Finally, after such a long wait, Clarissa and Ted are back! Woot!
Really guys, I am terribly sorry that the last time I updated was before my first semester of college.

Cristi is amazing and helped me get this rolling.
Gave me this awesome song by Blake Shelton called Who Are You When I'm Not Looking? So a major song credit to him.

I thank you guys for your undying support in this fiction, it is like you guys have made Clarissa into a real person to me, I have lost sleep over how to put her together but you all seem to be quite pleased with her development and that means the world to me.

Now, please, enjoy!

Me, You and My Medication

Chapter Forty-One: What Makes You Happy

It was Friday morning in the DiBiase household, a day that should be like any other; but frankly it's not. Why? Well, because today was going to go down in the history books as the best day ever.

I turned to the left side of my bed where - last time I checked - my girlfriend was laying. Much to my surprise, there wasn't a strand of pink hair to be seen. Throwing my legs over the side of my bed, my feet quickly found my old slippers, they weren't the most fashionable of footwear but hey they are comfortable, and my mom bought them for me. I threw whatever shirt I could find on the floor and lazily made my way to my bedroom door.

As I reached the top of my stairs, I could hear the faint sound of music playing off my television, as well as the occasional, "This isn't fair, Clarissa!" coming from Cody. A smile came across my face when I saw my girlfriend; clad in seventies get-up, as well as my best friend dancing along to Kesha's hit single 'Tik Tok'. Based on the 'x's that were coming from Cody's side of the screen, he should really consider just keeping his day job. Funny thing was, they were so caught up in their dance off that they failed to notice me walk over and join my dog Riggs on the couch.

Gosh, there was never a dull moment with these two!

When their song came to an end, Cody nearly collapsed with exhaustion while Clarissa did herself a little victory dance. "You couldn't pick anything with a little more of a challenge to it?" Clarissa says, a smirk glazed her pink lips completely. "That was literally a warm up."

Cody, on the other hand, was still trying to catch his breath. "So nice for you to think so," He pants. He gets up off the floor and plops right next to me and Riggs. "You're finally up," he remarks.

"I got up about five minutes ago," I reply. I got up off the couch; my eyes moved from Cody to Clarissa, she looked slightly uncomfortable now that I was in the room. I guess she's still ill at ease about last night.

"Mornin' sweetheart," I smile lightly. I glance over her outfit and a slight chuckle comes out. "You're lookin' quite colorful today,"

Her face puts on a light blush and she doesn't say a word to my compliment. "Hope you didn't forget about today," I brought up. "Because I have an entire day planned out for the two of us."

The glow in her expression changed. If she seriously thought I was all talk and nothing else, I don't know who the hells she's confused me with.

Today is going to be an extremely good day.

x – X – x

Within an hour or so, we hit the road with the radio playing and the fresh, cool air and sunny day lay out before us. I had it out for a stop at this small, very popular Chinese buffet. It's probably nothing like the one she's got back home but I either way I bet Riss will still enjoy it.

And she did.

We must have been there for two or three hours, playing with our food and such. She tried to teach me how to use chopsticks, it was a good attempt but none the less, I still can't.

"The sushi here is fantastic," she exclaims after the struggle with the chopsticks was over. "We definitely need to come here again!"

By the time the waitress came with the check, we were so caught up in a chopstick sword fight we didn't even realize the check on the table until afterward. Clarissa reached for her bag, placed it on her lap and went digging for her wallet, as I looked over the check, this was nothing. "What do you think you're doing, Miss. Train?" I asked.

"Paying for –"

"Oh, no, you aren't." I smirked.

Totally Miss. Independent, doesn't she know what it really means to be treated to a date? I don't know how she grew up, but down south it doesn't go that way.

"Fine, I'll take my cookie instead," Clarissa sticks her tongue out and then pouts. As I laid the money out, I watched as she cracked it open, took a piece of the cookie and ate it. Her eyes scrolled slowly across the paper.

"What's it say?" I asked.

"Hearts are not to be had as a gift, hearts are to be earned." She says. There's slowness in her words and a short silence before she exclaims; "Go ahead, read yours!"

So I cracked mine open as well, torn the paper out of the shell and read it. "Love is the only medicine for a broken heart."

Clarissa's eyes widen for only a second and then her gaze returns to normal. "You know its good luck to save your fortune," she comments. Her brown eyes gleam toward my hazel ones.

"Then we shall," I declare.

I took her to this community fair that they had going on, sort of like an amusement park; it had rides, little booths and games to play. When she first starting traveling with Codes and I, she said that Florida usually has them a lot, she knew that threw Stephen and she used to drag him a lot in the beginning of their careers to go and see one. The rides were her favorite, as soon as she saw the Music Express she literally flipped. "Can we go on it Teddy, pretty please, can we go?" Gosh, Rissa was just like a little kid in a candy store.

I smiled. "Of course we can," she gripped my hand tightly, and made a run for the line. Her white heels clicked the pavement as I stumbled behind trying to keep up with her.

Boy, oh boy, is she really something or what?

x – X – x

By the time the ride was over, I was so dizzy that I barely could see straight. Clarissa giggled as I stumbled a bit once I got off. "You're too funny, T-Bear," she says, grabbing hold of me. "Come on, it wasn't that bad!"

We went for some cotton candy soon after and just strolled around the area. This place was incredible; no wonder Riss finds so much enjoyment here.

The majority of our day was spent at the fair, the sun was already down and by this time we were spending some quality time back at my house in the backyard. I had a dinner going on in the kitchen and a bonfire outside, a little bit of talking in between, the radio was on, so every now and then a song that we both liked would go on and we'd listen and reminisce about whatever it reminded us of.

As one song finished and moved onto the next, a familiar tune came on, it was country, which I'm fond of and as it played I realized what song it was. "Hey," I said to grab her attention, she stared up at me with her beautiful brown eyes. "You wanna slow dance?" I asked.

A light blush stirred up on her cheeks as I stood up and held out my hand for her to take. She did, I assisted her on her feet, my other hand glided gently around her waistline. Clarissa is so small, if I didn't know her as well as I do, I would think she doesn't eat but the girl eats more than me, that's for sure.

My, oh, my, you're so good looking, hold yourself together like a pair of bookends but I've not tasted all you're cooking, who are you when I'm not looking?

She rested her head to my shoulder. "Today's been…" she hesitated to find the right word. "A really amazing day," her voice was soft, almost like a whisper. I smile, although she can't see it, I had a mission today and I accomplished it.

"I'm glad you had fun today," I replied. "That was the whole point," I chuckled a little. My eyes watched Clarissa's; they were focused on our intertwined fingers. "What're you looking at?"

"I'm not that good of a cook," she comments. She must have been listening to the song.

I chuckled, "I'm not too much of a cook myself," I reply.

Do you pour a little something on the rocks, slide down the hallway in your socks?
When you undress, do you leave a path, then sink to your nose in a bubble bath?

I chuckle lightly as we continued to slow dance in small circles. "What's so funny there, Mr. DiBiase?" Clarissa's dark brown eyes met mine; her pink lips glistened as she spoke.

"I don't know," I reply. "That just sounds so much like you," I confess. It does, actually, a lot like her, probably due to the fact that she's such a playful, childish person. Honestly, I wouldn't want her any other way than that.

We went inside after the music had ended, it was dark out, the air was beginning to get cooler and we were more than just tired. Now, we were up in my bedroom, I had just gotten comfortable in some old pajama's while Clarissa was off in my master bathroom taking a bubble bath in the Jacuzzi tub. I made her leave the door open only to keep an eye on her, neither of us wanted a repeat of last week's incident.

She had the radio on low, her bubble gum pink hair was wet and tied up and her body was covered by the undying supply of bubbles. "You know, its little things like these that make me envy you," she giggles, picking up the bubbles in her hand and blowing on them. "This tub is absolutely amazing; I wish my house could fit one," she sighs.

I didn't say a word; instead I just leaned on the door frame and watched her. I could never exactly find what I felt was so attractive about her, there's definitely something about her…

Suddenly the ringing of her phone threw me off. Clarissa reached over and grasped the Hello Kitty casing. Her eyes catch the caller ID and then she answers. "Hey Kirsty, hold on lemme put you on speaker!"

"Say hi to Teddy!" she exclaims.

"Hey, Ted!" Kirsty replies.

"What's up, Kirst?" I ask. I walk over to the edge of the tub and sit down.

"Actually, I wanted to ask both of you a favor," her sister starts. "I know you guys are going to be in town in the next week or two, and I was wondering if you guys would like to come over to mom and dad's for dinner on one of those nights,"

"Okay…" Clarissa responds.

"They miss you, haven't seen you since your birthday, and they got all excited to hear you would be in town," Kirsten explains. "And no, I didn't tell them about the hospital thing, so you have nothing to worry about," Clarissa sighs in relief, I know the last thing that she'd want from her folks is tension. "So are you up for it?"

Clarissa looks up to me, not saying one word; I guess just looking for approval. It didn't seem like a bad idea, so I nodded in agreement.

"Of course!" my girlfriend says with a smile in her tone.

"Awesome, I call you the day of for a time,"

"That'd be perfect,"

Not too long later did they both hang up. I handed Clarissa a towel and left her to her privacy, wandering back into my bedroom after closing the bathroom door. She emerged only five minutes later, I was already lying down in bed, the television was on and my focus was only on that for a few seconds.

Clarissa laid her head on my bicep; her brown eyes stared at me, waiting to get my attention. When I turned and faced her, she smiled again. "You are the best boyfriend ever," she says quietly. "Thank you for such an amazing day, I really appreciate it."

When I told her I loved her, I meant it. When she told me she would rather wait to see if we were ready for a deeper step in our relationship, I accepted it. I am willing to prove to her that no matter, I respect her and that nothing, not even sex can change the feeling I have for her.

And only when she's ready, when she see's that I am not playing games, will she know that I really, truly do love her.

I love you guys and I look forward to your reviews and comments!
Thank you guys so much for making this fiction such a hit!
I am already thinking of more, actually, its been in production for a while now!

Stay Well!