2011

Dawn Pulliam dragged her luggage through the airport terminal as she had been doing for the past decade or so. It was a chaotic and nomadic life but one she wouldn't trade for anything in the world. It was all she knew and she did not want to know more. She would have one day at home with her boyfriend, Austin, and a night wrapped in his loving arms was more than worth it. He was a great guy but she was sensing growing tensions in the relationship. They needed time together, even if it was only a little over 24 hours. After that, she would meet up with her partner, Adam and it would be on to the next city. Sighing and sipping a latte, she pulled her baseball cap further over her head. She loved the fans and she could freely admit that the money and fame were a large part of the attraction of the lifestyle they all led. But sometimes it was simply nice to be normal and not be recognized. The airport was pretty crowded but for the most part, people were more concerned with their own lives and travel. Dawn had miraculously managed to make it for almost two hours without one request for a fan photo or autograph. She boarded her flight without incident, knowing that within three hours, she was going to be home. The biggest obstacle that lay before her was managing to figure out a way to get her overhead luggage to fit. After a few minutes of struggle, she felt a pair of arms stronger than her own, shift the bag into that snug cranny where it fit perfectly so that the compartment could close.

"Thank you. I…" she turned around to express her gratitude to the stranger but it turned out to be not a stranger at all.

In fact, it was a very familiar face.

"Anytime," he said coolly.

"Randy. What, what are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you," he noted. "My layover to St. Louis at Dallas/Ft. Worth and it looks like it's your lucky day."

She let out a small sigh, hands on her hips. Of all the hundreds of flights, he had to be on hers.

"Great," she muttered under her breath. "This ought to be just great."

"Aisle or window?" Randy offered.

"Window is good," Dawn took her original seat and fastened the safety belt, praying it would not be a long three hours and that maybe he just might go to sleep or listen to his iPod or something.

Randy put his satchel on the floor and buckled up as well as the pilot cleared the aircraft for takeoff. The plane made its way down the runway, taxiing slowly at first, then with powerful speed as it launched the half full 50 seater jet into the air. Dawn watched out of the window as they gradually gained altitude and land gave into clouds.

"One day off or two?" he asked.

Dawn kept staring out the window.

"One. You?"

"Two but trust me, I more than make up for it. My schedule for the rest of the week is insane."

"Yeah, it gets crazy around this time every year."

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"Big plans? You know, for the day off."

"No, not really. Nothing too crazy. Just hanging out with Austin."

Randy chuckled to himself.

"He still hanging in there, huh?"

"Ran…" she shot him a warning look. "Don't start."

"Alright, alright. I'll play nice."

"For once in your life. You know, if you were really my friend, you would really be happy for me. Austin in a nice guy and he treats me well and we are very happy together."

"That's good, Dawn. I don't know how you define being happy for you. If you want cartwheels and high kicks and all that shit, then I am not your guy. Sorry. But I am glad that he is a nice guy and for his sake, he better be glad, too."

"Why is that?"

"Cause if he wasn't good to you, I would punt him in the head and make him swallow his teeth. In a heartbeat without a second thought."

Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Wouldn't that be the pot calling the kettle black? You angry because a guy is treating me like crap? Oh the irony," she said sarcastically.

Randy just shook his head.

"That was below the belt," his piercing blue eyes actually looking hurt for a bit.

Dawn sighed. She hated how he had a way of making her feel bad when in reality she really had no reason to.

"Sorry."

"No, it's cool. I deserved it. I was a dick when we were together. I admit that. I'm not proud of it but I admit it."

"It's okay," Dawn shifted in her seat. "Let's just not even go there, okay?"

"I was just saying. Too bad you already have plans. You could have come back to Missouri with me."

Dawn shot her ex-boyfriend a puzzled look.

"Ran…"

"What? My parents would love to see you and I know you always liked living in St. Louis. We used to have a lot of fun."

"Key words are used to."

"It would be like old times."

"Randy…"

"Besides, you haven't seen the new house. I think you'd like it. I spent a shit load on the decorator and it's nice and all but I guess I liked the way you did the other house better."

Dawn bit her lip. It felt like a lifetime ago when she had moved with Randy back to his home state. He had purchased a home and they had moved in it together. He had left all the designing up to her and she had been absolutely giddy turning the house into a home. Those had been wonderful days. She had been so in love with him that she couldn't even stand it. Life had seemed so perfect and so normal and so happy. Every day she would wake up and thank God. She knew that she was lucky. Considering where she had come from to where they both ended up with the WWE, it was a blessing and she was sure a lot of good luck. He was the bad boy with the good heart who'd had her hook, line, and sinker right after the first date. In her heart and mind, one day she would be his wife and be the woman who would bear his children. They would perform in the WWE and then retire together. It was a perfect, blissful life. In her wildest dreams, she never could have predicted just how it would end up for them. It had turned out that they weren't so lucky, after all.

"Those were good days," she remembered fondly.

"They were."

Dawn shook it off.

"But it's over now, you know? It's the past. I don't know why we keep bringing this up."

"Dawn…"

"And what good does reminiscing do anyway? Yeah, there were good times but there were also not so good times, a lot of them actually. We are where we are today for a reason."

Randy heard her voice talking but he was more interested in her eyes. They were gorgeous. Big and warm and sweet.

"Don't get off in Dallas. Come to St. Louis with me."

Dawn could not believe her ears.

"Randal Keith Orton! My God, have you not heard one word I have said?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I'm listening."

"Apparently not. What would I tell Austin? Besides, that would be so inappropriate. He would have a fit anyway."

"Why? Frat Boy doesn't like me?"

"He doesn't know you and you don't know him. He just gets uncomfortable sometimes with me spending so much time with an ex. He trusts me but I think he thinks that you want me back."

She chuckled at the sheer ridiculousness of it but it was not lost on her that he was not laughing.

"What would you say if he was right?"

"Oh Randy, stop it."

"What?"

"This. Whatever it is you're trying to pull. It's not funny anymore."

"No, it's not funny. You're right about that. I've been thinking a lot lately. You know, it's amazing how much time I have on my hands now that I'm living right…not partying and drinking and drugging and chasing women. I am getting old, Dawn. I am about to be 31. I always imagined by the time I was 30, I would be settled down. A nice house, a beautiful wife, a couple of kids…I always imagined that person would be you. Through it all, through all the bullshit I put you through, I always loved you. I never stopped being in love with you or thinking that you were the woman I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I messed things up between us big time and I took you for granted. I was dumb enough to think that I could put you through hell and back again 20 times over and that you'd still be around to take my crap. The world don't work that way, I guess. I learned that the hard way. And it's crystal clear on nights like tonight when I am in that big house all by myself."

Dawn closed her eyes.

"It doesn't have to be that way, you know. You have changed for the better. Ten years ago when we were a couple, you weren't ready to settle down. You are a different man now, a better man, more mature. You have so many wonderful qualities and now that your head is in such a good space, you can open your heart and you are going to find a woman who loves and respects that…"

"I don't want some random woman. I want you. I want all that with you."

Dawn was taken aback. It was what Adam and Austin had suspected all along. She had been warned.

"You don't mean that."

"Yeah, Dawn, I do mean it. And it's hard for me to tell you. I've been wanting to for a long time. You know I'm not always good with expressing feelings and stuff. But I could always talk to you. I could always be myself with you. I screwed up a lot of stuff. And I am sitting here looking like a complete loser telling you all his but I am really sorry for the way I treated you and for all the times I hurt you. You didn't deserve that. You deserved way better. It took a long time to change but I did and it's for real this time. It wasn't easy but I am glad. For the first time in forever, my life is going great. I'm happy. Career wise, personal life wise, I have everything I ever wanted. When I walk through those doors tonight, the only thing missing will be you."

"Randy…"

"Look, you don't have to say anything. Trust me, it's not like I think me telling you all this is gonna make you magically fall back in love with me and leave what's his name. But it's what I have been feeling for a long time. I guess it is a reflection of what I really never stopped feeling in the first place. And I don't want to lie about or pretend it isn't there. It is what it is, Dawn. I want you back."

And there it was. Randy Orton was throwing it out there, putting his heart on his sleeve for once, professing apology laced undying love and Dawn had no idea what to do with it. She had loved him like no other. And she knew he had loved her, too. They had been through too much and those experiences, both good and bad, would bond them forever. They would forever be linked together and in that instant, Dawn knew she would never be able to truly escape him.