide the shake in it. "What?"
"I'm coming home soon."
"I know."
"Really soon."
"I know."
"Then quit the sappy bullshit and act normal."
"I can't help it, my hormones are raging."
"Don't blame my son. You're crying because you're a goddamn chick."
"Don't swear in front of Holly, and shut up."
He smiled. "Give me a kiss, toots."
"No, my tears might get on you."
"So fucking what."
"I told you not to—"
His hand came up, at the back of her head, pulling her lips hard against his mouth. He was laughing when she tried to move away, smacking stolen kisses.
"You're a jerk," she grumbled.
"You're useless against my power."
There was a guard, at the edge of the table, face solemn. "Time's up, miss."
Randy sighed. "Five more minutes, man?"
"Time's up."
Lily smiled flirtatious. "But couldn't you just—"
"Time's up."
Lily turned her nose up at him, rummaging through her purse. "At least let a girl put on her lipstick before she leaves."
The guard just about rolled his eyes. "If you must."
Randy stood up and pushed his lips against hers once more. "So I don't get that nasty shit all over my mouth."
"It already is." Lily puckered her lips and blew herself a kiss, snapping her mirror shut. She held her hand out to the guard. "If you don't mind."
He helped her up, and she fixed her dress, pushing her hair back before she took the baby from Randy.
He glanced at the guard. "Give us a sec, would you?"
"I can't—"
"At least take a step back. Unless you want in on this hug?"
He let out a sigh and moved away from them just slightly.
Randy put his arms around Lily's back, kissing Holly's head, then hers. "I love you. Both of you."
"We love you, too." She patted his face, pressing her cheek to his own. "We'll see you soon."
"Definitely." He winked when she pulled back, then turned to the guard, wrists out. "Do your worst."
Lily turned on her heel, walking toward the gate.
It wasn't proper for a daughter to watch her own daddy get handcuffed.
Rainy days were always fit for a life-changing phone call.
Lily had been at the desk in the den, the one pressed against the big bay window that looked out onto Randy's backyard. She could feel the wind sneaking through the cracks, shaking the frame, making the glass jingle, but she kept writing anyway.
She always wrote to Randy on Thursdays.
The baby is doing fine, looking like you more and more every day. He has your blue eyes, even the light shining behind him. I can see he's going to grow up to be just like you, he's already got your mannerisms.
Holly is—
Lily looked up when the baby started to cry, and she turned her head quickly, frowning at the porcelain brunette sticking her chubby hand into the bassinet. "Holly."
She turned, the wobbly three year old she was, and fell onto her bottom, still not used to standing on her own two feet. "Sorry."
Lily stood. "No sorry. What did you do?"
She had a doll in her hand, the one Randy had gotten her, and she bashed it against the cold, hardwood floor. "I don't know."
"Holly Marie, I swear—" Lily held her hand up and turned, jerking a glass out of the liquor cabinet next to her. "I'm going to write to Daddy and tell him what a bad girl you've been lately. Do you want me to do that?"
Holly watched as Lily mixed her drink, sliding her hands down to grab at her bare feet.
Lily turned to find her cigarettes, but stopped, almost spilling her alcohol. "Holly Marie! Where are your socks?"
"I don't know."
"Don't use that tone with me, young lady, don't you even dare do that."
She gave her a wide, tiny-toothed grin, rocking.
Lily waved her hand. "Just go to your room for now. Leave Robby alone, he's sleeping, and he shouldn't be woken up."
"But, Mommy—"
"Holly Marie, I mean it. Now, go."
Holly frowned, but got to her feet. "Mommy?"
Lily had already lit a cigarette, blowing smoke straight into the ceiling. "What, darling?"
"Can I make drinks like you?"
Lily smiled, patting her curly brown hair when she waddled over to hug her leg. "When you're older. You can even make drinks for daddy."
"Who's making drinks for daddy?"
So much happened all at once. The rain picked up, thunder crashed, and Holly let out an ear-piercing scream, slapping her bare feet against the cold floor as she ran up and into her father's arms.
He was standing there.
Standing there.
Lily cracked her drink against the table, scotch all over the wood, and braced a hand to steady herself.
Randy smiled at her over the child's head. "I told you I'd be back."
"How… How are you here?"
Holly was upside in his arms by now, climbing all over him, trying just as desperately as Lily was to see if he was really there.
He looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"You had… you had another two years."
"And miss my newborn son?" Randy placed Holly on her feet, turning his head toward the bassinet on the other side of the couch. "Is he in there?"
"I…" Lily placed a hand to her heart. "Yeah. He is."
Randy went over there slowly, stepping over toys on the floor. Lily just watched him, watching every move he made, listening to the sound of his wet shoes, the sound of his wet clothes. The steady air he breathed.
Holly grabbed her leg again, and Lily touched the top of her head. "Mommy, does Daddy like Robby?"
Lily smiled back her tears. "I'm sure he does, Holly."
"As much as me?"
Randy was talking lowly, hands curved along the blue-laced edge of the basinet, head bent down to gaze at the little bundle with the mop of dark hair inside.
Lily shook her head. "As much, Holly, but never more."
He turned, teeth showing. He never smiled like that. "He looks just like you, are you kidding?"
"Just wait until he opens his eyes. Then you'll see what I'm talking about."
"I'm picking him up."
"Randy—"
"I'm picking my son up."
Robby could fit in one of Randy's hands alone, but he picked him up with both, carefully, cradling him like an expert.
"Hold his head, Randy."
"I know what I'm doing." Randy settled him along the length of his forearm, palm behind his head, and he just lifted him, gazing, watching, waiting for the baby to open his eyes. "Come on, bud, I'm not gonna wait all day."
Lily bent to pick Holly up, but the phone rang, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. She patted her head. "If you're good, Daddy will let you sit next to him while he holds Robby. Go on."
Everything was perfect. All the hopes and dreams Lily had made Randy promise her were finally coming together. They were finally going to be the happy family Lily had been waiting for.
Lily tripped over the bag Randy left by the door, frowning down at the shirt sticking out of the unzipped top.
The phone kept ringing, but she picked it up, that blood-soaked shirt.
"Oh, dear." Lily ran her hand along the stain. The stain that set him free. "This is going to be such a pain to get out."
And then she smiled and dropped it, heading for the receiver.
"Hello?"
There was a pause. "I'm sorry, Lily. I just couldn't do it anymore."
Lily smiled slightly. "Who is this?"
"My boss got it out of me. Just please, Lily. Don't tell your husband."
The line went dead and Lily just stood there, hand under her elbow, smile fading, fading, until her eyes lifted to the window beside the front door.
She could hear sirens. Faint, but they were there.
Only question was, who were they for?
It's hard to tell in a house of murderers.
Lily put the phone back in its cradle. "Hey, Randy?"
She heard him coming, the tiny feet of Holly following in her daddy's footsteps.
They were finally going to settle down.
"What, Lily? I almost got him but he was sneaky about it. Must get it from me."
Lily sighed happily and turned, her hands slapping against her sides. "Get the children's coats."
Randy frowned, glancing down at Holly. "Why?"
Lily smiled at her new daughter, at her new son, at her wonderful husband.
They were finally going to be the perfect fucking family.
"We're just going for a little ride."
A/N: So. You guys get it, right? I don't have to spell it out for you, right? You can use your brains, right? I hope you've enjoyed this journey. This is some of my best work, in my opinion. I hope you had as much fun as I have.
And look! I was even nice and left it open, so maybe a certain sequel could be written someday. Who wants that? Review! Review, and all your wildest, sex-filled Randy dreams may come true. (Seriously. Review.) Whoever gets the 400th review gets a one shot with their choice of Superstar. (I hate that I have to bribe you guys but when you get 500 hits in 3 hours and only six reviews, you gotta take drastic measures!)