*!A Perfect Love You Gave Me!*

*********

"Get in here buddy, we need to have a talk!" Amanda said yanking Shane by the hand into the house and through to the living room. Seeing the look on his face, she knew he was worried she was going to kill him, but she had to make sure he talked to her before talking to Hayley.

"What is it Amanda?"

"I know she broke up with you, and I know the reason why Shane, so I want to tell you. I'm sick to death of sitting here and watching her make her life that much harder. She loves you, she didn't want to break up with you, and she totally didn't want to kiss Jeff. It was just something that happened that could make the pain go away for her."

"Amanda, it's alright. I've talked to Jeff about all of this. I just came here to make sure she knows I'm not leaving her, even if she pushes me out."

"You love her don't you? Like really love her?"

"With my entire heart. I just have to make sure she knows that, because as hard as this is right now, she needs me, even if she won't admit it. I know she's pushing you away too Amanda. We just have to make sure she knows she doesn't have to do that anymore. We aren't going anywhere."

"Shane, there's something you don't know."

"I know she can't have children Amanda, Jeff told me that much, and that doesn't matter to me. There are ways around that. I just want to be with her right now."

"She's dying Shane. We don't know how much time she has left, they are doing what they can to monitor everything, but nothing is a guarantee."

"She is not dying, she had the surgery and she's fine now."

"No she's not Shane, the cancer spread more then they had first thought, and that's why she broke up with you. She is afraid of you falling so deeply in love with her that when she dies, you will die inside too, and she doesn't want that for you. She told me earlier about the doctor's visit, and how she's going to have to go back there to stay or be monitored here. Shane, I'm sorry."

"The cancer spread more? Then can't they do something to stop it?"

"They are trying, but apparently according to Hayley, it's pretty bad now. She doesn't know if tomorrow will be her last day, or if she will be around for years. This whole situation just sucks. I don't want to lose my best friend, and I know you don't want to face life without her."

"No I don't. Why didn't she just tell me, and let me make up my own mind how I wanted to deal with this? Why does she want to decide for us?"

"Because she feels that's her place. All I wanted to say to you was this, don't let her quit on us. Make sure she knows you aren't going anywhere." Amanda ran her fingers through her hair as Shane took her hand in his.

"I wont let her quit. I'll talk to you later. I've got to get upstairs and make her take me back. Because if she doesn't, that's what will make my life come to an end."

*************

Hayley put the tape recorder down and lay down on her bed. She was making this tape because she wanted everyone close to her to have it to remember what they had brought to her life, if she couldn't be there to show them. It was harder then she had expected it to be, making the tape, and she hoped that when all was said and done, it came out good. She wanted everyone she cared about to know just how much they had brought to her life. Her life was better because of them in it. Pulling her from her thoughts there was a knock at her door. Assuming it was Amanda, she put the recorder back in her desk and slowly got up to answer it. When she opened the door and saw Shane standing on the other side, she was shocked. She had really thought she wouldn't see him anymore.

"There's nothing left to say Shane, why are you here?"

"You see Hayley, there might be nothing left for you to say, and you might think it real easy to just let go of someone that you love, but for me its not that easy, so you're going to listen to me whether you like it or not."

"Well you're obviously determined, so why don't you come in and close the door. Then you can say what you need to say and then leave." Hayley said trying to sound as cold as she could. She had to make Shane believe that he was better off without her.

"I know about the kiss you shared with Jeff."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but I know the motivation behind it, so although I wanted to punch Jeff out when he told me, I don't anymore. I know you don't want him, I've known that since our very first date when you told me that you didn't want him that way. I also know the reason you find it so necessary to break up with me, and again, I'm not mad."

"Do you want a medal for that Shane? Didn't you hear me tell you that it was over today? So even if you know all the reasons in the world, it still won't put us back together."

"You're not going to make this easy are you?"

"What do you want me to do Shane? I don't want to be with you anymore, and you need to move on and find someone better."

"Do you really believe that line of shit you're feeding out? Because let me tell you something Hayley Carmichael, I don't believe it for a second, and somewhere inside your soul, you don't either. You need me as much as I need you. Its cool if you don't want to admit it, I can deal with that, but I want to say a few things here, and then I'll leave if you still want me too."

"So go ahead then, I'm listening. I still don't think it changes anything, but I'll listen."

"From the time I met you in the club, you were different, and I knew that. You liked me for me, and that was something I had never really dealt with. Yes I did try to push you away in the beginning, because I didn't know what I wanted, and I was scared, but when we did finally get together and you gave me that chance to be with you, it changed my life. You changed my life Hayley. We got so close, even though we were hardly together on the road, and it felt wonderful. We had much more then a relationship, we had a friendship and I could tell you just about anything. When you got sick, and it got worse, you stopped telling me things and I had to beat them out of you. I was still standing beside you though, and I never faltered. Now I hear that you and Jeff got close and it eventually got to the point that you kissed him, and he kissed back, which confuses him and no doubt confuses you as well. I don't care about that because you are still the same girl from the club that night and you're still the girl I gave my heart too."

"But Shane you don't know everything." Hayley could feel herself giving in to the words, and she didn't want too. She loved him with all her heart but she couldn't hurt him.

"Yes I do know everything. I heard about it from Jeff and from Amanda. It's funny because Jeff was my friend for years but we never really talked seriously before about love and life and the things that matter, and I don't even know your friend Amanda at all, and we talked downstairs and we've gotten closer. We all have a common goal here with you and that is we care about you more then we do ourselves. We want to make your life as rich as possible, and you keep pushing us away."

Shane put his finger to her lips as she was about to talk. He had to make sure he got all of this out in the open before she told him to get the hell out again.

"Let me finish okay Hayley?"

"Okay..."

"I know you were pretty upset with the surgery because it means that even if you were cancer free you couldn't have children, and I know you were afraid to tell me about that, but Hayley, there are ways around that, we can adopt the same as a million other people. I'm with you because we have fun together and I can be myself with you and it just makes sense. I'm with you because I love you for you, not because you can have my children. So yeah it sucks the big one that we won't be able to have a baby of our own, but you know what? It's not everything to me. As long as I have you by my side, that's all that matters. Nothing could take that from me."

"You mean that?"

"Yes I do, more then anything. Why were you so afraid to tell me this?"

"I thought it would matter to you, and I didn't want to give you half a woman. You don't deserve it."

"I didn't deserve you kissing my best friend either. You could never be half a woman to me Hayley, because what would happen if I was the reason we couldn't have kids? Would I throw you away? No, because I love you. That's what loves does to people, it makes things stronger and better. Hayley, I talked to Amanda downstairs and she told me the reason you broke up with me."

"What did she tell you?"

"I want you to tell me the reason you broke up with me. I know what she thinks, and I agree with her, but I want to hear your reason. Open up to me and tell me why you did it, and if you still want me to leave I will."

Hayley paced slowly around the room. This was her chance to lie to him and tell him she really didn't love him after all and really did just want to be alone, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. They were sitting in her room and they were being more honest then they had in weeks, and she knew she just had to tell him and make him understand. She didn't want to lose him, but she didn't want to hurt him either.

"I'm dying. No matter what way you say it, I don't know how much longer I have with the cancer spreading as fast as it is. Dr. Abrams couldn't trace it, and she can only help so much, but with the way it's spreading, she doesn't want to give me false hope, because of what happened to my mother, I can understand why she didn't want to do it."

"Then we deal with everyday as it happens Hayley."

"I can't ask you to do that Shane that would put a hold on your life. You might go off to wrestle and something could happen to me, it's just not fair, to either one of us."

"No baby, what's not fair is me not being in your life. I want to be there for you, and I want to love you for as long as I have you. I know the dangers of something like that happening, which is why I've asked for some time off. It's only a couple of months, but in that time, we can be together and just enjoy being us, without the worries and the fear."

"You can't do that Shane; you can't just leave something you love."

"I'm not, I'm going to be with the something that I love, which is you Hayley Carmichael. Don't you get that yet?"

"I love you too Shane, but are you sure this is something you want? It's not going to be easy."

"As long as I'm with you, there is no other cares I have to worry about. I want to be there when you wake up, and I want to be there when your sick, and I want to help you get better, you just have to want to want me to do it. I won't force it on you, I just want you to know that no matter what happens, if we are apart or together, I will always love you and want to be with you."

Shane took her hand and kissed it gently before turning towards the door. He had told her that he would leave when he had said everything that was to be said, and he was going to stay true to that. It was up to her to make him stay, he couldn't and he wouldn't force the issue on her, not in her condition. He knew her heart had opened up more since he'd been in the room though, so he hoped it was open to him enough to make her let him in.

As Shane made his way to the door, Hayley realized he did want to help her, and she was being stupid if she let the best thing that ever happened to her walk out the door. So thinking with her heart instead of her head, she reached out and grabbed him by the hand, and pulling him back towards her, she looked into his eyes and touched his cheek, Leaning in gently she kissed him, letting all the fear and worry leave her brain and focus on the love she felt for this man. Pulling away from the kiss for a second, she looked up into his eyes, which were shining back at hers, tears lining them.

"Don't leave, please stay, Shane, please just love me."

***********