Playing With Fire

++++++++++



Kelly bit her lip as she peaked through the curtain in the back room of the bus. "I think you should stay on the bus till Brian gets here."



"What about you?" Carrie asked, as she slipped her shoes on. "You're not going out there by yourself."



"I'll be fine."



"You know how much you hate reporters."



"Not reporters...paparazzi. Reporters are fine. They know where to draw the line."



"Yea, well," Carrie sighed as she stood to look out the window.



Kelly closed the curtain.



"Something tells me both are out there."



Kelly looked at her apologetically.



Carrie offered a smile as she reached up to kiss her forehead, "You're not going out there by yourself."



"I have to help set up."



"No you don't. That's what you hired the road crew for."



"There's fans out there too," Kelly admitted as Carrie sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her to her.



"I know. I can hear them."



"They have signs."



"I have you," she shrugged.



Kelly bent down, kissing her softly.



Carrie pulled back, wrapping her arms around her waist, resting her face against her stomach, "So since when is England the new paparazzi hot spot?"



"They follow us," Kelly replied, running a hand through her hair. "Learned that in Arkansas. Apparently we're an 'it' couple."



"So...the signs..."



"Ignore them."



"That bad?"



"People are dumb."



Carrie pulled her down onto her lap.



"Why can't they just let us be?"



"Because you are a sweetheart, and your fans are really protective."



"My fans know I wouldn't be with someone that hurt me."



Carrie raised an eyebrow as the yells outside got louder.



"Well, most of them know."



"Kell, I'm gonna say this even though I know you won't believe it, but people don't think I'm good enough for you."



Kelly scrunched her eyebrows, "Why in the world would they think that?"



"They view you as very sweet and honest and friendly and just all around bubbly; they view me as, well, a stuckup bitch is the term I hear most."



"Care," Kelly laughed. "That's crazy."



"It's true."



"Well, they're dumb."



"They think I hurt you."



"But you don't," Kelly said firmly. "You never would even think about hurting me like that. You want to know what hurts me? Them," she pointed to the window. "Those people outside who say things about you that they have no right to say. And to hear you talking about how you don't deserve me? That hurts me. I love you, Care, and if my fans truly trust my judgement that alone should be enough to prove that you deserve me."



"Do you think I deserve you?"



"You know I think you deserve more," Kelly smiled, stroking her cheek gently.



"Lay with me till Brian gets here?"



Kelly nodded, allowing Carrie to scoot them to the top of the bed where they laid down.



Carrie wrapped her arms around her tightly, pressing their bodies together as she kissing her gently.



"I wish they knew how good you are to me," Kelly commented as she snuggled into her.



"It's easy," Carrie shrugged, kissing the top of her head. "Who wouldn't want to make you happy?"



"Ace," she pulled back to look at her.



Carrie laughed softly, "He likes you. He was just spoiled to getting all my attention. He doesn't understand how you can make me happier than he can."



"Mm...maybe I should let him in on the secret," Kelly smiled slyly as she shifted her body against the taller girl's.



Carrie's eyes lit up as she pressed their lips together firmly.



+++++++++



"Ready?" Brian asked as he looked at the two singers worriedly.



They both nodded.



"Now, KC, I was instructed to tell you not to say anything."



"What do you mean?" Kelly looked at him, confused.



"Out there. Just don't say anything for the thirty seconds it takes to walk inside, ok?"



"Why?"



Carrie smiled, "Because they know if you open you're mouth, it'll most likely be to say something to defend me and curse the people out there out. It's better if you just don't say anything, that way nothing slips out."



"Well, maybe what they need is a good cursing out," Kelly crossed her arms.



"Kell..." Carrie looked at her meaningfully.



"Alright," Kelly sighed. "My lips are sealed."



Carrie took her hand as they turned back to Brian.



"Alright," he nodded.



The bus door opened, and Jason climbed aboard, "Ok, I'm here."



"De ja vu," Carrie frowned.



Kelly turned to her.



"The last time this happened," Carrie reminded. "Because of your mom. This time..."



"Because of my mom," she nodded.



Jason stood beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "You ok?"



"Mom sucks, you know that?"



"I know," he nodded, giving her a gentle squeeze. "But let's get y'all inside. We can talk about how screwed up our family is in the safety and quiet of the theater."



Kelly gave a soft laugh, holding Carrie's hand tightly as the two of them followed Brian out the bus with Jason right behind her. She did her best to ignore the things people were saying about the girl that was clenching onto her hand beside her. She could hear the taunts, and her jaw clenched as she fought from responding. Kelly swallowed hard as they neared the backstage door, hearing someone call Carrie something that even she'd have trouble repeating.



Kelly turned around quickly, her eyes blazing "How dare you? You don't know a damn thing about her!"



Carrie wrapped her arms around Kelly, holding her back, whispering in her ear, "Kell...this is what Brian warned about."



"This is bull shit," Kelly protested.



Carrie tightened her grip on her, causing several people in the crowd to demand for her to let the short Texan go.



"Shit," Jason cursed, pushing Kelly back. "Come on. You're just making it worse."



"They need to learn to mind their own business," Kelly fought against them.



"Baby, it's ok," Carrie assured her, holding her closely. "Let's just get inside."



"No," Kelly replied, her voice cracking.



Carrie felt her heart twinge, knowing she was about to break down. The demands for her to let the original idol go grew louder. "Brian," she looked behind her at the body guard who was holding the door open. "Get her inside."



Brian rushed forward, taking Kelly from her and pulling her inside.



Carrie's shoulders slumped as she felt Jason place a reassuring hand on her back, ushering her into the building as well.



++++++++



"What happened?" Ashley asked as she, Jill, and Kate stood outside Kelly's dressing room door next to Brian.



"She lost it," Carrie replied simply. "So I tried to pull her inside which was a dumb idea because it just made the people out there upset. She's in there?" she turned to Brian.



"Yea," he nodded. "She closed the door on me."



"Ok," Carrie took a deep breath as she walked into the dressing room, closing the door behind her. "Kell?" she asked carefully as she saw the short singer sitting on the sofa, her forehead resting in her hands. "What happened?"



Kelly sniffed as she felt Carrie's hands on her knees while the country singer knelt before her, "I don't know."



"Now you see why they didn't want you to say anything?" she said gently.



Kelly lifted her head to look at her, her eyes were a light grey from the tears shining in them, "I'm not gonna not say anything when people are mean to you."



"But sometimes you have to...it's for the best."



"How is it for the best for me to just stand there and allow people to hurt you like that?"



"I wasn't listening to them, Kell. The only thing I was tuned in to was you and making sure you were ok."



"I just...I'm so..."



"So what?" she urged softly.



"I'm so mad."



"At what?"



"My mom for hating you and for doing that damn interview. Myself for not being more careful with those songs. The people out there for believing it."



"Don't be mad at yourself. This isn't your fault."



"But, I just..." she sniffed loudly as more tears formed.



"You just what?" Carrie ran her hands across the outside of her thighs soothingly.



"I want you to be happy," her voice shook.



"I am happy."



"I want this to be easy for you."



"This...loving you...it's very easy for me."



"Promise?"



"I promise," Carrie nodded.



Kelly took a shaky breath, calming down, "I-I was just defending you."



"I know," Carrie brushed her tears away for her.



"You didn't want me to?"



Carrie thought carefully before replying, "I love that you want to protect me, but this wasn't the best time or way to do that."



"Why not?"



"Kell...going off on a fan? That's not like you."



Kelly wrapped her arms around Carrie's neck, resting their foreheads together.



"The fact that I was having to hold you back when you clearly didn't want me too probably didn't come across very well, either," she noted quietly.



A soft whimper escaped the Texan's lips as she started to cry again.



"Baby..." Carrie soothed, helping her sit up so she could sit in her lap. She cradled her face, making her look at her. "It's gonna be ok."



"I just made it worse, didn't I?"



"Not worse...just not better," Carrie stroked her cheek with her thumb.



"I just love you so much sometimes," Kelly cried softly.



"I know," Carrie nodded. "I'm the same way, and it sucks because I want so much to protect you from every bad thing said about you and all the critics out there, but I can't, and that kills me."



"Then how do you do it?"



"Do you not remember that incident in the airport? Or my run in with David? Or my little comment on youtube the other day? I'm not that great at it either."



Kelly wrapped her arms around her, pulling her closer.



Carrie smiled, resting her head against her shoulder, "You ok?"



"If I can't protect you out there, then I'm at least gonna protect you in here."



Carrie kissed her neck lightly before snuggling further into her.



"Do you think it's ever gonna get easier?" Kelly asked softly.



"You mean will we ever stop having problems?" Carrie replied. "No. They may not be crazy mothers, or worrying about the future of our careers or pyscho fans, but we'll still have problems. They'll just be different problems."



"Like what?"



"Like...where are we going to get married? What will we name our fist kid? Will we raise them vegan? Should we allow them to chew on the crayon? Is it really all that bad to let them eat dessert before their meal as long as they eat all their vegetables? Public school or private school? Is the 25th anniversary gold or silver?"



Kelly smiled, as she leaned back in the corner of the sofa, taking the taller girl with her, "Do me a favor?"



"Yea?"



"Wake me up when we get there."



Carrie smiled, "Gladly."



++++++++++



"Kelly..." Narvel sighed into the phone.



"I know," Kelly mumbled, her head hanging as she sat in the front of the bus after the show.



"Didn't they tell you not to say anything?"



"Yea, but--"



"Kelly, there was a reason for that."



"But--"



"There're clips of it all over the news."



"But you didn't hear the things they were saying," Kelly countered. "You weren't there, Narvel. You don't understand what it was like."



"Maybe I should be there."



"No, I'm fine."



"Doesn't seem like it. "



"Not like if you were here I would've reacted any differently."



"But maybe if Carrie wasn't there, you would've..."



"What are you saying?" Kelly frowned.



"I'm just saying maybe it's best if you and Carrie lay low for a little while...let this die down a bit."



"She's only gonna be with me a little longer," Kelly protested. "I'm not telling her to leave early, and neither are you so don't even think about trying to guilt trip her into doing what's best for me."



Narvel sighed, "I'm just trying to fix this."



"It's not yours to fix. Besides, you should know me well enough to know that I'm not changing anything about my personal life for the convenience of others."



"I know. Is there anything I can do to help make it easier for you, though?"



"Next venue make sure nobody gets near the bus. I don't care if I have to pay for extra security or for a fence to be built around the backstage door, I don't want this happening again."



"Done," Narvel agreed. "What about a statement?"



"I'm not giving anymore statements. They'll just twist my words around until they have something they can use."



"Fair enough."



"Narvel?" her voice came out soft. "Can I talk to Reba?"



"Yea, sure. She's right here."



"Thanks."



"Hey you," came the thick twang.



"Hey," Kelly greeted half-heartedly.



"Now, don't you let this get to you, Kelly. You're bigger than this," Reba assured her.



"Reba, you know if it was just me, I could do it, but what they're doing to Care isn't right."



"I know, hunny, but you've got to take the higher road in this. What happened tonight, that's not you at all, and I know that. You've got to be strong, ok?"



Kelly sniffed, "I don't know how to not get angry when people hurt her."



"Well things have made you angry before--"



"But not like this..."



"Have you been writing lately?"



"Not really."



"Maybe you should. It might help you get some of it out."



Kelly nodded, "Yea, maybe so. Thanks, Reba."



"Anytime, Girl. Now, you get some sleep, ok? You have the day off tomorrow, so you rest up."



"Ok. Bye Reba."



"Bye bye now."



"Tell Narvel I'm sorry that I was harsh?"



"Will do."



Kelly looked up as Carrie walked out the backroom, rubbing her eyes tiredly.



"Baby, come to bed," she mumbled groggily.



Kelly offered a smile as the country singer walked to her. She opened her arms to let Carrie sit on her lap.



"You ok?" Carrie asked, yawning.



"Yea, I'm fine," she nodded, resting her head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her. "Just talking to Narvel and Reba."



"Was Narvel upset?"



"More worried, I think."



Carrie turned, kissing her forehead, "I love you."



"I love you too," she smiled, kissing her on the lips.



"I hate sleeping without you next to me."



"Me too," Kelly nodded.



"Come to bed," Carrie pouted.



"Ok," Kelly laughed softly, kissing her once more.