Vertigo

Title: Vertigo
Rating: R
Summary: Collaborative fic between rainpuddle13, sloppy_drunk & thedustyshade. This is our theory. Although we're sincerely hoping this is just the hugest punk ever.
Disclaimer: Not ours. And we don't know what really happened. 
Notes: All mistakes are ours.  Originally posted in two parts on LJ...all of it in one post here.





Kristen was discovering that sometimes people weren't always what they seemed.

This person whom she had admired, looked up to, and trusted had revealed himself to be nothing but a creepy wolf in sheep's clothing.

It didn’t happen overnight…he was subtle. It was in the seemingly innocent hand on her waist as they posed for the camera that made her stick her elbow out defensively. Or the teasing comment about the dress she’d worn to a public appearance, prompting her to request longer dresses from her stylist, or jackets to wear, even when in the sweltering heat.

He seemed to realize that she was onto him when she began surrounding herself by her co-stars, begging Rob to visit her on set in London, and clinging to Charlize at times, when they were in the public eye. And he wasn’t happy about it.

Three months ago, she had spoken eagerly about the possibility of a sequel. Now the thought made her stomach churn.

She’d give anything to be able to go back and not accept his invitation for lunch under the guise of discussing the next movie.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

She went into this knowing that she’d hurt people. But she had to have faith that everything would be okay…eventually. She couldn’t jeopardize her plan. She had to expose him. She refused to let him prey on other young actresses that might cross paths with him.

His threat resonated over and over in her head.

Cooperate or I tell Lover Boy.

~*~

They’d been separated by the ocean before but Kristen had never been so clingy, begging him to come visit.

Filming was almost over by the time she gathered up the courage to tell him. As they lay in bed one lazy morning, she rested her head on his chest and spilled the whole story.

She told him about the little comments Rupert had been making, about the texts and phonecalls.

“You gonna wear a short dress to the premiere and show off those long legs of yours?”

“You look like a young version of my wife.”

“Did you and your boyfriend have fun in your trailer over lunch?” 

Rob’s anger grew with each comment and each seemingly innocent touch that Kristen relayed to him, spilling out months of pent-up fear and confusion.

“Rob…you’re not angry, are you?” she asked, sitting up slightly, keeping the sheet wrapped protectively around her naked body.

His face softened, and he gave her a sad smile. “Not at you, Love,” he said softly. He sat up and pulled her into his lap. “And I know what you’re thinking…that you did something to make him act like this towards you, but I want you to stop that right now. You didn’t do anything wrong…except wait so long to tell me.”

“I’m sorry.”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. “I love you, and we’ll figure it out. Trust me.”

“I do.”

~*~

It had to stop before she went stark raving mad.

The texts were bad enough, but the phone calls when she had to listen to his voice when he told her what he wanted to do to her made her want to crawl out of her skin. The tipping point was when he went on and on about how cute and sexy she looked at Comic Con. How he wanted to feel her long legs wrapped around his shoulders as he went down on her. How he'd squeeze and suck her pert little tits until she screamed. How he wanted to flip that yellow skirt up fuck her from behind because it her delicious little ass was begging for it.

She took a long hot shower after she hung up with him, standing in the spray, rubbing her skin raw, until the hot water ran out. No matter what she tried, she couldn't make the unclean feeling disappear.

All she could think about was Rob upstairs still asleep, her stomach tied up and twisted into so many knots that she could barely eat anything. The cup of tea she'd made had long since turned stone cold untouched on the small table beside the chair on the patio overlooking the large backyard of their home. Bear, bless his little puppy dog heart, was laying on the ground next to her, casting sad looks her way.

He didn't take kindly to her rebuffing of his advances. She tried to keep it on the level and professional, but that only incited him to ramp up the pressure on her.

How in the fuck was she going to get herself out of this mess? The question kept turning over in her mind. She cursed the movie's success. At this point, she would much rather be taking her lumps as the actress who couldn't carry a film outside of her mega series than become the clichéd actress pursued by the director of her film.

Her, Kristen fucking Stewart, had just become everything she despised about power hungry Hollywood.

She knew then exactly what she had to do.

~*~

“I have a plan.”

They were lying in bed, Rob watching some late-night television while Kristen tried, and failed, to concentrate on reading through a script.

“A plan for what?” he asked, his eyes moving from the television to her.

“I’m going to out him for what he is.”

“What do you mean?”

She tossed the script haphazardly to the floor and turned to face him. “Sanders. I’m going to show the world what a creep he is.”

“Kris, no.”

She glared at him. “Rob…I can’t take it anymore.”

He wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. “Wait…are you telling me that he’s still bothering you?”

She sighed and reached over to her nightstand to grab her phone. She quickly pulled up the texts that Rupert had sent her and handed the phone to him.

That skirt you wore to Comic Con makes me want to push you up against a table and fuck you from behind.

I want your legs wrapped around me.

Does my Snow White like it rough?

Rob read through the texts, each one making the urge to vomit stronger. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded, throwing her phone up against the wall, shattering it into pieces. 

Bear whimpered from his place at the foot of the bed and moved to sit protectively in front of Kristen. She patted his head and soothed him. “It’s okay, baby, Daddy won’t hurt me.”

“Fuck,” Rob muttered, irritated that he’d lost his temper with her…it was far from being her fault. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.” 

They grinned at each other, having blurted out the apology at the same time.

Rob slid closer to her, taking her in his arms. “I wish you would have told me he was still doing this.”

“I thought that he’d stop if I told him to.”

“But he didn’t.”

She shook her head. “It made it worse.”

“I want to kill him.”

“You won’t. You won’t go near him. Do you hear me, Robert?” She demanded, gripping his shoulders tightly. “I won’t let him hurt you!”

He snapped out of his anger as he saw the tears welling in her eyes. As protective of her as he was, he sometimes seemed to forget that it went both ways…that she’d do anything for him as well.

“So what’s your plan?”

~*~

“No. No way, Kris. I won’t let you do this…it’s too dangerous.”

“It’s the only way, Rob.”

He shook his head. “I won’t have any part of this.” His eyes pleaded with her to understand how much he disagreed with the plan she’d just told him.

“What else am I supposed to do?” she asked, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.

“You’re supposed to trust me when I tell you that we’ll figure this out together. You’re supposed to have faith that it will work out, as long as we stick together!”

She held her head high, proudly, but her lips were trembling. “Okay,” she whispered. 

God, I hope you forgive me for this she thought to herself.

~*~

"Do you trust me?"

Gio was surprised at the question from his young friend. "Of course, I do, with my life even."

"Good, because I'm in trouble, Gio. Serious shit," Kristen continued, panic haunting her green eyes.

"What can I do?" It wasn't a question so much as a statement. The pain in her expression caused his stomach to flip.

"I need you to tip off one of the gossip rags," she focused on the black Nikes on her feet, her voice dropping to a near whisper, "that you suspect something's up between me and Rupert."

"What the fuck?" he muttered, flabbergasted at her request. "Tell me what's going on, Kristen. Right now."

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "If you love me like you say you do, just do please. Please. I beg you."

~*~

Pick me up. Let’s go for a drive.

Kristen cringed, even though it was just a text, the meaning behind it made her skin crawl. But she knew what she had to do.

Give me 45 mins.

Stripping out of her clothes, she pulled on a pair of Rob’s boxer briefs from the dresser before making her way over to the dirty laundry that littered the floor of their bedroom. She dug around, pulling out a shirt and a pair of Rob’s pants, knowing that having his scent so close to her might be her only saving grace. 

Glancing around the room, her eyes fell on the Dodgers hat that was sitting on his nightstand. “Oh please forgive me for this, Rob,” she whispered to herself, snatching the hat up and putting it on her head.

Picking her phone up, she scrolled through to find the number she’d saved days ago and sent a quick text out.

Today’s the day.

~*~

Kristen burst into the tears the second her eyes landed upon Rob, unable to hold herself together one second longer. She knew for better or for worse, she's set a shitstorm into motion that was going to consume them both and spit out what remained of their bones.

"What did you do?" Rob was up and standing in front of her before she could even blink. 

The gasping, heaving sobs stole her ability to speak. The accompanying pain in her head would normally be enough to make her want to throw up, but she'd long since emptied the contents of her stomach by the side of the road.

"Tell me what you did, Kristen," he growled at her. He was beyond angry, this she knew because he wasn't trying to comfort her.

They'd discussed how to handle the situation, but neither of them could come to an agreement on how was the best way to make Rupert go away without jeopardizing her career or the now green lit sequel. The only thing they could agree on was they were damned if they do and damned if they didn't.

"What I had to do," she answered in a small voice.

"God fucking damnit, Kristen! I told you we'd handle this together!"

She wiped her nose on the hem of her tank top she was wearing, her stomach roiling when she caught a whiff of the bastard's cologne still clinging to her from where he'd violated her personal space. All she could feel were his hands pawing at her as he tried to cop a feel. She was stupid think that being out in public would've given him pause, but he was only concerned with his ultimate prize.

"I couldn’t take it anymore, Rob!" she cried, managing to stagger to her feet. "I've got to take a shower. I can't stand the feel of him on me any longer!"

He followed her up to their bedroom. "How did he touch you? Did you…did you…have sex with him?"

"No! No! No!" she all but screamed, the look of dread on Rob's face nearly crushing her into a million little pieces. "No! We were in public the whole time, I swear!"

"Walk me, through it, Kris. Please. Make me understand."

It was the most difficult thing she'd ever done, telling her boyfriend how she'd arranged to meet another man after promising to give into his demands for sex. She held nothing back. Rob had every right to know how this other man demanded from her what was supposed to be his alone and how she lied and schemed to keep the bastard from getting what he wanted. She had to stop often to work through the sobs and her voice was near gone by the time she was done.


~*~

“Hey,” he said softly, lying down on the bed beside her and pulling her into his arms. “You okay?”

She nodded, snuggling closer to him and kissing his jaw. “Mmmm,” she murmured in contentment.

“You feel up to going out tonight?” he asked.

“Not really, but we should go,” she sighed.

His hands snaked up under the t-shirt she was wearing, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Kris. I promise I won’t leave your side tonight if you don’t want me to.”

“I hate him for making me so anxious about being out in public,” she whispered.

“I know, baby.”

Rolling over so that she was sprawled out on top of him, she kissed along his jaw to his lips. “Can we just…forget about everything for a little while? Just focus on us? I need that…I think we both do.”

He grinned, grinding his hips up into her. “I think that can be arranged,” he murmured, kissing her.

~*~
“Rob?” she asked softly, grabbing his arms as he worked to drunkenly get the key in the lock of the door.

“What’s up sweetheart?” he asked as he finally managed to get the door open.

“I really liked being able to hold your hand tonight,” she said softly.

He was quiet for a moment as he pulled her inside the house, shutting the door behind them. “I liked it too,” he murmured, pushing her up against the wall.

“I can tell,” she said teasingly, shifting her hips forward to rub up against his growing erection.

He growled at her lowly. “You’d better be willing to follow through, little girl.”

Without warning, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, causing him to stumble backwards before catching his balance again.

She giggled as he clumsily walked them back the hall, stopping every few seconds to push her up against the wall and kiss her or to remove an article of her clothing.

“Rob, please,” she whimpered as his mouth closed around one of her nipples. Her fingers tugged at his silky hair as she writhed against him, seeking friction.

“Jesus, Kris,” he gasped, pushing his hips into her. “I don’t think I can make it to our room.”

“Right here. Fuck me right here,” she demanded, reaching down to undo his jeans.

He loosened her legs from his waist and she set her feet unsteadily on the ground. She swayed slightly, both from the alcohol in her system and from the dizziness that his kisses caused her.

“You need to get these off,” he whispered urgently, tugging on her jeans and lacy thongs.

“Oh fuck, hurry,” she cried as his finger swiped against her clit teasingly.

He hurriedly stepped out of his jeans before lifting her up and wrapping her legs around him once more. They both moaned as he slid inside her slowly until he couldn’t go any further.

“Fuck fuck fuck!” she cried out, clutching at his shoulders.

“Shit you feel so good,” he murmured, burying his face in her neck as he started to thrust in and out of her quickly.

“More,” she pleaded, rocking her hips to meet his movements. “Jesus I’m so close!” she whined.

“Not…going…to…last…” he panted out before covering his mouth with hers to swallow her cries of pleasure as she went over the edge.

“Oh my God,” she gasped, breaking the kiss so that she could come down from her orgasm. She bucked her hips into him harder, urging him to let go. “Please come,” she gasped. “I need you to come.”

“Fuck!” he grunted out, her words throwing him over the edge as he spilled into her.

“I love you,” she whispered, peppering his face with kisses. “I love you so much.”

He put his forehead to hers and smiled through his gasping breath. “I love you too, baby.”

~*~

"Remember to drive the ball with your hips, Kris," her father reminded her from where he was standing just off to the side as she teed up on the 7th green. "That's where all your power comes from."

She adjusted her gloves before taking up the driver and looking down the fairway towards the pin 250 yards away. Kristen took a deep breath before setting her stance and cocking her club, swinging through the ball, using her hips for power, watching the ball soar as her body twisted with the follow through.

"That's it!" he cried with a clap of his hands. "I'm going to make you a true blue golfer yet."

"I dunno, Dad." She dropped the club back into the correct slot in her bag fastened to the back of the golf cart. "I don't get to practice enough."

"I know, you've had a busy few years, but maybe it'll slow down a bit and we'll get to see more of you."

"Maybe," she mumbled non-committedly. She had to resist the urge to hug her Dad because she didn't want to it be captured for posterity by the pap who had been lurking in the hedges at the edge of the course for the better part of the last 15 minutes.

"You alright, Kris? You seem a bit off today, distracted."

"I'm okay." She automatically chewed on her thumb nail, ignoring the taste of sweat and rawhide left on her skin by her glove. "What if I did do something stupid, Dad? I mean like, really, really, stupid. Would you still love me?"

"Of course, I would, Kris." The cart came to a dead stop along the trail. 

"Mom too?" She had to ask, just to be sure. The idea that her actions would disappoint her parents was almost more than she could stand.

"Of course, your brothers too." He was frowning. "Kristen, are you going to tell what is going on?"

"I dunno yet." She stared at the toes of her black Vibram shoes. "I'm hoping it's nothing."

"Is it Rob? You two having problems?" It only made sense he'd go directly to that question.

"No, he's good, perfect. I love him more than anything," she said, quick to reassure her father.

"Alright then," he pondered, stroking his chin as he thought. "Is Nikki causing trouble again?"

She sighed. He'd never guess in a million years. "No, Dad. It's all fine. Like I said, hopefully it'll blow over."

He was silent for a long time, not speaking until they reached the green. "Promise me you'll come to us if you get in over your head, baby girl."

Kristen sniffled slightly, thankful for the dark sunglasses hiding her watery eyes. "I will, Daddy. I promise."

~*~

Kristen felt as if she was on the outside of a bubble, listening to these people plan out her life. She had thought her days of having her life dictated were long over, and she had a sudden sense of déjà vu as she watched Stephanie pace back and forth, yelling into the phone. Steph had been one of their biggest supporters through everything and Kristen was grateful that she was here in the home she shared with Rob, on the eve of chaos. 

“Absolutely not!” Steph yelled, causing Kristen’s gut to twist with guilt. She stood up suddenly, and ran out of the room, barely making it to the bathroom to wretch into the toilet.

She closed the lid and flushed the toilet, laying her head against the cool porcelain. 

“Honey?” Rob called, knocking gently on the open door. “You okay?”

She shook her head, tears flooding her eyes. “My God, Rob, what have I done? I’ve fucked everything up!” she sobbed.

Rob pushed the door shut quietly before wetting a washcloth with cool water. He kneeled down in front of her and held the cloth to her forehead. 

“I need you to calm down, sweetheart,” he whispered, taking her hand in his and kissing it softly. 

Her sobs slowed to the occasional hiccup as they sat huddled together on the bathroom floor, with Rob whispering soothing words to her, assuring her that they’d get through this.

She slid into his lap, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I don’t want them to decide our lives for us again,” she whispered. “Jesus, I was listening to Steph on the phone and I just had this flashback of them telling me I couldn’t be with you.”

“Oh, my sweet girl,” he whispered, taking her face in his hands, “don’t you know by now that nothing is going to keep me away from you?” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “You’re it for me, Kris.”

“I love you so fucking much,” she whispered fiercely. 

~*~

“Ruth, do you have a second before you go?” Kristen asked quietly.

“Sure sweetie. What’s up?”

“First, promise me that this stays between you and me, please.”

Ruth’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “You have my word, Kristen.”

Sighing heavily, Kristen dug around in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a piece of folded up notebook paper. “When everything comes out, I want you to release this statement for me.”

“But I thought we agreed not to—“

Kristen shook her head angrily. “No, I didn’t agree to anything…in fact, no one bothered to ask Rob or me what we wanted to do.” She took a deep breath and looked Ruth right in the eyes. “We’re willing do to whatever you guys tell us from here on out, but I need you to do this as a favor for me. Please, Ruthie?” 

Ruth groaned. She hated it when Kristen pulled the “Ruthie” card. “Fine,” she agreed. “Which media outlet?”

Kristen shrugged. “I was thinking People…it’s semi-reliable.”

“Okay, I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.”

Ruth gave her a sympathetic smile, squeezing her hand. “You’ll make it past this, honey. I know you will.”

“I can’t lose him, Ruth. He’s my whole world,” she whispered.

~*~

Rob stared down at the sentence, growing angrier with every pass his eyes made over it. 

I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry! 

He crumpled up the paper and tossed it across the room before getting up and pacing back and forth across the living room.

“Rob? What’s wrong?” Kristen asked a few minutes later, emerging from the bathroom after a long bath.

“We need to talk.”

Her face paled and her heart began to thump in her chest. “What’s wrong?”

He saw the panic in her eyes and immediately felt bad. “Come here,” he said softly, taking her in his arms and giving her a hug. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She studied his face for a moment. “You’re angry with me,” she said softly.

“I’m not angry…I just…I’m hurt, Kris. I feel like you didn’t trust me enough to let me help you figure this out.”

She nodded, her eyes stinging with tears. “I’m sorry…I can’t say it enough, baby. It was just eating away at me…every text, every phone call. I just couldn’t take it any longer.”

He let out a sigh. “I don’t think you get it, Kristen. It takes two people to have a successful relationship. What you did was so one-sided and selfish.”

She recoiled as if he’d slapped her, stumbling backward, she tripped over the coffee table and fell. “I’m fine!” she insisted when he reached for her.

“Bloody Christ, Kristen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Well you did,” she whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

He couldn’t help the glare that formed on his face or the angry tone his voice took. “And now you know how I feel.”

She sat down on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest, staring at her feet. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Rob,” she finally said. “I’ve told you I was sorry. I know that I’ll certainly think things through more carefully from now on.”

He moved to sit on the floor beside her, mirroring her position. “I think maybe we need to spend some time apart.”

She let out a sob. “No! Rob, please!” she cried.

He reached a hand out and cupped her trembling chin, lifting her eyes to his. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I’m not leaving you. But I think that we could both benefit from some time and space. We both need to clear our heads…not to mention the media frenzy we’re about to endure.”

“Where will you stay?” she asked quietly.

“Probably at Steph’s.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Unable to take the pain on her face anymore, he reached out and pulled her to sit on his lap. “I love you so much,” he whispered, kissing her softly.

She tried to put aside the feeling that she wasn’t enough for him…that she didn’t deserve him. She reveled in the warmth and protectiveness that his embrace provided, hugging him tightly.

“I love you,” she murmured over and over again. 

~*~

“Can I call you?” she asked as they lay in bed later that day. 

They’d held each other as they sat on the floor for a long time, and eventually the softness and tenderness they shared turned heated, passionate, and needy. They’d left a trail of clothing from the living room to their bedroom as they stumbled their way back the hall and fell into bed to make love.

“That would probably defeat the purpose of time apart,” he said sadly.

She nodded, but was silent for a few moments. “Rob?”

“Hmm?”

“We’re gonna make it through this, right?”

He sighed. “I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure that we do, Love.” It was all he could offer her at the moment and he felt utterly helpless.

“Okay,” she murmured, snuggling into his side. She was going to stay close to him until he made her move so that he could pack his bags.

~*~

Kristen’s voice cracked when she heard the familiar voice of her second mother when she answered the phone, knowing she's about to shatter her heart. "Mum, no matter what you might see or hear, just know that I love Rob more than anything in this world. I'm so sorry! It's all I can say right now."

She ended the call and turned off the ringer before Rob's mother can utter a word in response.

~*~

"Cam! Please," Kristen begged her oldest brother.

"Don't," he hissed, pushing her away. "I can't even look at you right now! How in the fuck could you do this to him?"

She crossed her arms and gave him a hard look. "I thought you didn't like Rob. That's what you're always sayin'."

"It's a big brother thing, you wouldn't understand," he countered. "Rob loves you. Worships you. You fucking had everything and you threw it all away for what? A quick fuck?"

"It wasn't like that, Cam," she said, swallowing down the bile that threatened to choke her. "It was..."

"It was what? Fun? Were you bored? What? Fucking tell me, Kristen! Make me understand? I feel like I don't fucking know my own sister anymore!"

"No," she cried wounded her favorite brother would think the worst of her. "It wasn't like that at all."

"Then tell, Kristen."

"I can't," she mumbled, unable to say out loud the things the slimy bastard had said to her. She held out her phone to him after she'd pulled up the texts. "Just read."

Her heart twisted at the wounded look in Cam's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.

"I thought I could handle it."

"And now everything's a fucking mess."

"Yes," she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. Kristen sought the refuge of her brother's arms as he rocked her and kept telling her everything would alright. That she wasn't so sure of anymore.

Cam tipped her chin up with a single finger, a very mischievous smirk on his lips. "So, say if something happened to Ruperv, you wouldn't rat me out to the cops would you?"

~*~

"Do you hate me too?" Her voice was small, unsure of herself.

"You know better, Sis," he said softly, pulling on her arm until she fell onto the couch beside him.

She laid her head on his shoulder, needing his unconditional compassion and comfort in that moment more than ever.

"I totally deserve your anger though."

He shook his head. "No, you're beating yourself up enough for both of us."

~*~

Scout just sat on the sofa, holding her best friend as she cried her eyes out. There was nothing to say really, just offer unconditional love and support. It was shocking how cruel people were being, especially considering none of them had any idea what was actually going on.

"Hey," she said softly, stroking Kristen's long reddish brown hair. "Do you want something to drink? I think you need to rehydrate."

The other girl sat up, sniffling and wiping her nose with the last of the tissues. "Yeah, I think I could use some water."

"Coming right up." She padded into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, spying the various menus tacked to the fridge. "I think you should eat something. Want some Chinese?"

"I dunno if I can eat anything," Kristen called back.

She seriously doubted that. Who could resist Moo Shoo pork and shrimp fried rice? Scout called in an order before taking her friend some water before she dried up like the Sahara Desert.

Kristen gave her a watery smile when she returned and took the bottle and downing most of it in one go. "Thanks."

"I ordered a Chinese feast for us to pig out on."

"I told you I dunno if I can stomach eating anything right now."

"I know," Scout said, making a funny face, "only I don't listen very well."

"I know you don't, bitch," Kristen shot back, a glimmer of her former self breaking through the shroud of grief she'd wrapped herself in.

Scout smirked back. "Takes one to know one, baby."

"Oh, God, Scouty, what have I done?"

"A bunch of stupid shit, but who hasn't done that in their life?"

And there was the infamous bitchface Scout was so used to seeing. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do, Kris, but you've got to stop being so hard on yourself. It wasn't like you fucked the nanny in the kid's room or anything, totally judging you Jude Law!"

Kristen snorted. "He did that when he was engaged to Sienna."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Didn't she take up with another woman's husband after that?"

"Maybe, probably, I don't know. She's with Tom now and they both seem pretty happy. Marlowe is adorable from the pictures I've seen."

"See, then there's hope that things will be happy for you again."

"I just want it to be with Rob. I love him more than anything, Scout."

"I know, Kris." She reached over to take her friend's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know. I have faith it will all work out."

Silence fell as Kristen turned contemplative again and Scout left her to her thoughts for the time being. The whole thing was such a mess, but Scout knew in her heart of hearts things would eventually right themselves given enough time. 

~*~

Rob didn't know who he was expecting when Steph told him he had a visitor waiting to see him in the living room, but Taylor Stewart never even crossed his mind.

"Rob," Taylor said, discomfort more than apparent in his voice. "I came to see you because she needed to know you were alright."

He stood there for the longest time, having a hard time wrapping his head around the words he was hearing. How dare she worry about how he was doing since she did care last week when she brought down the rain fire of the tabloids upon the both of them when she issued that stupid public apology!

Taylor bobbed his head, taking two steps toward the door. "I understand you probably don't want to speak to me, and that's fine. I just wanted to make sure..."

"Get out," Rob growled, finally finding his voice.

"I am." Taylor threw up his hands. "Just know that she truly does love you, Rob. She's hurting that you won't talk to her. She's been so sick with worry that you were not doing well. Begged me to come check on you."

Rob slumped against the wall once he was out the door, relaxing only when he heard the car start up and then peel out of the driveway.

It hurt so fucking much to see her brother who looked so much like her. She was mean and cruel doing that to him, sending Taylor of all people to check up on him, and it was very smart on her part. It was getting more and more difficulty to stay anger with her over this whole clusterfuck.

~*~

It nearly killed her to see her favorite client in such despair, which is exactly why she was going to have to give him the swift kick in the ass he needed.

"You're going to have to talk to her, Rob," Steph said firmly. It'd been a week. She was done tiptoeing around him.

He glared back her, his still raw emotions plain on his handsome mug. "I don't want to."

"You're not a petulant five year old. You're an adult. Shit happens, you deal with it."

"I can't stop thinking about it, Steph! All I see when I close my eyes are those pictures of them," he cried, scrubbing his hands over his face. "She shouldn't have gone so public with it. What am I supposed to do?"

"Man up is what you're supposed to do."

"I can't."

That made her angry because he was quick to forget that not that long ago he was far from the wronged party. "Robert Pattison, you are such a fucking hypocrite." 

"What?" he asked with genuine shock.

"Have you forgotten that it wasn't all that long ago that you were pursuing a young girl in a committed relationship? Rather hard too, might I add. Came all the way from England for just the chance to meet her."

"I…" he started, then stopped, obviously without a comeback.

"Karma's a right bitch isn't she?" She was pleased at the look of guilt on his face. 

"Yes," Rob mumbled, head dropping down, completely defeated.

"Now you're getting to walk a mile in Michael's shoes."

~*~

Kristen gave Gio a watery smile when showed up on the doorstep.

"Are you here to get the whole story?" she asked, giving him a hug.

"No, I’m here strictly as a friend." He held out his cell phone to her and said, "Read."

She took it from him and glanced at the open twitter application. Her eyes skimmed over the messages directed to him. Messages of support for her. Messages from fans wanting him to relay their love.

"Thank you," she whispered, choking back a sob. "Thanks for going to bat for me."

"Come on, I brought you a greasy cheeseburger. You have beer?"

Feeling a spring in her step for the first time in days, she nodded and led him into the kitchen.

~*~

Kristen was dying to reach out to Rob, even though he had asked for a little time to process everything that had happened.

That didn’t stop her from worrying and wanting to make sure he was eating something other than hot pockets and greasy take-out.

"I need your help."

Taylor grumbled and slapped at her but she was undeterred and shook him harder.

"Taylor. I need you to help me."

"Fuck Kris, can't it wait till it's daylight out?"

Kristen smirked and walked over to the window, opening the blinds up and flooding the room with sunlight.

"It's almost lunchtime, asshole. Get your lazy ass up and get dressed."

Sighing, he rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom, grabbing a pair of jeans on the way.

She was pacing impatiently at the bottom of the stairs when he finally wandered down, freshly showered.

"Okay, what's up?" he asked, clearly amused at her antsy behavior.

She grabbed him and pulled him into the kitchen. "Take this over to Angelo's and ask for Franco," she said, thrusting a Tupperware container into his hands.

He looked at her like she had grown a third head. "Sis, why am I taking a container of your lasagna to an Italian restaurant?"

She stomped her foot, and huffed. "If you must know, I paid him to put my lasagna in their takeout container and have it delivered over to Steph's."

He stared at her for a moment. "Christ on a cracker, Kris," he said softly.

"I need to know he's eating, Tay. Even if he won't talk to me...Steph will. And has."

"All right, just let me get my shoes on."

"Thank you," she whispered.

He pulled her into a hug and kissed her head. "You're changing, Sis. You're looking out for people other than yourself."

"I only wish I'd learned how to do it a long time ago."

Like Rob did, she added silently.

~*~

It was hotter than fuck outside and if the heat wasn't enough to ruin the day, two production assistants had warned her there were a couple of photographers hanging around outside. The past two weeks had been a fucking nightmare for her daughter and now the asshole paps were starting to hound family members looking for any fleck of dust they could spin up into yet another sensationalized and wholly fabricated story. She'd already told them she wasn't going to comment and she meant it too.

"Do you want me to go out there with you?"

Dan's words nearly made her jump out of her skin, she'd been so caught up peek out of the window that she hadn't heard him come up behind her. "No, I'll be fine. A couple of LA gutter snipe don't bother me."

"I'm going with you just the same."

"I told you it's okay," she all but growled. "I can take care of myself."

"I know," Dan said with a laugh, "but someone needs to protect them from you if they say something stupid."

~*~

After her public apology surfaces, the shitstorm, the one she put them in the middle of, reaches new heights. As much as she hates it all, the attention and the media's borderline verbal abuse, she doesn't regret what she said because it was for Rob. 

Of course, that doesn't stop her from hiding out at her parent's house and waiting for a call from Rob even though she wants to give him time.

She watches as her phone vibrates its way across the table. It is slowly driving her insane. She’s taken phone call after phone call. Some from friends, from suddenly not so distant family members but it never relents. None of them make her any less emotionally exhausted. A familiar name flashes across the screen and she feels hope in spite of herself but it’s still not the one she wants to see. She answers it anyway.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Kristen?"

"I thought I had it under control and I didn't," it made her sick to her stomach to say it aloud.
She felt worse that she hadn't even thought of Tom lately, she should have called him.

It had taken her such so long to gain his trust to begin with, but after she got it, he had been so supportive of her and Rob. He had been her friend outside of Rob. He had helped her when she got in over her head in the past.

And yet, here she was now, and Tom couldn't be there for her when he needed to be there for Rob.
New guilt twisted in her gut when she realized Tom needed to take time away from his baby to do so.

There were so many people swept up and affected by this, it made her want to stop and keel over.
But she couldn't. Not now. Not before she spoke with Rob.

“He's a mess, Kristen. Listen, you fucked up by acting alone, but you’ll need to be able to show Rob that you are not entirely self-serving and selfish, got that?" He knows he’s pushing her, but she needs to be.

"And if you can’t even convince me of that--”

“No, I don’t.” She was so angry at him that it all bubbled up at once. He had crossed the line, he and everyone else around her needed to stop thinking that she owed them something. She couldn’t afford to owe anyone when she owed so much to Rob.

“I’m don’t need to convince anyone of anything. I’m accountable to Rob, maybe my family, and that’s it, he’s my priority,” it dawns on her only as she saying it how true that is.

Her response is the Kristen he knows but he takes it one step further.

“That’s my girl, that’s the right answer. So, what are you talking to me for?”

Her lips inadvertently curl up into a smile; Tom would help her without actually helping her.

~*~

"Where the hell are you taking me? I thought we were going to get food?" Cam asked as Taylor as the car pulled into the U-Haul center.

"We're going to do a favor for our sister, that's what we're doing."

Cam groaned. "No."

"Dude, get over it. She fucked up. She's human. You of all people shouldn't have her on a pedestal."

Cam had the decency to look ashamed.

Sighing, he looked over at his younger brother. "Fine, what do you have in mind?"

~*~

An hour later, armed with In-n-Out takeout, Taylor pulled the U-Haul truck up to the front gates of the house their sister shared with Rob.

He grabbed his cell phone and sent a text.

Ruthie, I need a favor.

~*~

"Life's a bitch ain't it?" Tom mused out of the blue. 

They'd been sitting outside in the dark on Steph's patio in silence for at least an hour now.

"And then we die," Rob responded dryly.

"Nah, that's the easy way out. We live and have to deal with the fucking bollocks is what we do." Tom sat up to retrieve his now warm beer from the table.

Rob couldn't help but chuckle a little, the first time in over a week. "That's about the right of it."

"So when are you going to start dealing?"

And there it was. He wondered when his best friend was going to get around to the purpose of his visit. "Never."

"I'm afraid that's not an option, mate."

"It is if I want it to be."

Tom sat up, swinging his legs around so he could face him. "Look, I know things look shitty right now, and they are, but it's not going to go away unless you make it go away."

"Really now?" Rob drawled, venom almost dripping from the words. "I can make everything that has happened in the last week just go disappear?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"And just how do you propose I do this?"

"Talk to her."

"No fucking way."

"Please," Tom scoffed, and Rob practically could hear his eyes rolling. "Don't even."

"She fucked up so bad, Tom! So bad! We were in this together! We were going to figure this out then she went and did what she did!"

"You don't think she knows she fucked up?"

He was sure she did, but he was so wrapped up in his own fucked headspace he couldn't see beyond his own jumbled feelings of anger and betrayal to think about the big picture.

"You need to talk to her, Rob," Tom urged.

"I don't know if I can." Her beautiful, haunting green eyes full of sadness and remorse would be his undoing, Rob already knew that.

"You can and you will," Tom continued. 

"No."

"You have to because you will not be able live with this thing left undone between you."

Rob knew with his mind that Tom spoke the truth, but his heart still didn't want to believe it quite yet. There were too many what ifs and that scared him to death.

"You won't know if you don't try, Rob."

"I know," he said, relenting, hating the uncanny way Tom could read his mind. "I'll ring her tomorrow."

~*~

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours.

It was only a moment though.

Kristen felt a brief surge of panic as the reason for this meeting hit her.

Would he believe her? Would he accuse her of making up lies to cover her ass? Would he walk out the door and never come back?

At that last thought, she clutched her chest to keep her heart from going right through her ribs. She fell to her knees as sobs caught in her throat.

Rob was crouching in front of her immediately. "Christ, Kris, are you okay?" he asked.

She shook her head furiously, unable to catch her breath.

"Fuck," Rob muttered. "You're having a panic attack, sweetheart. Just try to breathe. I'm going to go get you some water."

"Don't leave me!" she cried out in between gasps of air, reaching blindly for him.

"Shhh," he murmured soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, placing his lips to her sweaty forehead.

He rubbed her back soothingly as she came down from her panic.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome. Will you be okay for a minute while I go get you a drink?"

She nodded, smiling weakly as he squeezed her shoulder before standing up and walking into the kitchen.

Rob came back in a moment later and placed a cup of steaming hot tea on the coffee table before handing her a bottle of water.

"Thanks," she said after taking a long drink of the water and placing it on the table.

He nodded towards the tea. "Lots of honey and lemon."

She took a shaky breath. "Where do we start?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "That’s the thing, Kris. We’re not starting. We’re continuing.”

~*~ 

Charlize looked down when she felt a small hand slip into hers, eyes lighting on her tiny co-star, suddenly concerned. "Kristen, you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Kristen insisted breathlessly.

Her voice sounded fine, but wild eyes and forced smile told another story. If anyone had ever looked like a cornered animal, this girl did. Warning bells immediately went off.

"Rob?"

"He's fine, inside waiting for me." The younger woman's eyes darted down the carpet, flitting momentarily on their director and his wife a few yards away, before glancing away quickly with shudder.

"Don't bullshit me, Stewart, tell me what the fuck is going on," Charlize demanded.

Kristen shook her head, hand tightening on hers and moving in closer to her side. "I'm handling it."

Charlize had a fair inkling of what was going on without being told, she'd seen the furtive glances Rupert cast Kristen's way.

"Promise me you'll be careful, Kris." She wrapped her arm around her young protege, hugging her close.

"There's nothing to worry about, Char," the young woman answered, the forced smiled plastered on her face did nothing to hide the real fear in her eyes.

The chill that ran of Charlize's spine just had nothing to do with the cold London evening.

~*~

“You have to understand...I don’t even know what’s real anymore, Kris.”

“I’ll tell you what’s real. You’ve told me a million times, it’s not always what your head tells you. This,” she gestures to his heart, “is right....and real. And us, we are real. And I know that because I meant every word I ever said to you, our promises and these rings,” she holds up her hand, “I haven’t taken them off--and they are real, our house and our dog and our life together is real,” she grabs his hands and entangles them with hers.

“It’s all real, Rob. All of this outside shit—which you and I have always gotten past together--this doesn’t have to change anything,”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you dealt with this alone. You shut me out, Kristen,”

“I shouldn't have and believe me, I wish I had the power to go back and change it. But I can promise I won’t do that again...ever. I'll communicate with you...I’ll be here to tell you what’s real when you don’t know, if you’ll let me. That’s what our relationship has always been...one there to help to the other when they need it.”

“You didn’t let me help you,” is all he says.

She starts to cry at his statement, because she knows that hurt him most of all.

They have always been partners. It was jarring to her that one thing had the power to cancel out years.

But she refused to have him caught up in it then, and she stands by that now. 

“I’m so sorry, but I truly believed that it was my only way of dealing with this.”

“I could’ve helped you. I would of protected you, and it makes me sick to think that guy" his hair stands on end whenever he so much as thinks of him, "tried to hurt you.”

He wipes tears from her cheek with his thumb and she leans into his gentle touch. She had missed him so much.

“I know. Because it makes me sick that I hurt you,” She wraps her arms around his shoulders and hugs him.

~*~ 

“I know it’s not going to happen overnight, but I know we’ll survive this,” she said, leaning into his side as they sat on the couch. 

“The way I see it, we don’t have any other choice,” he murmured. “Remember what I told you that night on the bathroom floor? Nothing is going to keep me from you. You’re it for me, Kris.”

She smiled, her green eyes lighting up with hope for their future. “You’re it for me too.”

-FIN