Wrestling 1. Back on Raw

**Disclaimer – I don't own any of the characters displayed in this story.**

Walking down the halls of the arena where Raw would be broadcasted live tomorrow evening, I couldn't help but ponder everything that happened the last time I had worked this show. I had to admit that I was happy being back on the A-show. Being on Smackdown had been great for me and had brought many new opportunities, but Raw had always felt slightly more like home. Raw is where I debuted, and also where I first became women's champion. God that felt so long ago. So much has happened since then, that sometimes it almost seems surreal. Here I would have new competition, reunite with old friends, and come face to face with my former enemies. It would be great in fact, except for the one reason I was hesitant to come back in the first place…

I noticed a washroom coming up on my right, so I walked towards it, pushed it open and slipped in. I let it close with a slam behind me as I strolled over to the sink. Turning the tap on I placed my hands underneath the running water and then brought them up to face. I looked up into the mirror and surveyed my appearance. I had taken the time to give my hair a bit of a curl and then had thrown it into a ponytail after backcombing to give it some volume. I sighed. I couldn't help the feeling in my stomach... I was nervous.

What will I do when I run into him?

My brown eyes stared back at me in what felt like an accusatory way. I knew I shouldn't care about anything that had to do with _him_, but I just couldn't help it. Emitting another sigh I turned away from the mirror to head back out into the hallway. Before I even made it a few steps from the washroom a familiar voice called out to me.

"Well, well, well look what the cat dragged in."

I looked up to see my best friend smiling back at me.

"Melina!" I half shouted at her. Seeing my best friend and knowing that we were no longer separated gave me the greatest feeling in the world.

Casually dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt she strolled up to me and pulled me into a hug. Melina is very slim and quite petite like me. Her long, thick black hair reaches to her waist and she has the most beautiful dark brown eyes. At times she can be quite judgemental about others, but she has a kind heart and has always been a great friend.

"Why didn't you come to the hotel when your plane landed? We were waiting for you so we could come to the arena together," she questioned.

"Sorry. I wanted to get a feel for everything before tomorrow night. Gee, you would think I have never done this before," I laughed nervously.

She gave me a reassuring smile, "I really missed you Mickie."

"I missed you too of course. It should definitely be against the law to split up best friends!" I laughed and she nodded as we started walking towards the locker rooms.

As we made our way while catching up, I heard someone shout my name. We turned around and the blonde bombshell none other than Kelly Kelly was strolling towards us.

"Kelly," I said with enthusiasm, wrapping my arms around her in an embrace, "How are you girl?"

"Oh you know me, I'm always fantastic. You look great Mickie, what have you been doing over there on Smackdown, and who have you been doing it with?" she giggled.

They both laughed at me and I playfully punched Kelly in the arm.

"Actually, I have been doing this thing called wrestling maybe you guys should try it sometime," I joked, "Awe Kel it is so great to see you and know that we are all together again."

"Yes definitely, and this time around, it's going to be even better!" she said cheerfully.

At twenty two years old, Kelly Kelly is the youngest Diva in the WWE and mine and Melina's best friend. She has long blonde hair, and is very rarely seen without a smile. She is an all around wonderful person and always looks for the best in others.

It was nice having my two best friends to talk with. I wasn't close with a lot of the divas on the other show. We continued talking for a good half hour, until Kelly noticed fellow diva Eve down the hall and remembered she had some plans to confirm with the diva.

"Eve is super nice. You should definitely talk to her some time. I know you would really like her. However, that time is not in the present and I will talk to you ladies in a bit, after our work out maybe we could do drinks," and after giving us both a hug she turned and followed after Eve.

"I met Eve once on Smackdown, she was nice. But I didn't get to know her very well," I admitted to Melina.

"Yeah she's real, not a wannabe skank like a few other divas here that I could point out but am not going to," she replied. I laughed at my best friend. She had her judgemental moments, but with good reason I can admit. A few of the girls in the WWE were fake, just sometimes you never knew it until it was too late. There was a silence for a moment, which Melina took upon herself to fill with a subject I didn't really want to tackle at the moment.

"Sooo..." she said faking nonchalance.

"So what?" I asked her. I knew that look on her face and instantly understood there was something particular she was wanting to talk about.

"Have you, uh, seen him yet?" she said looking at her nails and all of a sudden noticing something interesting about them.

"Seen who?" it was my turn to fake nonchalance. I knew exactly who she was talking about, but decided it was best to play dumb.

"Oh don't play dumb with me, you are far too good at it," she smirked before continuing, "I mean seriously Micks what are you gonna say to him if, no **when** you run into him. You can't avoid him here you know. It's only a matter of time."

"Honestly, I have no idea. We didn't exactly depart on good terms. Me leaving was just an excuse for us not to talk. Not that I wanted to talk to him after the way he acted. I more like wanted to kill him, seriously I was this close to hiring a hit man," I joked and showed her how close I had been to doing it by putting my thumb and pointer finger parallel to each other.

Melina sighed, "Mickie, you have to talk to him and settle this."

"Why? Why do I have to? It has been over two years."

"Because you work on the same show with him now, it was different when you were on Smackdown, but things are just going to be awkward if you avoid it," I knew she was right but what could I possibly say to him that I hadn't already? We had fought and fought countless times, but never ever seemed to be able to have a civil relationship. That had been okay... up until now considering I was back on Raw. I looked back up at Melina and she looked as if she was fighting with herself on whether or not to say what was on her mind.

"What is it Mel? Just tell me."

"He, he has a new nickname around here. They call him the Lady Thriller. I bet you can guess why. He sleeps with a lot of the divas. He doesn't date, and I hear he's pretty charming at first, but once they go to bed he kicks them out and doesn't speak to them again unless he wants some more action. And of course they always go back for more," she finally admitted.

This wasn't exactly news to me, after the break-up he started sleeping with any girl he could find. I thought at first that maybe it had been to make me jealous, but he really didn't seem to have cared. He seemed happier; it only made the entire situation more painful.

"Well that doesn't surprise me, that's how he was before I left for Smackdown, minus the super cool nickname," I said sarcastically. This time it was my turn to fight with myself over whether or not I should express what was on my mind, I decided it was best to be honest, " Have you..?" I asked awkwardly and couldn't finish the sentence.

It took her a second, but she instantly realized what I was talking about, "Oh god no, hello, this," she gestured at her body, "is way too good for him. Kelly hasn't either, I'm pretty sure neither has Eve, but I'm not sure about the others."

"Yeah sorry, I knew that. Just well... with his track record and the fact that he is blessed with this amazing ability to be charming, I mean I wouldn't hold it against you. Damn him, I'm not even dating him anymore and he still frustrates me," I almost shouted.

"Well let's not waste our time on someone who doesn't care, and clearly doesn't deserve it. Come on, I booked us some ring time. Lets go get changed into our ring attire. Kels is going to meet us there. Been awhile since I wrestled with Mickie James, let me show you how it's done," she challenged.

"You're on bitch," I teased.

We found the locker rooms and it only took us a few minutes to get changed. I couldn't keep my brain from drifting back to the conversation, and eventually back to the one subject I shouldn't be thinking about.

"You ready to go," Melina asked, startling me. I hoped she hadn't noticed, and when she continued to stare at me waiting for an answer I knew she hadn't.

"Yeah just give me a minute, you go ahead. I have a quick phone call to make."

"You're not scared are you? I mean how long has it been since you had real competition the likes of me?" she stated and before I could retaliate and tell her I was going to kick her butt she smiled and quickly walked out of the room.

I didn't really have a phone call to make; I just wanted to be alone for a few minutes.

_Flashback_

_I was staring across the room at my boyfriend. He had no idea what I was about to say, but I needed to say it before the strength left me._

"_I can't do this Randy," I blurted out._

_He looked up from the television and said, "Do what? Go out for dinner? Because I would be more than happy to stay in and have some fun," he winked at me._

"_No. This. Us."_

"_What are you talking about? It's not like you have a very hard life or anything to complain about. Look at who you're dating?" He smirked at me. I was surprised that he caught on quickly as to what I was talking about._

"_See that's what I mean! You never used to say things like that. All you care about is yourself, and staring at half the girls who manage to walk by our dinner table every time we go out to eat," I was so close to shouting._

"_Actually I think it is a little more than half, but it really depends on what city we happen to be in," he sneered while getting to his feet._

"_You think this is funny!" I was shouting now, "I thought after the incident, you would be willing to try a little harder to make this relationship work," oh god, the incident, that hurt a lot more than I thought it would but I had to continue, "But no, I have been putting up with your crap ever since you transferred back from Smackdown and quite frankly I cannot do it anymore. I just wish you would have stayed there."_

"_Well guess what baby, I'm back and whether you like it or not I'm here to stay. If you have a problem with who I am, than too fucking bad," he was standing close to me now, "Who are you to even say anything in reference to me? Huh? You haven't been innocent in all of this Mickie, because I've had to put up with a lot of your shit too. And just because you're mad, doesn't give you the right to bring that shit up. That situation is done and over with, I already apologized. So just leave it alone for once. As for how I am acting, I'm not going to let some girl tell me how to live my life," he spat._

"_Some girl hey? Is that all I am to you? JUST SOME GIRL! I can't believe you. What happened to you?" I felt tears come to my eyes, but I wasn't going to cry for him; he didn't deserve my tears... not after being the cause of them so many times recently. He had been right about one thing though; leaving the past in the past is the best way to deal with it._

"_I've grown as a person Mickie. I've become who I am meant to be and if you can't accept that, well then tough luck. There are plenty of other girls out there who would be dying to get with this." _

_He walked over to the bed and grabbed his jacket, "As a matter of fact, I believe there are probably a few of those girls waiting for me in the bar downstairs. So if you have nothing else to say, than adieus," and he slammed the door and the tears fell. _

_I had collapsed on the floor when the door opened again and Randy poked his head in. _

_I thought I saw a hint of regret in his eyes when he saw me, but in an instant it was replaced with anger, "Oh and by the way, since I paid for the room, how about you go find yourself another place to stay. I'm probably going to need this room a little later if you know what I mean." And with that he was gone, along with our relationship._

It had been one of the hardest moments of my life, but I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised. We had been fighting for months since he had gotten back, and everything just built up to that night. I don't know what it was that changed him, maybe he wanted to take things a little more seriously and focus on his career, maybe he had finally been fed up with our relationship or maybe he just didn't love me like he used to.

He used to always apologize every time he hurt me, and he would buy me a gift. Sometimes it was flowers, or a cheap little knickknack that he would pick up in the hotel gift shop that he knew I would love. And part of me expected him to come back that night and apologize, but an even larger part of me knew that he wouldn't, and he didn't.

I don't even know if I had actually wanted to end it, I think more than anything I wanted to scare him into changing. We had both been unhappy for such a long time, and it had changed the both of us. I hadn't been as strong as before, so him leaving had been hard on me. But I guess I hadn't been important enough and he chose his new lifestyle over his old girlfriend.

I snapped out of my thoughts and stowed the regrets back into the place they had seeped out from, put my bag away and went to join Melina and Kelly.

**A/N: This is my first story; hope you like it : ) . I put chapter 2 up as well, let me know what you think. Read and Review thanks : )**


	2. Reunion with friends

CHAPTER 2

After the intense workout in the ring and the new techniques that we learned off of one another, Melina, Kelly and I headed back to the hotel to rest and relax before our evening out. I finally managed to arrive in my room after we had all agreed to meet in my room at ten tonight, and I threw myself on the bed. Today had been such a long day and I was super tired, but knew if I cancelled tonight, the girls would not be happy.

I relaxed and watched some television for about an hour until I managed to drag myself off of the exceedingly comfortable bed and take a nice long shower. I was reluctant to turn the shower off and even whined to myself, just a bit, but finally stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. I accomplished drying my hair, straightening and teasing it to give it the same volume as before when I heard the knock on the door. I opened it to find just who I was expecting – my two best friends.

"Ooh your hair looks very pretty," Kelly stated with a beaming smile, "But I hope you aren't planning on wearing that towel."

"No, Kelly I am not wearing the towel, I was actually planning on throwing myself back under the covers and catching up on some much needed sleep," I told them as I turned and started walking towards the bathroom.

"Yeah right young lady, I didn't get dressed up like this to end up not going out tonight," Melina spoke. She did in fact look very good, wearing a mini dress that was grey cotton on the top with a skirt that had a purple bubble hem. Around her tiny waist was a silver belt completing the outfit.

"I didn't say you had to stay, I simply said I should go to sleep and you girls can go without me," I retorted with a big emphasis on the you's.

"No Mickie, come on, this is like your celebration for being back on Raw," Kelly whined. She also looked very cute in a one shouldered mini dress with an elastic panel cinching her waist, making it a flattering fit.

"Mickie if you don't go into that bathroom in five seconds and put on a cute outfit, Kelly and I are going to have to resort to unnecessary actions to get you out of that door", Melina threatened. And I knew that it definitely wasn't beneath her.

"Ugh, fine. But from now on, we are no longer friends!" I exclaimed. I knew it was childish, but I was so not in the mood to be going out. I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door, I heard the two giggling out in the room and I wondered what they were doing.

I couldn't admit to my two friends who had cried with me during the break-up, that I did not want to go out tonight because of that chance that **He** might be there. I just wasn't ready for any sort of encounter. I did know my friends though, and to them that would be the perfect reason to go out and they would find a way to force me out the door.

So I hesitated and quickly threw on the outfit I had picked out which consisted of dark skinny jeans, a black tank top with sequins running down the centre, and a pair of black peep toe Jimmy Choo heels.

I walked out of the bathroom to immediate whistles from my girlfriends. I managed to spray on some perfume and we were out the door. It was already 10:30 when we got to the club, which was located only ten minutes from the hotel.

I had done a quick scan of the club the moment we stepped out of the coat check, and was happy to report to myself that there was no sign of my him so I relaxed and started getting a feel for the music. I decided that I was glad they had dragged me out. I hadn't had fun with the girls in such a long time, and knowing them this would be a night to remember. We all ordered ourselves a drink and walked around the club looking for anybody we knew. All of a sudden someone threw their arms around me, almost spilling the entire contents of my drink.

"Oh my gosh Mickie, I missed you so much!" someone squealed in my ear and I looked up to see it had been Maria.

I had to laugh, "It appears that everyone has missed me," I joked. "I missed you too lady. How have you been?"

"Great. Seriously, I am so glad you are back", she paused and stared, "Oh come on, we have a table in the corner you guys have to come and sit with us", she insisted.

She grabbed my hand and dragged us to a corner table. Sitting at the table were Eve Torres, John Cena, and, Dave Batista - Melina's boyfriend. Melina slid into the booth to give her boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek. All the while John Cena scooted out of the booth and came towards me.

"Mickie James, welcome back" he said with a wide smile and gave me a massive hug.

"Thanks John, it's great to see you. Saw your match last week, you kicked ass!" I said enthusiastically.

He laughed, "Well that's what I do".

"Oh look at you go", I giggled it was nice talking to John again. He was wearing a nice pair of dark jeans and a Hugo Boss t-shirt. I always did think of John as handsome, especially with his neatly done crew-cut. Definitely one of the better looking guys on the roster.

"I was about to go and grab another drink, you want anything?" he interrupted my thoughts.

"No I'm good for now, thanks", I replied holding up my current drink.

He smiled, "Sounds good girl, you better save some time for me soon. I want to hear all about Smackdown and how you have been."

"I pinky promise," I said with a smile that he reciprocated and then was off to get his drink.

"Hey Mickie, finally got tired of Smackdown had to come back to hang out with your favourite people," Dave shouted out.

"You know it Dave, most of all I missed you," he laughed at me.

"Come here give me some love girl," and I leaned over Melina to give him a tight hug.

I sat down opposite Dave and Melina and ended up next to Kelly who had slid into the booth after Maria when John had gotten out to give me a hug.

We leaned away from each other and Kelly had introduced me to Eve. By the time John had returned the entire table engaged in some light conversation for a good while, until the hit song 'Sexy Chick' blasted over the speakers and Kelly couldn't get John and I out of the booth fast enough.

With everyone staring at her she exclaimed, "This is my favourite song! Come on, we have to go dance."

Me and Melina glanced sideways at one another and shrugged our shoulders. John stepped to the side and motioned to the dance floor. Kelly grabbed my hand and pulled me to the crowd of people all dancing to the same song with the rest of our friends following. Kelly and I started dancing together, until she noticed some hot guy staring at her and then that was it for her. I looked over at Melina and Dave dancing and then turned around to get another drink only to run into John.

"Where do you think you're going," he laughed, "I have strict orders from Kelly not to let you off the dance floor," I glared at Kelly who winked at me and waved.

I smiled and John and I continued dancing to the rest of the song, and through the next one, until I decided I needed another drink and managed to convince him to allow me to do so. We went to the bar and took a few chairs to watch some of our friends make fools out of themselves.

"Oh my gosh, look at, wait is that The Miz?" I motioned to a man who was attempting to do the moon walk but was flat out failing.

John looked to where I was pointing and was overwhelmed with a fit of laughter, "What is the guy doing? He is single handedly driving all of the females off the dance floor."

We continued scoping out the place for entertainment until Melina walked up to me and grabbed my arm, "Wait where are we going," I asked as she pulled me off the chair.

"Kelly is at it again. You see that couple making out in the corner, yeah that's her and the random stranger she was dancing with earlier. If we don't intervene now, we are going to have to relive Sacramento," she said worriedly.

I knew what she was taking about right away. A few years ago, on my last stint on Raw, we had all gone out to a night club in Sacramento, and Kelly had met a handsome stranger. She ended up spending the entire next two days with him, and claimed she was in love, until he left her alone in a hotel room after they had slept together. Needless to say she was a mess for weeks after that. There were midnight phone calls, bingeing on ice cream, and violent outbursts if we tried to give her advice. Eventually she realized how much of an idiot she was being, because she had only known the guy for two days, and apologized for her behaviour. Regardless of the fact that she did say sorry and it had only happened one other time since then, Melina and I did not want another repeat under any circumstances, so I understood the urgency of this situation.

I looked over at John and told him I had to go, which I don't think he minded because a cute blonde already had his attention. I gave him a quick hug and was on my way.

We were successful in wrestling Kelly away from the handsome stranger, against her wishes, and ended up basically carrying her out and shoving her into a cab and then climbing in after her.

"Come on you guys, I know why you did that" she whined, "And it would not have been a repeat of Sacramento, or Dallas," she added quickly pointing her finger in my face before I could say anything, "Just let me go back there, come on he was cute."

"So was the guy from Sacramento", I stated.

"AND Dallas," Melina added.

"You guys suck," Kelly crossed her arms and pouted. A few seconds later she was all smiles, "So Micks, how was your celebration for being back on Raw? I seen you dancing with John AND laughing with him, maybe ya know?" she hinted.

"It was good, and yes before you say anything you guys were right. I am glad that I decided to come. It was good seeing everybody, but however there is nothing going on with John and me. He is just a really good friend," I said. I realized that I really did have a great time, and that it had been effortless. I definitely had missed the Raw group, not that there was anything wrong with the Smackdown superstars, I was just more comfortable and at home on Raw. And that I had especially missed John, but just as a friend. He and I always had a great time whenever we were together. He was an all around wonderful guy, and didn't pride himself on how many of the divas he could sleep with, which is more than I can say for a lot of others. We arrived at the hotel and Melina paid the cab driver and we all walked into the hotel giggling and reminiscing on old stories.

"Remember Charlie?" Melina asked me laughing.

"Who is Charlie?" I asked, clearly confused. Kelly had dated a lot over the years, and most of the time it didn't turn out the way she hoped so Melina was going to need to be a little more specific.

"Charlie from Cleveland remember?" she reminded me.

I doubled over laughing, "Oh man dating disaster one-oh-one, Kelly I cannot believe you actually went on a second date with that guy."

"He was the epitome of the freaky, arrogant guys that we have had to deal with over the years," my paparazzi crazed friend stated.

"I don't know, I thought he was nice," Kelly confessed.

"Kelly, he wasn't nice. He was needy! He kept talking about his ex-girlfriend, agreeing with everything you said, and he wouldn't stop texting you all the next day! You're the one who complained to us remember," I clarified.

"Okay fine, you have a point. He was a tad bit annoying," I scoffed at the understatement, but decided not to judge. It had only been with immense practice and a bit of common decency that had kept me from dialling my phone and begging a certain someone to take me back months after the break up.

"See we are always right," Melina spoke motioning to me and her, "And that my dear Kelly, is why you are friends with us. You love us."

"Yes I do, don't know what I would do without you two bitches," she teased.

I had been friends with Melina first. I had known her before we came to the WWE, but it was only when we were called up to the Raw roster that we became as close as we did. We were the first friends Kelly had when she first came to Raw, and we had quickly become inseparable over the years, which is why me being drafted to Smackdown had been such a big deal.

There was silence in the elevator but by this time we had reached my floor. I quickly bid farewell with hugs to my beautiful companions, and stepped off the elevator. I reached my door with relief, and stepped inside. I took my outfit off, brushed my hair and threw on a t-shirt. I climbed into bed recalling the events of the day, and eventually fell asleep thinking of the one person I knew once again that I shouldn't be.

**A/N: So what did everyone think? Should I continue? Let me know : )**


	3. Run in with the Viper

I woke up the next morning excited for my first night back on Raw. I threw my hair in a ponytail, put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, and went to meet my friends downstairs for breakfast.

I walked into the breakfast room and scanned the area; I found who I was looking for right away. I walked over to the table where Kelly and Melina were sitting along with John of the Cena variety, Maria and Dave Batista.

"Hey babe, how was your sleep? Here I saved you a spot," Melina spoke upon noticing me and motioned towards the empty chair beside her.

"Sleep was fabulous," I practically sang as I took a chair, "I had a dream about tonight. I'm so excited to be back on Raw." My stomach felt like I had butterflies in it, I knew it was the excitement.

Cena was the first to speak, "And hey we are happy to have the amazing Mickie James, former. . ." I expected him to say women's champion but instead, "Psycho stalker back on the great show with us," came out of his mouth and a smile crept onto his face, and everyone at the table laughed.

"Oh ha ha ha you guys are so funny, yeah laugh it up. That part of my life is totally over," I decided to play along with the joke. At that point the waitress came over and asked me what I wanted to drink. I ordered an orange juice and a glass of water and she smiled and was off.

"Are you sure Mickie? Because I totally wouldn't mind it if you became obsessed with me, of course just for one night, and I wouldn't buy you breakfast the next morning," Dave remarked, "Stalkers, I just cannot put up with."

Everyone broke into hysterics at the joke, and I fake pouted.

Melina rubbed my shoulder, "Awe are you okay?" she giggled. Dave and I had been friends for years now, dating back to the days of Evolution. He and I were always joking with each other and Melina of course knew not to take it seriously. Melina was pretty easygoing, and knew a joke when she saw it.

"No, I decided I am going to go and find some new friends," I said dramatically and stood up to go and hit the buffet. I only managed to fill my plate up with fruits and a piece of toast and by the time I got back to the table my orange juice was there and everyone had branched off into their own discussions.

"Micks, you know I was only kidding before right?" John admitted and the smile came back to his face, I could tell it was an apologetic smile.

"Yeah of course. I don't take any of that seriously, it's all in the game of fun," I reassured him with a smile.

He leaned towards me with a wide smile and insisted, "Great, because I wouldn't want your homecoming, so to speak, starting with you mad at me."

"How could I ever be mad at you," I said playfully punching his shoulder. John was always the joker of the group.

"Well I am glad that is settled", he winked at me and stood up, "I am off; it just so happens I have a lunch date in a few hours and I need to get a workout in before that".

He bid his farewells to everyone and walked out of the breakfast room. I continued eating until my plate was empty and then I turned to Melina.

"Hey," I tapped her shoulder, "Wanna go to the gym after this? I need to get some time in on the treadmill."

"Yeah sure, Kelly's using the time to go shopping with Eve, and Dave is going to hang with the "guys" so I am yours all afternoon," she even did the quotation fingers when she said the word guys.

I laughed at her, "Perfect, just what I wished for, an entire afternoon listening to Melina drag on and on and on about herself."

"Well hey, if you looked like me, wouldn't you?" and she gave me an angelic smile. I had to chuckle, Melina really was something else.

After we said our goodbyes, she and I took the elevator up to get ready for the gym. I decided the shorts and the tank were good enough, so I put on my sneakers and walked down to the lobby.

After working out for almost two hours, we decided to hit the showers and then grab a late lunch in the hotel restaurant. We were able to catch up on some much needed gossip involving her and Dave Batista and how their relationship was going, as well as all the gossip she knew about the other wrestlers on the roster. As we were walking through the lobby to go back upstairs to prepare for the evening Kelly came rushing through the doors her arms full of shopping bags. And before she could make it halfway to us, she tripped on the carpet and fell face first. Luckily she had the shopping bags to break her fall, and after helping her over to the lobby couch and making sure she was okay, I giggled to myself. The sight had been pretty funny.

"Okay, okay, okay," she said before pausing and taking a break, "I have something to tell you and I hope you don't get mad," she said looking at me.

"What is it Kel?" I was curious as to what she would think I could possibly get mad at her for.

"Well Eve and I were shopping at the mall down the road, and we ran into a few people," I could tell she wasn't done but she hesitated.

"And . . ." I urged her on.

"It was Legacy . . . and they stopped and talked to us for a bit," she looked guilty, I couldn't for the life of me understand why.

"So, you talked to Randy Orton", I had to admit saying his name was a lot harder than I had expected, "and a few other superstars, what is the big deal Kel. It's a free country."

"Well, Ted and Cody seemed to focus on Eve, so Randy started talking to me, and I guess you could say we flirted for a couple minutes, until he asked me out", the guilt was really showing on her face and before I could even get two words out, "But of course I said no, I mean you're my total bff, my best friend, my soul mate in a friend way, I would never do that to you, no never . . ." she shook her head.. I looked up to find both my friends staring at me not knowing what to expect.

"Oh come on you guys, you actually don't expect me to care do you?" I faked a laugh, "Look Kelly you did nothing wrong, and if you wanted to go on a date with him, that's fine. Thank you for telling me."

"Excuse me? Friends do not date friends' ex-boyfriends, it's the unwritten rule in the universe of women. Besides, I've turned him down before. I am not going to end up on that list he no doubt keeps of all the women he sticks his . . ." I cut her off.

"Whoa Kelly we do not need to go that far," Melina and I laughed to each other.

"Besides, he totally isn't my type," she declared, "But I felt I had to tell you, it was my duty as not only your best friend but as a fellow diva."

"You're too sweet," I smiled and gave her a hug, "Now let's get these bags upstairs", I said grabbing some of the bags my shopaholic friend had set down on the floor. "Wow Kelly, you sure bought a lot of stuff."

"Oh my gosh, I know right? There was a sale at Coach, ooh and I bought you a cute little clutch for when we go out," she exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"But Kelly, I have a thousand clutches," I informed her.

"Yeah I know, too bad, guess I will just have to keep it for myself," she gave a fake sigh and slumped her shoulders. I giggled at her.

"Ohh, I get it, you used Mickie as an excuse to spend money. That's great Kelly. You know I figure that's how people go into debt," Melina pointed out, and then said, "Wait, did you just say there is a sale on at Coach?"

"Mhmm."

It was at that moment I seen the Coach Bags and shoes rolling in Melina's eyes like slot machines.

She looked at me and spoke, no actually it was more like a threat, "Tomorrow, we are hitting that mall whether you like it or not."

"This is me you are talking to; you definitely wouldn't have to be putting that gun to my head. Coach and sale are my favourite words respectively."

Great! Shopping tomorrow, with someone who was just as bad at containing herself from spending money as I was. I sighed. I got off on my floor and was in my room in a matter of seconds. I had an hour to kill, and decided to spend that replying to the emails my family had sent me. By the time I was done answering all of them I packed my duffle bag with my wrestling attire, grabbed my handbag that just so happened to be Coach and set off to find the other two.

We met in the lobby and walked to the parking lot. We decided to car pool, so Melina agreed to drive. I was so nervous; I felt the butterflies in my stomach again. So I turned on the radio and flipped through the stations. All of a sudden the Spice Girls 'If you wanna be my lover' blasted through the speakers and we couldn't resist. We sang at the top of our lungs to a song that is probably a guilty pleasure choice to millions of females across the world. After the song was over, we dived into discussion about hilarious high school memories. Kelly and Melina had told me their most embarrassing stories and asked me what mine was.

"Well ladies, as hilarious as your stories were, I believe I take the award home with that one. You see, I had had thee hugest crush on the most popular guy in school, so one day I wore a cute mini skirt and a pair of high heels to school to try and impress him. As everyone was walking in for first class that morning I managed to get ahead of him and his buddies in the crowd, and tried my skills out at walking sexy," I laughed to myself just thinking about what was next, "I figured it was working because I heard whistles and cat calls behind me, so I turned around to give a nice flirty wave hoping this would win him over, but I hadn't been watching where I was going and when I turned back around I smacked right into the metal pole at the front of the school supporting the awning and knocked myself out. I didn't show up at school for a week because of the huge goose egg that grew out of the top of my head. Kids made fun of me for weeks. Honestly, I get seriously injured and then become the punch line of a joke, how fair is that?"

"I cannot believe you knocked yourself out trying to get the attention of a boy!" Melina exclaimed through fits of laughter.

"Hey it isn't like I planned it," I defended myself.

"Well hey, at least you got his attention in some way," Kelly pointed out.

"Well yeah that's true," I had never thought of it that way and then thought better of it, "Because every girl is dying to get the attention of their crush by knocking themselves out!" I turned around to look at her. She shrugged her shoulders, I smiled. That was one thing I loved about Kelly, she always looked at the bright side of things.

I looked back out of the front of the window and noticed we had finally arrived. We pulled into a parking stall and wrestled our bags out of the trunk of the rental car. We walked into the arena and immediately went to our locker rooms to get changed into our attire, and then to check and see what our roles were tonight. Yes! I was scheduled for a match against Jillian Hall tonight. Perfect competition. Kelly was to host the WWE kiss cam, and Melina had a match later in the evening.

I said I needed to have some time alone before my match, and excused myself from the locker room. I did a few warm up techniques and attempted to prepare myself mentally for the match to no avail. I was too excited. They called me over to where I would be entering onto the ramp. I saw Jillian walk by and her theme song played, and she exited onto the ramp with boos coming from the crowd. She started her singing segment, and I honestly had to cover my ears, the poor fans! I couldn't take it anymore so I told the sound people to hit my music and soon enough it hit the speakers and I heard the roar of the fans. I entered onto the top of the ramp being my bubbly old self and slapping the hands of a few of the fans on my way down. I was ecstatic. They were cheering for me! All the while Lillian Garcia was announcing me, "Please welcome to the ring from Richmond, Virginia Raw's newest Diva back from Smackdown . . . Mickie James!"

When the bell finally rang and my music had faded, the crowd settled down and Jillian and I settled into our match. Control fought back and forth between us, until I bested her and hit the Mickie-DT and pinned her for the win. The crowd erupted with cheers and my music hit the speakers. I was so pleased with my performance. The referee held up my hand as Lillian announced, "And the winner of this match - Mickie James!"

It felt so good, a win on my first night back. That will show the Raw divas what they are up against. I continued up the ramp with my music playing and cheers from the crowd.

I pushed my way through the curtains and didn't get very far before I smacked into something tall and hard. I looked up to see the one man I vowed I was going to avoid at all costs.

Randy Orton.

I never did think about what I would do if I ran into him. _Shit, just my luck_. Then all of a sudden I got a warm feeling in my stomach as I took in the beautiful blue eyes that I had missed.

..Wait what? Why was this happening, I had butterflies? It had to be the excitement from my match it had to be, right?

"Don't you think you should be watching where you are going?" and there it was, that voice that sent a chill down my spine. I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I decided upon the latter and got angry. How dare he speak to me like that?

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who just so happened to be standing in the most inconvenient spot. And if I didn't know any better, I would say you were waiting for me," I stated defiantly. _Good_ _job Mickie, stay strong!_

"Two things: First of all, where ever I choose to stand happens to make that spot convenient," still as arrogant as ever I thought as I rolled my eyes and shook my head, "and second of all, don't flatter yourself, as they say: Been there, done that", he said looking me up and down as a sense of discomfort crept over me. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I happen to be standing here, because I am up next for a match. You know the main event," he emphasised the last two words and started walking towards the curtains as his music hit the speakers. He turned around, "Oh and congrats on your match and welcome back", he sneered with sarcasm and disappeared to the other side of the curtains.

"Jerk," I muttered to myself and walked off.

How lucky had I been, I mean come on how often do you run into your ex? Okay stupid question considering we work together, but I had not been prepared for that. And I had definitely not been prepared for the feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when he had stared at me with those amazing blue eyes before they turned cold. Come on Mickie! It has been a year and a half, he didn't say goodbye and he hadn't called since. Seriously, he did everything in his power to try and hurt you after the break up. Great, now I'm thinking advice to myself. I really am going crazy. I ended up at my locker room and neither Melina nor Kelly was in sight. I sat down on the sofa, and flicked the TV on to Randy Orton's match. I couldn't help but wonder how things had changed so much. He was such an asshole these days.

_Flashback_

_I looked across the room at my best friend who was lying on the bed reading a book. I was waiting for him to finish his chapter so we could go shopping like he promised. He had been my best friend in the business for the last year, and we got along so well. I can honestly say I was so lucky to have met him, so lucky to have been brought into the WWE with such a strong role._

"_Hey, why don't you come over here and admire me. I can tell you it's much better up close than from afar," he said jokingly._

"_Oh you wish, I wasn't staring at you in admiration, it's just so hard not to stare at that ridiculous thing," I said._

"_What thing?" he asked suddenly concerned._

"_That thing called your face!" I shouted out and started laughing._

"_Oh that's it James, you are going down," and he jumped off the bed and dashed for me. I screamed with laughter, jumped off the chair I was sitting on and managed to dodge past him and jump to the other side of the coffee table. _

_He laughed and stood opposite me," What's it gonna be James, right or left?"_

"_Neither" and I stepped onto the coffee table and jumped onto him. We both fell to the floor laughing._

"_I believe that deserves some applause, that was excellent," I called out and he chuckled._

"_Yes that was something, but not as wonderful as this," and with that he started tickling me. Only Randy knew where my ultimate ticklish spot was._

"_Randy, Randy," I shouted in between outbursts of laughter._

_He stopped tickling me and I looked into his eyes, they were the most beautiful blue I had ever seen and every time I looked into them, they took my breath away. All of a sudden I got an urge, one that I never had before, to kiss him. I realized how ridiculous that was, this has to be just an in the moment kind of thing right? I couldn't kiss him that would completely ruin everything. I was about to stand up but then something unexpected happened and Randy leaned in to kiss me. _

_And before I knew it I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back with as much passion as I could muster. _

I was brought back to the present with someone yelling in my ear. It was Melina.

"What are you doing? I see you staring at him," she said motioning to the TV with Randy Orton's match showing. I quickly turned the TV off.

"No I wasn't. I was thinking about, um," she was staring at me waiting for an answer.

"Never mind, I'm not waiting for you to lie to me. So you day dream about your dreamy ex boyfriend, who doesn't?"

I went to protest but she cut me off, "I actually came in here to tell you that Kels and I are ready to go. We are heading back to the hotel, and then out to a club. Are you coming?"

"Yes of course what is a night out without Mickie James?"

She laughed and we grabbed our bags and headed out in search of our blonde friend.

**A/N: There is chapter 3 – Randy and Mickie's first encounter. There's a lot more where that came from. It's not my best chapter, but what did you think? **


	4. You still want me

**Thanks to SoliePower, MJxxRKo, StarbucksRobot, and tvrox12 for the reviews. I really appreciate it :) :)**

I stood looking at myself in the mirror; I had just finished applying my make-up and I was checking to make sure that my curls were still in good condition and after assessing that they were I finished with a layer of hair spray. I had just slipped on the black one shouldered mini dress I had chosen and my favourite pair of Coach Pumps when the door to the bathroom opened and Kelly and Melina strolled in. The girls had given up their room, and asked the hotel hostess to transfer them to my room so we could spend more time together, without having to run across the hotel to see each other.

"Ooh look who threw on her super short mini-dress Melina," Kelly called out.

Melina laughed at her, "You trying to impress someone Micks?"

"I am not trying to impress anyone. Is there a crime against wanting to look good?" I questioned them while wrapping the black belt around my waist, showing off my petite frame.

They exchanged glances and I knew they seen right through my lie, "Yeah okay fine. I have this little issue, Kelly, who by the way is supposed to be my best friend, just so happened to invite my ex-boyfriend out to the same club we are partying at tonight. So yeah, maybe I do want to look extra good," I stated defiantly. I had been upset on our car ride home when Kelly let it slip that she had invited Legacy out with us tonight.

"I'm sorry Mickie, it was just an in the moment kind of thing. I just blurted it out. All three of them had me cornered, what do you expect?" my blonde friend said apologetically.

"I expect you not to crack under pressure," I said dramatically.

Melina chuckled, "Mickie, you have to look at this as a good thing. This is the perfect chance to show him that you are much better off without him. To show him that he made a mistake, and that your life is perfect without him."

"Why should I have to prove that to him? It is all the truth! I don't think about him anymore, and I already know I am much better off without him," I exclaimed, not exactly believing that entirely myself.

They both started to argue, but then thought better of it.

"Okay then, let's get going. Everyone is probably waiting for us," Melina declared and headed out of the bathroom with Kelly following. I took one last look at my appearance in the mirror and was pleased. I followed my friends out of the bathroom to grab my clutch, and by the time we got to the lobby our group of friends were indeed waiting for us. It took us about two minutes to walk to our desired club which happened to be just around the corner.

When I walked in I immediately looked around; and to my instant relief I didn't see Randy or any of Legacy for that matter. I sighed and relaxed immediately, maybe they had decided not to come after all. Randy is probably holed up in his hotel room with some girl who is probably easy. I scoffed to myself and then realized that I shouldn't care. Randy is not a part of my life anymore, and what he does on his own time is his own business and definitely not mine. I looked around to find where my friends had wandered off to and I saw Kelly waving me over to the bar.

"Where's Melina?" I asked her and she pointed to my right where Dave and Melina were on the dance floor.

"She's really happy hey?" Kelly remarked.

"Yeah, I honestly have never seen her this happy. He's a great guy and they are a perfect match," I commented with a smile.

"I wonder if I will ever get that," Kelly pondered with a hint of sadness.

I couldn't believe her, "Kelly you are wonderful and beautiful, of course you will get that. You just have to let it find you, and you have to believe that it is out there."

She smiled, "You really think so?"

"I know so," and I really did. If Kelly, who was such an amazing person, couldn't find true love, then what hope was there for the rest of us?

She threw her arms around me, "Thanks Mickie, you always know what to say! Come on, lets do some tequila!" she called up throwing her hand in the air and uttering a 'whoo'.

I laughed at her and turned towards the bartender who dropped what he was doing just to help us. Kelly giggled because he turned out to be super hot and she ordered four shots of tequila in total. We did two shots each.

"Oh that was so sick!" I called out laughing.

"You are so right," she agreed, "Let's do another one!"

I chuckled and threw my arm over her shoulder steering her away from the bar, "Maybe a little bit later," I suggested and she agreed. We found our way to the dance floor and also Eve Torres.

After a few minutes of dancing with Kelly and Eve, we agreed that another drink was definitely a good idea and we walked to find our cute bartender from before. We settled down on the stools at the bar and evaluated the rest of the club.

"I love the feeling of being in a club," Eve commented and then took a sip of her Sex on the Beach cocktail.

"Oh me too, it's the atmosphere that makes it all worthwhile. Everyone here for the same reason, just to have a good time," I knew exactly what Eve was talking about. I always found going out with the friends, to be just what I need after a long day, especially one that I happened to run into my ex-boyfriend.

I looked over to Kelly who was still flirting with the bartender, as she wrote her number down on a cocktail napkin and handed it to him. I smiled at her. I was hoping he was going to call her in the next few days, because all of us were packing up to leave the day after tomorrow. Being on the road all the time made all of our relationships difficult, whether it was with your family, or a boyfriend/girlfriend. That is why it was much easier to stay single, and date as you went, or to make sure the other understood the importance and demanding schedule of your career before entering into any type of relationship.

I watched as a cute male made his way towards Eve and asked her if she wanted to dance. She nodded, drank the last of her drink, and with one last smile at me she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor.

With Kelly still absorbed in her newfound crush, I jumped off the stool and headed towards the bathroom after finishing off my beer. I pushed the door open, almost hitting a few girls in the process, muttered an apology and continued on. There was no one else in the restroom so I just sat on the sink counter with my legs dangling over the edge. It was nice to have a little quiet from the music, especially now that I was feeling a little dizzy. Kelly had talked Eve and me into doing more tequila shots. That combined with my three drinks since then and I had to admit that I was starting to feel a little bit tipsy.

Upon three girls entering and giving me questioning looks, I jumped off the counter, made sure my dress was covering all of me and headed out only to end up crashing headfirst into someone else and falling to the floor.

I was about to apologize for not paying attention to where I was going when I looked up and realized that the person I happened to idiotically run into was Ted DiBiase, member of the Legacy.

I didn't realize I had been staring until Ted asked, "Is this the first time you have seen someone as good looking at me?" he shouted over the loudness of the music. I couldn't help but scoff, definitely Randy's apprentice.

I became aware of the fact that I was still on the floor when I looked around to notice many people staring at me questioningly and was about to climb to my feet when Ted offered his hand to help me up. I was surprised, but I grabbed his hand anyways and with one small tug, he pulled me to my feet.

"Thanks," I managed to mutter even though I was still confused. Why would anybody from Legacy willingly offer their hand to pull me up?

"You look surprised," he noted. So he had noticed, and why was he acting as if this wasn't news? But before I could reply he answered his own question.

"I'm a member of Legacy," he acknowledged, "Well I guess that would be the answer to your surprise. But honestly I am hurt," he faked offence and then smiled.

"Come on. You can't be that surprised," I stated, "With your guy's track record, extending a hand to help a diva who had clearly run into you, is not within your rule books."

"Hey I was promised those rule books were not to be read by the public eye," he joked. I laughed at him, he was quite funny, and very good looking now that I had a chance to survey up close. "Now my reputation as the sweetest guy on the planet is ruined!"

I laughed again, "Okay so I prejudged you, I can't honestly be the only one," I said defensively with a smile.

"No you aren't, but it is something I have learned to live with. It just so happens I am quite successful. Not only am I the son of the million dollar man and therefore destined for greatness, but I am a member of the most powerful group in the WWE today," he shouted dramatically adding in a few hand gestures for theatrical effect.

I giggled, "And here I thought Hornswoggle and I were the most powerful group in the business. Darn he is going to be so upset when I tell him that Legacy has us beat," it was my turn to fake disappointment.

He raised his eyebrows, "Hornswoggle?"

"Yeah he and I are tight. Like this," I showed him crossing my pointer and middle finger.

He chuckled, "You're funny, not like the stories at all. Between you and me," he came closer and put his hand on the side of his mouth in the telling a secret gesture, "You aren't as scary as I am told you are."

I had to laugh, "And who told you that I was scary? Wait I know, Big Show right? Yeah we had a bad encounter once, he avoids me at all costs," I joked. I wonder what Randy told him and Cody about us. Or if he had even bothered to tell them anything at all.

He smiled, "Well, as nice as it was talking to you I really have to pee," I gave him a funny look, "What? When a mans gotta go, he has to go. And this man really has to relieve himself."

"And this woman definitely does not want to get in the way of this man relieving himself, seriously, it would not end well," I teased and then gestured for him to continue on.

He muttered a goodbye with a smile, and then headed off to the restroom. I smiled after him and walked back towards the dance floor. That had definitely not gone how I ever would have predicted it. Ted seemed like a really great guy, but I couldn't help but wonder if he would act that way in front of Randy. The Legend Killer would probably see that as a weakness so it is very unlikely that Ted would have the opportunity to do so.

I had a thought, if Ted was here, does that mean Randy is as well? I scanned the club again and sure enough The Viper was seated at a stool near the bar, alongside Cody. They seemed to be having a good time entertaining a few women. I managed to tear my eyes away from my incredibly good looking ex-boyfriend only to have John Cena come walking up to me with a smile.

"There you are. I have barely seen you all night girl," he exclaimed giving me a hug, "And might I say, you look hot! Not that I didn't notice earlier, just never got around to saying it," he winked at me.

"Oh stop it, you are making me blush," I joked and then giggled.

"So what do you say Micks, you wanna bust a move?"

"Only if you promise to never say bust a move again," I whispered in his ear and then led the way to the dance floor.

"What? I thought it was cool," he pretended to be confused.

I laughed and grabbed his hand. The song 'Low' by Flo-Rida was blasting over the speakers. It just so happened that I absolutely loved this song. John and I were dancing and having a lot of fun until I looked up and seen the blue eyes of Randy Orton staring directly at me while leaning on the railing surrounding the dance floor, despite the fact there was a blonde vying for his attention wearing basically nothing. In the moment of my distraction I completely forgot there were about a hundred people surrounding me, when I tripped on someone else's shoe and smacked heads with John before falling to the ground. Everyone stared at me once again, and I struggled to my feet before John eventually grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"I'm so sorry John!" I felt terrible. I stole a glance up and the place where Randy had been standing seconds before was now occupied with a stranger. I don't know why, but I felt a fleeting moment of disappointment.

"It's alright, are you okay? What happened?" he asked still rubbing his head.

"I lost focus for a moment. Are you okay?" I asked reaching for the spot where we had smoked heads.

"Yeah it's nothing, probably a little bruise. For such a small person, you have a hard head," he joked all the while leading me off the dance floor and to an empty table.

"Are you sure you are okay? I feel awful!" I exclaimed.

"Mickie, I am a professional wrestler! I have had a lot worse done to me than being smacked in the head with another head, you know what I mean?"

Of course I knew; I felt a little stupid now that I thought about it. John had been put through tables, and smacked in the head with steel chairs.

"Well just making sure, I am quite deadly," I decided joking was the best thing to do at the moment.

"Oh yeah, totally deadly," he said laughing at me.

We sat for a moment until Kelly and Melina found us.

"There you are!" Melina exclaimed, "We have been looking for you for like an hour. We are ready to go back to the hotel. Are you coming?" An hour? Holy crap I looked at my cell phone, it was already 2 am. We had been here for two and a half hours. It certainly hadn't felt like it.

"Carry me!" I called to them, just realizing how exhausted I felt. They both took an arm and pulled me to my feet with a tug; it seemed that people had been doing that a lot tonight. They led me to the exit with John following, where Dave and Eve were waiting for us.

The walk back to the hotel was short, but full of laughter and stories. John and I managed to get ahead of the rest of them, and entered the sliding glass doors with the others still a ways behind. John was making fun of my dancing fiasco, when the members of the Legacy came walking up to us. I looked at Ted and he winked at me, I giggled.

"What? Were you waiting for me Orton?" Cena smiled.

"Don't flatter yourself Cena, I'm not really into the whole man-on-man action. However, you are the perfect ruin to what I previously had labelled a good night. So I decided to fix that, by possibly rearranging your face in the middle of the lobby," he muttered arrogantly.

John laughed, "You want some of this Orton, come a little closer and I will beat the smugness out of you," he said getting serious.

Randy considered it and then turned his attention to me, and then took a few steps closer until there was barely any space left between us. He lifted his hand up to play with my hair and I felt my heart catch in my throat, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I felt movement on my right side but was too absorbed to look. My heart was beating faster and faster, and any insult I had on my mind moments before had completely vanished.

He smirked, "You still want me, no surprise there."

Anger boiled inside of me and I slapped his hand away and took a step back, "In your, wait NOT even in your dreams Orton. We both know there is no way that there would be enough room in this dream of yours to fit you, me, and your ego," I challenged him. John laughed and I heard laughter beside me and looked over to see Melina and Kelly standing to my right

Randy just smirked, "Keep telling yourself that Mickie," and with that he turned towards the elevator with Ted and Cody following.

"Is it me, or does he keep getting more arrogant everyday?" John asked.

"No he definitely gets more arrogant every day," I replied while leading the way to the elevator.

"What was that with you and DiBiase?" John whispered changing the subject and making sure everyone else was out of earshot.

"What?" I asked.

"I saw him wink at you, and I also seen you stifle a giggle," he admitted.

"Oh I talked to him tonight, he seems like a nice guy," I said brushing it off as if it was nothing, because it was in fact nothing. Ted just turned out to be a nice guy, nothing more than that.

"A member of Legacy? Nice? Hmm, never thought it was possible," he shrugged as we stepped onto the elevator with the rest of our friends following.

After letting Eve off on her floor, giving John and Dave a hug, I followed Kelly and Melina off the elevator towards our hotel room that was currently acting as our home.

We were discussing our evening and before they could even mention what happened with Randy, I told them I was tired and climbed into the bed I was sharing with Kelly. They continued talking, but after a while I zoned them out and was reminiscing on my eventful night out.

Ted DiBiase had turned out to be something of the opposite of what I had thought him to be. I guess that will teach me for being so judgemental, but how could I be at a fault considering everything that Legacy has put everyone else through?

Another huge issue was how my body responded to Randy Orton's touch. Another moment in that situation and I would have thrown myself at him. But that has to be normal right? Yes, it has been a year and a half, but we never did get a chance to move on, or at least I didn't. My body just has to have a chance to progress to the point of view that my brain is at, and this whole thing with Randy will officially be over. But did I want it to? _Of course_ I thought to myself, so why was I feeling so unsure? It was only mere moments before I felt myself drifting off into sleep still pondering that same question.

**A/N: So what did everyone think? Not much with Randy and Mickie, but we get to see the real Ted. I for one really like Ted DiBiase, I think it is mostly because of all the stories I have read here on fan fiction though. The next time I update will be two chapters because they kind of go together. **

**A little preview – we learn a lot about Mickie and Randy's history in flashbacks.**


	5. He's just so pretty

I yawned as Melina and I were walking back to the entrance in the mall we had come in, carrying what felt like a boatload of bags in both of our hands.

"I am soo tired!" I complained.

I had barely gotten any sleep the night before; I kept waking up every few hours and had a hard time going back to sleep each time. Not to mention the fact that Melina woke me up at eight in the morning, so we could get a good start on shopping, only to find out that the mall didn't open until 10 am. So I was stuck sitting in the car for an hour because Melina was afraid if we left we wouldn't get a good enough parking spot and we might miss all the good sales.

Melina nodded in agreement and added, "I'm hungry too."

She also had a point there, we only managed to get a snack in around noon and it was now four in the afternoon.

"This is why we need to hurry to the car and get to a restaurant before I die of starvation!" I replied dramatically and increased my speed. My arms seriously felt like lead weights, and this is coming from someone who usually visits the gym five or six times a week.

I was quite happy with my purchases, mostly the ones I had managed to get from my beloved Coach store. As well as the new clothes I bought from a variety of different shops all over the mall.

I stopped to let Melina catch up and we managed to get our bags into the back of the rental before I slumped into the passenger seat and laid back on the head rest. As much as I loved shopping, mostly because it was good exercise, today had felt like the longest day of my life. We stopped at a cute little café and had a nice lunch, and talked about all of our purchases.

"Well since I know you have been trying to avoid the topic since last night, I am bringing it upon myself to bring it up," she stated after a short silence on the drive back to the hotel.

I sighed; I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Well since you noticed I was avoiding, why is it necessary for you to bring it up?"

"Oh Mickie you should have seen the way you were looking at him yesterday! I would have brought it up sooner, but I didn't want to ruin the shopping trip!" she exclaimed completely ignoring my question.

"I was not looking at him in anyway!" I said firmly while the car was coming to a stop in our parking stall. I threw open the door and climbed out and within seconds I had the back door wrenched open to gather all my shopping bags before shutting the car door with my back.

I started walking towards the hotel door and Melina caught up to me, "Oh you so were Mickie James. Maybe you can lie to yourself but you cannot lie to me!"

"I am not responding to that," I said defiantly and knew that she would not shut up about it until she got everything out. I pressed the button to the elevator

"No you didn't feel anything from him when he was standing an inch away from you," she stated with sarcasm, "I know you Mickie, so what stopped you from throwing yourself at him?"

"Umm common decency? The fact he's an asshole? The fact I am no longer dating him, or maybe the huge crowd that was surrounding us. Take your pick! Oh and it's so nice to know you think I am pathetic," I almost shouted. Why did the elevator ride seem so horribly long this time around? Finally the doors opened and I sighed with relief and stepped out.

"Oh you know what I mean Mickie? Obviously you are still hung up on him, and it's not like I am holding it against you or anything I'm just saying–"

I cut her off, "Saying what? Please tell me why you are bringing this up?"

I whirled back to face the door with my card key already in my hand and inserted it into the entry and then pushed the door open.

I stepped into the room and Melina continued, "Mickie all I want to know is what is going on in that head of yours? Honestly if you would have seen the way you were looking at him, you would be asking the exact same thing!"

"Asking what?" I heard a voice ask, and turned to see Kelly coming out of the bathroom and for the first time I noticed Eve sitting on the hotel couch with her head craned towards us with complete curiosity.

Kelly, who was wearing a tank top and boy briefs and had her hair thrown into a ponytail was walking towards us with a mixture of both curiosity and confusion, "Well are either of you going to answer me?" she stood waiting for an answer.

"Its nothing Kel," I responded and flung my bags onto the bed.

"It's not nothing Mickie. Kelly would you help me explain to her about the situation yesterday?" Melina pleaded with her, "Hi Eve, by the way, don't mind our little situation we have going on here," Melina spoke apologetically and Eve smiled and waved her off in a 'don't worry about it kind of way'.

"What you mean the situation with Micks having goo-goo eyes for Randy last night?"

I sighed; Melina didn't even have to tell Kelly what we were talking about.

"You guys its nothing!" can we please just leave it alone I pleaded, "Look it will probably take me some time before I can be normal with him, so before judging will you just please give me a chance," I gave up and pushed the shopping bags to the end of the bed and flung myself next to them.

Kelly came and sat beside me and put her arm over my shoulder, "Micks, we aren't judging you. We never will judge you, especially for this situation. What Melina," she said shooting Mel a dirty look, "is trying to say is that we just don't want you to get hurt again."

I finally looked up, "I know that, but I will be fine. Like I said, all I need is time."

Melina came and sat on the other side of me and put her hand on my leg, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to push you, it's just well exactly like Kelly said. We know what he did to you, and we don't want a repeat of that. We care about you far too much."

"I really appreciate that, both of you. However, I can take care of myself; but thank you," I added and gave Melina a hug and before I could give Kelly one she threw her arms around both of us. I laughed; I don't know what I would do without these two girls.

"Hey Eve," I called finally acknowledging the Diva, "Sorry about that. A little family drama," I joked.

She smiled and came walking over to us, "Hey don't worry about it, we all have our moments."

"Yes we certainly do," Melina stated.

"So, and feel free to stop me at any moment, I know it's none of my business, but I was kind of wondering, what is going on with you and Randy Orton. I mean I have heard stories, but I've never gotten the story you know what I mean?" she admitted after taking a seat on the floor in front of us.

"Well nothing is going on with Randy and me, so there's nothing to tell," I said trying to avoid what I knew she was expecting but Kelly jumped off the bed and sat next to Eve on the floor.

"Come on Mickie tell us the story!" she insisted.

"Kelly, you already know the story," I reminded her.

"Yeah but Eve doesn't," she spoke to me as if it was obvious and then turned to Eve, "Despite the fact that Orton is a total ass right now, his and Mickie's history is absolutely adorable!" she squealed.

Melina spoke, "Well honestly, I am in for a good story right now, and regardless of Randy Orton's behaviour these days, I have to agree with Kelly. I love the story, it makes me feel so happy . . . the beginning anyways," she added the last part as an after thought.

Obviously I wasn't going to get away from here without telling the story, so I pushed myself farther onto the bed and crossed my legs as Melina positioned herself so her back was up against the headboard and hugged the pillow that had been previously where she was sitting, against her stomach. Kelly straightened up with her legs crossed, and Eve was sprawled out on her stomach with her head in her hands beside Kel.

"I don't even know where to begin," I protested.

"Well start with when you first met him," Eve offered.

I hesitated again, and then gave in. I let all the memories I had stored away after an immense amount of work float to the surface.

"Well it all started when I was called up from OVW in the last few months of 2003 to be involved in a storyline with the group known as Evolution. The members being 'The Game' Triple H, 'the Nature Boy' Ric Flair, 'the Animal' Batista and," I hesitated with the last one, " 'the Legend Killer' Randy Orton," Mickie laughed to herself thinking of the first time she had met the four men that were to become such great friends to her, on and off the air.

_Flashback_

_I felt so nervous walking down the hallways with the crew member who had been assigned to show me to my destination. I had just wrestled my first match which I had won and had then been brought before Vince McMahon who had informed me that I would be the newest member of the most powerful group in the WWE. I couldn't believe I was being put beside people the likes of Triple H and Ric Flair, it was a dream come true._

_They had decided to place a Diva in Evolution so that they could take claim truthfully that they were __**the**__ most powerful group in history dominating both the male division as well as the divas division. When I had asked why divas like Trish or Lita weren't being used, Vince had simply said that they were involved in other segments, and Evolution had requested someone new and fresh, and that I fit the bill. _

_I was ecstatic, to say the least. We arrived outside the door and I quickly combed my hair with my fingers, and took a deep breath when a thought occurred. What if they don't like me? Well I guess I'll never know until I try. _

_The crew member knocked on the door and when he heard a faint 'Come in' he pushed the door open and entered. I took a deep breath and followed after him._

"_Gentlemen," he announced speaking to three of the men, the fourth didn't appear to be in the room, "This is Mickie James. Raw's newest diva and your newest team member," he looked at me, "I'll let you guys get acquainted."_

_And with that he turned and walked out the door leaving me standing by myself. I could have slapped him, how awkward was this?_

_The Game got to his feet, "Hey welcome to Raw, I'm Paul aka Triple H," he smirked at me and extended his hand for me to shake._

_I smiled back at him, "Mickie," I replied._

_Ric Flair got to his feet next and extended his arm, "Ric Flair, it's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you in the future," he smiled at me and I released his hand._

_I looked at Dave who was standing in the corner of the room with his arm rested on top of the TV stand in his wrestling attire. He smiled and walked over to me, "Dave Batista. It's good to meet you Mickie, you are much better looking up close," he smiled at me._

_I laughed, "I could say the same thing about you. Honestly, I just want to say this is such an honour. I am so nervous right now," I admitted looking at all of them._

"_No need for that. Here take a seat, we are just watching Randy finish up his match, and then when he gets back here you can meet the last member of Evolution," Ric said and he motioned for the empty chair to his right._

_I took the seat and focused on the television screen that had Randy pitted in a match against Rob Van Dam. We watched in silence for awhile, with Paul and Ric making comments every now and then._

"_So Mickie, I have a question for you," Dave exclaimed and offered me a smile before continuing, "If you had to choose out of the four of us –Paul, Ric, Randy or myself – who would you pick as your favourite?"_

"_Why do you even care?" Paul asked as if it was a stupid question and then shouted at the screen with enthusiasm as Randy Orton pinned Rob Van Dam for the pin. He and Ric gave each other a high five. _

"_I'm just curious, besides I'm just giving Mickie a hard time," he winked at me as the shouts died down._

_I smiled, "Come on, I think all of you are great performers," I stated and it was the truth. Besides I don't want to get on any of their bad sides, even though I knew exactly who I would choose._

"_Hey, you have to choose one!" Dave exclaimed._

"_Why do I have to? Are you going to make me?" I challenged and then giggled._

"_It's Randy Orton isn't it?" Dave said flat out with Ric and Paul both turning to look at me._

_I decided honesty was the best policy, "He's just so pretty," I sighed. I had been watching Randy for a few weeks now, and boy was he good looking! He was really good at what he did in the ring as well, making him the total package - in my opinion._

_All three of them started laughing at me._

"_What? You wanted to know!" I reminded them._

"_It's always Randy," Dave muttered faking disappointment._

"_What's always me?" I heard a new voice speak as The Legend Killer himself came barrelling through the door with his Intercontinental Championship slung over his shoulder. I really hope no one was going to answer that question. How embarrassing!_

"_Hey man congrats on your win," Ric said standing up and slapping Randy's hand and pulling him in for a hug._

"_Thanks Ric," Randy replied and turned to Triple H._

"_You did good Orton. A few things you can work on, but overall it was very good," Randy nodded in agreement and shook his hand._

_He and Dave pounded knuckles and then turned and for the first time noticed I was there, his face went from surprise to confusion. He turned to face The Game with a questioning look._

"_Randy, meet Evolutions newest member – Mickie James," Triple H announced while standing._

"_Oh, so you're the Diva they called over to make Evolution the 'total package'. Nice to meet you Mickie, I'm Randy," he announced extending his arm. I grasped his hand and almost gasped, it was like an electric jolt had shot through my hand, I looked up to his blue eyes wondering if he had felt the same thing, and took in the surprised look resting there that could only be a mirror of my own._

"_Um, nice to meet you," I managed to mutter before pulling my hand away. He looked at me for a few more seconds before turning away to sit on the couch opposite me, beside Dave. I managed to pull my eyes away from Randy Orton as Triple H stood up and said he had to go and get ready for a match and that we should get to know each other a little better and left to prepare for his main event match tonight._

"_So is anyone going to answer my question from before or not? What is always me?" he looked really curious right now and I felt my face turning red._

_Dave glanced at me and smirked, "Mickie thinks you're pretty," he said letting out a chuckle._

_Randy turned to look at me and took in the obvious redness of my face he smiled a sincere smile, "Well to be fair, who doesn't?" he joked, he was trying to make me feel better. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as I thought it would be._

"_Well while Hunter is preparing for his match, I have to go out and pummel my opponent," the Animal announced and with one more of his smirks he got me to pound his knuckles and was out the door. Ric said goodbye to me and followed him out of the locker room._

"_So, you won your first match that's really awesome," Randy spoke after a moment of silence._

"_Yeah I was so nervous, especially with the fans. I honestly have never performed in front of that many people before. It was nerve wracking to say the least," I chuckled at the thought._

"_Yeah I definitely remember my first match, wasn't as lucky as you is all I can say," he laughed reminiscing on that particular memory, "So why don't we go for a walk so you can get a feel for everything?" he offered._

"_Yeah sure, definitely still new at this. I will probably need a lot of guidance," I joked, but also knew it was the truth. This was the big time, this was the WWE. Wow, it feels weird saying that. I am a superstar in the WWE, who would have thought?_

"_Well I have complete confidence in you," he smiled and held the door open for me. I almost melted right then and there, "Besides I don't think you could have been put alongside four better mentors," he smirked._

"_I completely agree with you," I smiled and headed out the door with the Legend Killer in pursuit, not knowing where any of this would eventually lead._

I was brought back to the present with a cough from Melina, the memory of the first moment I met him still lingering on my mind.

"That is adorable!" Eve squealed.

Kelly nodded in agreement, she was now lying on the end of the bed and I was lying on my stomach beside her, "I just honestly can't picture this Randy as that Randy, it just seems like two totally different people."

"Well, he is a completely different person. He has this like impenetrable wall around him. But I honestly know that somewhere inside of him, is the Randy I fell in love with," I admitted and knew that I believed that with every fibre of my being. I had to believe that there was still a part of that Randy in him, I don't know why, but I just had to.

**A/N: I changed the name of the story; I really hope that it wasn't confusing. The title now actually fits the story, which you will see in future chapters. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next one is up as well. More history :)**

**Ready and Review, let me know what you think!**


	6. Because I love you

After taking a brief break by going downstairs to the snack bar located near the hotel lobby, I was back in our hotel room with my best friends and Eve, and they were impatiently waiting for me to come back out of the bathroom and tell some more of Randy and Is history.

"Mickieeee, come on, we were being very patient until you decided to lock yourself in that bathroom," Kelly whined.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror with my hands leaning on the counter and took in a deep breath. This whole story-telling affair really wasn't helping with my 'I'm getting over Randy' process. I let the gush of air out in a sigh and walked towards the sliding bathroom doors.

"Finally, I thought I was going to have to force you out of there," Melina teased, and went to sit back on the bed.

I followed her actions but took a seat on a chair I pulled over towards the bed where the rest of the girls were sitting with Eve in the middle. I brought my feet up to the chair and snuggled my knees against my chest.

"So what do you want to know now?" I asked them.

"Well how did they incorporate you into Evolution? And when did you and Randy actually start dating?"

"Well, we started dating on-screen before we dated off-screen. Over the next couple of weeks Randy and I hung out away from the cameras, and we just clicked. Things with him were simple; I didn't have to try around him. He became my best friend, and we were inseparable. Of course, I spent a lot of time with the other Evolution members, and that is why I am so close with Batista these days. I was quite attached to Triple H and Ric Flair as well but after Randy and I left, and then Dave; there just wasn't much that kept us together in terms of a friendship."

I paused for a moment to think about what to say next, "Anyways, they had me involved with Rob Van Dam; he was feuding with Randy Orton at the time, and had saved me when Randy Orton and Batista were trying to intimidate me and made me lose a match, after I accidentally bumped into them in the corridor earlier on that night. So I started accompanying RVD to the ring to get a hold on the whole wrestling aspect. We were never portrayed as lovers, just that RVD was my first friend on the roster, therefore making me a face at the time," I couldn't help but long for that time of my career, the time when I was the happiest. Granted though I did have a lot more experience now than I did back then, but life had seemed so much simpler . . .

_Flashback_

_I was paying close attention to the TV, just waiting for everything to fall into place. Randy Orton had RKO'd me in the middle of the ring last Monday and then had agreed to a match against RVD, so that Rob could get revenge on him in my honour. The Intercontinental championship was on the line as well._

_I watched as Batista ran down to the ring – there was my cue, and I threw open the locker room door and made my way for the ring area. I ran down the ramp as Batista was on the apron distracting the referee and I heard the cheer of the fans. I grabbed Batista's leg and pulled on him forcing him to the ground hitting his face on the apron in the process. Right on cue, Randy pushed RVD into the referee knocking him to the ground. _

_I ran around to where the announce table was located and grabbed a chair and slid into the ring. Randy had just RKO'd RVD and then whipped around to face me as if he knew I was there. I held the chair up as if I were to hit him and we just stared at each other with him yelling, "Go ahead, do it!" but as I seen Rob stumble to his feet, I walked past Randy and smacked RVD over the head with it knocking him to the ground, resulting in immediate boo's from the crowd. _

_Randy smiled at me as I slid out of the ring and walked to the other side to shake awake the referee. He crawled over to count 1-2-3 and 'Line in the Sand' hit the speakers and as Lillian was announcing Randy the winner and still Intercontinental Champion, I walked over to Dave and helped him to his feet. He high-fived me and Randy joined us on the outside of the ring. _

_We walked up the ramp, Randy with his arm around me, and at the top I stood between the Animal and the Legend Killer, grabbed their hands and raised them above our heads. Rob was laying in the ring holding his head staring after us, as Randy wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me in for a full blown make-out session as the crowd booed and RVD got a stunned look on his face. _

_I smiled and blew a kiss at him as we sauntered to the backstage area, still feeling the tingling sensation in my stomach after my first kiss with the Legend Killer._

"So then what happened? That was how you got together on screen, what about off screen?" Eve pleaded.

I sighed just remembering the sweet memory of my first kiss with Randy Orton. It had been a great one, one that I still remember the feeling of to this very day.

Kelly giggled, "I heard that sigh young lady. I guess I would be too, if one of my first segments had been making out with Randy Orton, the boy is hot, I will give him that."

Melina nodded her head in agreement, "Mhmm.'

"Well after a few months, I was accompanying mostly Randy Orton and Dave to the ring all the while competing for the Women's Championship. I was, I will admit, a huge asset for Evolution back in the day. And I learned so much from all of them. A lot of what I do today is because of those four guys, and honestly I will forever be thankful. But Randy and I first getting together off-screen, see that's a tough question because it's a long story. So after months of spending as much time together as we could, we were joking around in his hotel one time and he kissed me. I kissed him back of course and it just felt so natural. Despite the fact that it did feel normal, I didn't realize that I had actual feelings for him. It sounds weird, but I didn't become aware of my feelings for him until he started dating other girls. Usually they were different women until he started spending his time with this one girl the four days we were in Florida. Anyways, he started ditching me and I was getting fed up with it. I knew that we weren't going to be in Florida that much longer, but I had a feeling he would have found some way to stay with this girl. I don't know what he saw in her, but I could tell he was infatuated," I smiled at the next part.

_Flashback_

_I couldn't believe he would do this to me. I don't care if he is dating this girl, I am his best friend and he has been doing nothing but kicking me to the curb for two weeks! I guess if I wasn't completely in love with him, maybe this wouldn't be a big deal, but I was. I have been trying to convince myself that I don't in fact have feelings for him, but I was failing horribly. _

_Truth is the last couple months I have grown feelings for him outside of the friendship circle. I guess it was inevitable considering how amazing he is, but I have been continuously struggling with the idea of whether or not I should tell him. Sometimes I feel that he feels the same way, but then I remind myself what would he want with someone like me? Sure I'm pretty, beautiful even some people would say, but he is just beyond that. _

_This girl is a bimbo who doesn't even know what a clothesline is, and she actually thinks her and Randy are 'meant' to be together? She probably doesn't even know anything about him, but I do. I know he has amazing blue eyes that I could gaze into all day; he is funny and never fails to make me laugh. He has a younger sister and brother, I know that he looks up to his father more than anyone, and that he loves his mother very much. I also know that he is going to be at the top of the business one day, and that he is a wonderful person with a good heart. _

_But yet, he's going on dates with this annoying girl who can't stop talking about herself for five minutes to even realize how wonderful the man she is dating happens to be._

_My phone beeped, probably another text message from him. _Hey where are you? I want to stop by your room, I know you're mad but I bought you something :) _Yeah like I am going to let you in this room you jerk._

_Five minutes later there was a knock on the door. I didn't move off the couch and there was another knock, and then another and another until, "Mickie I know you are in there? Your rental car is downstairs, and I just talked to Dave and he said he had just visited you in here."_

_Man, I never have any good luck. Making a mental note to myself to kick Dave the next time I saw him, I stomped to the door, wrenched it open to look my best friend in the face only to slam the door again._

"_Oh Mickie, come on, hey I am not leaving until you talk to me!"_

_I opened the door again and let him inside still scowling. I knew he would just annoy me from the other side of the door until I gave in, so it was best just to get this over with._

_He set a box down on the coffee table and turned to face me with a smile, he came towards me and tried to pull me into a hug but I pulled away and walked across the room._

"_I'm sorry-" he began but I cut him off._

"_No not this time Randy, I am so sick of this. Making plans with you only to spend the night in my hotel room, alone! And then you coming to me and apologizing, and me forgiving you only for you to do it again!" I yelled, my voice getting louder with each word._

"_What do you expect? I'm dating her Mickie. If you were dating some guy, would you put me first? No you wouldn't so why would you expect me to do the same for you?" he said angrily._

_How could he be angry? I was the one getting ditched every night! But I knew he was right, I was letting my romantic feelings overshadow the fact that I am supposed to be his supportive friend. I was being selfish, but I didn't want him to spend time with her; I wanted him to spend his time with me. I wanted to be his._

"_How do you know? You are my best friend, and I am supposed to be yours!" I spat and made my way towards him._

_He closed the distance and stopped when we were a meter apart, "And you are, but this situation is different!"_

"_Oh yeah, because you are dating some bimbo, all of a sudden I don't matter anymore?" I shouted even though he was close enough that I didn't need to._

"_You don't even know her!"_

"_Well I know enough to know she's so self absorbed, she couldn't possibly be good entertainment!" it was a low blow and I knew I shouldn't have said it, but I couldn't help myself, I was angry._

_If I was angry, Randy was livid, "WHY THE HELL DO YOU EVEN CARE?"_

_I hesitated, why did I care? _

"_Because I love you . . ." I spoke surprising myself as well as him._

_I looked up to see the anger vanish from his face and before I could comprehend what he was thinking he grasped me in his arms and his lips came crashing onto mine. Despite all of our on screen kissing and the one time off screen, I wasn't prepared for the way this felt. This time it was real, there was no acting involved, and I wasn't going to get scared this time. Randy Orton was finally mine and I in turn was his._

_He pulled away from me and pressed his forehead to mine, "Why didn't you say that in the first place?" he muttered._

_I giggled with nothing but pure happiness, and then reached up to kiss the one person I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with._

"Oh my god," Eve exclaimed pretending to faint, "Does that even happen in real life?"

We all laughed at her before Melina spoke, "I believe the real question is: what the hell happened to Randy Orton?"

I laughed and looked at Eve, "And she asks that question every time I tell this story!" I said pointing at Mel.

"Yes she does, and we still have yet to figure out the answer to that one," Kelly added.

"So wait? What was it that he bought you?" Eve asked me.

Before I could answer Kelly beat me to the punch, "He bought her a piece of cake."

"A piece of cake?" Eve said sounding unimpressed, and I have to admit I felt a little insulted, what did she know?

"Kelly you just ruined it," Melina said shooting our best friend a dirty look, "The first night they hung out together they ended up sharing a piece of cake. Anyways everywhere they went they couldn't find this particular kind of cake, and finally after months of searching, he went on another date with this girl and noticed the cake on the menu. He ordered a piece to go, and even after the girl invited him back to her apartment, he insisted he had plans and left the girl to come bring the cake to Mickie," she said finishing off the story in a dream-like tone.

"Seriously, I am ready to start hearing that pumpkins turn into carriages and you have special magic powers," Eve said sarcastically and with a little hint of jealousy.

"Well actually it was Randy's Lamborghini, and unfortunately I don't have special powers, but now that I think about it, I believe I deserve them," I joked and all three ladies laughed at me.

"Seriously Mickie that is the most adorable thing I have ever heard. It's a shame how things turned out. Everyone knows about the break-up, but no one that I have asked knows how you two got together, that could make an amazing love novel," Eve stated.

She caught me off guard, did everyone really know about our messy break-up? I guess it made sense considering Randy's diva rampage he went on afterwards, but this brought to mind the question I had been asking myself for years, what did happen with Randy and me? I always blamed it on the fact that he had changed so much while he was on Smackdown, but maybe things just got worse when I decided to end it. Maybe I should have stuck by his side instead of kicking him to the curb when **I **couldn't take it anymore. Was it a selfish act? I don't remember thinking once how it had affected him.

Oh man, I was going to make myself crazy with all this thinking.

"Well ladies, as much as I would love to stick around and tell more stories, it just so happens I have an early flight to catch in the AM, so I must be getting myself some beauty sleep," I announced.

"Yeah I have a flight in the morning too. I get to go home for a couple days to see my family," Eve said with a smile while grabbing her jacket.

Kelly walked her to the door and we said our goodbyes, and after she gave Kelly a hug she was out the door.

Kelly walked towards me as Melina headed for the bathroom, "Hey, are you okay? I know you don't like telling that story all that much. It's just I feel as if it needs to be shared with the world ya know?" she said as she wrapped her arms around me.

"No I'm fine; honestly sometimes it feels good to get that off my chest. To let everyone know that Randy has some redeeming qualities, and that he wasn't always like he is today," I said pulling out of the hug.

"Always rooting for him aren't you girly," Kelly stated more to herself than to me.

I headed towards my suitcase without replying to her and then headed toward the bathroom after Melina was finished. I pulled the doors shut and just leaned against them. Kelly was right, I spent more of my time defending Randy than I did accepting that maybe who he was back then was gone and replaced with a cold-hearted Lady Thriller. A single tear rolled down my cheek and within seconds I brushed it off and any thoughts of Randy Orton with it.

**A/N: There's chapter 6, let me know what you think :) In the coming chapters there will be more Mickie/Randy and also more of Mickie and Ted.**


	7. you don't scare me

**A/N: Thanks for the Reviews :) I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

After leaving our new hotel room I was driving to the arena for the taping of Raw, I felt excited again. Just as excited as I had been last week on my debut. I left the hotel earlier than usual so that I would have time to prepare for whatever match I would be involved in tonight. Over the weekend I got to perform in a few of the Raw houses shows, and I had a blast doing it. But most importantly I had a great time interacting with the WWE fans.

I parked the vehicle and grabbing my bag from the trunk, I walked into the arena. I had curled my hair, but only threw on my spandex short shorts and a white shirt, saving my ring attire for later. I dropped my bag off in the locker rooms and headed to check out the match card for the evening. I had a Divas Championship Title Match against defending champion Maryse. How lucky was I?

I happened to look down and notice Randy was scheduled in a tag team match against John Cena and Triple H. Randy's partner was to be Ted DiBiase, and this match was set up as the last segment between the competitors of Cena, Triple H, and Randy before their triple threat match for the WWE title at Night of Champions. I found myself feeling a little concerned for Randy.

I shook my head and took a walk throughout the arena. As it steadily got busier I made my way towards the locker rooms. I decided to do some warm ups so I started doing some stretching outside the locker room so as to have more space. I was bent over reaching for my toes when I was startled by a familiar voice.

"Well isn't that a nice view?" I turned around and Ted was standing behind me.

"Aren't you quite the pervert," I teased him.

"Hey I was talking about that huge sandwich that dude is eating. I never got a chance to eat dinner!" He defended himself, and I turned around and there in fact was a guy sitting on some crates eating a sandwich.

I smiled to myself and shook my head before turning around to face the third generation superstar.

"Well you got me on that one, but what are you doing talking to me? Ted DiBiase," I put my hands on my hips, "do you have a crush on me?" I joked and then laughed.

"You caught me! And I thought I was being so subtle," he said in mock disappointment and even snapping his fingers for dramatic effect.

I giggled, "So what are you really doing here?"

"Well honestly, I am bored and everyone else is busy!"

"Wait? So I'm like the last resort? Thanks a lot DiBiase and I thought you actually liked me!" I pouted.

"Well James, since we are on a last name basis and everything, life is what it is. You can't spend your life wondering whether or not Ted DiBiase likes you. As important as it may be, I can admit that it probably isn't healthy," He chuckled.

I glared at him, "Shouldn't you be preparing for a match or something and not pestering me!" I said defiantly.

"Well I just decided that I like you James, You aren't afraid to speak your mind," he looked over my shoulder, "But for the moment, I must take leave because that dude with the sandwich is leaving, and I haven't gotten a chance to ask him where he got it from yet."

With one last wink he was off. I had to laugh; he was a funny guy, very entertaining to say the least. I walked back to the locker room to get changed into my ring attire and wondered where the heck Kelly and Melina were. They should have been here by now, it was already 7:30 but I didn't have time to wonder any longer, because a crew member came to my room to tell me that my match was up next.

I found my way to the gorilla position and when my music hit, I heard cheers erupt from the crowd and I stepped out onto the ramp with a huge smile on my face. I made my way to the ring, after shaking some hands from the crowd and then waited for my opponent, and the WWE divas champion to make her way to the ring.

After a few minutes, I slowly started to gain control and was about to hit the Mickie-DT, when all of a sudden I was clotheslined to the mat and looked up to see Jillian hall had attacked me. After her and Maryse double teamed me for a while until Jillian held me up to be on the receiving end of a heel kick from Maryse. I was laid out in the ring while Jillian and Maryse made their way up the ramp. I struggled to my feet with the crowd cheering for me, and made my own way up the ramp and entered the backstage area.

I couldn't believe that bitch Jillian; jealous because I beat her last week. Yeah whatever I won the match, but I didn't win the Divas title, I hate that stipulation!

Of course being the person that I am, I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going, yet again, and I didn't notice that I was about to smack right into The Viper. At least this time I managed to maintain my balance before looking up into the blue eyes of my ex-boyfriend.

"Mickie, we really have got to stop meeting like this," he paused but I didn't reply so he continued, "Tough break out there, but I know what you are thinking; you lose the match so you need some comfort. What better way to do that than by spending some time with the Viper?"

I glared right back into his eyes, "You know, normally I would just **love **standing here to listen to you ramble on about yourself," I said sarcastically, "But at this very moment, your egotistical ways are really getting on my nerves. So if you don't mind, I really would like to get away from you!"

He took a step forward until we were face to face, or more like face to chest, and his expression grew to that of anger, and his eyes turned cold. After a couple seconds, he stepped to the side and gestured for me to continue. With one final glare, I stalked off, only to stop a little ways away and turn around to notice he was still staring after me.

Just then Kelly came running up to me, "Oh my god I saw what happened! I cannot believe she would do that! She has always been jealous of you Mickie! Are you okay?"

"Yeah well she's going to pay, but I'm fine," I assured her, I looked back to where Randy had been standing earlier, and the place was now empty and he was nowhere in sight.

"What are you looking at?" Kelly asked me questioningly.

I turned to face my blonde friend and smiled, "Nothing, but I believe you are up for your segment next, so you should probably get ready," I reminded her.

"Oh right, I should probably get going. Okay so I will be back in a bit and we will talk about your match," and with one quick hug she was on her way to the ring.

I turned and headed towards the locker room and upon seeing that it was empty I breathed a sigh of relief. I took a seat on the couch and rested my head on the back. Did I not have the worst luck ever? Honestly if there was someone out there who had worse luck than I did, I would love to meet them. Okay fine, that is dramatic, and I am a lot better off than others, but not only do I lose my match, but I get double teamed and then of course I just have to run into my arrogant ex-boyfriend! What a night!

I turned my head towards the television, and thought of switching it on, but no doubt Randy Orton would somehow be on there, so I dismissed all thoughts of the TV. Instead, I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes.

I hadn't realized I dozed off until I heard a door slam and voices. I opened my eyes to see Kelly and Melina staring at me.

"I'm sorry did we wake you?" Kelly said apologetically.

"No, I just dozed off for a second," I said sitting up and rubbing my eyes, "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Melina took a seat beside me, "Sorry about your match babe. Don't worry we will get her back somehow," she promised.

I laughed, "I have no doubt about that. So until that time comes around, I am going to go and take a shower," I patted her knee and then stood up. Kelly smiled as I passed her, and then I disappeared into the bathroom.

I took an exceptionally long shower; it was so relaxing after the hard day, and hesitated upon getting out. Finally I turned the taps off, and stepped out to dry myself off. I got dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and went back out to the main room.

"Hey, I'm gonna take off now. I'll meet you at the hotel later okay?" I announced.

"Okay lady, drive safe alright, and don't stop for strangers," Kelly replied while giving me a hug.

I laughed at her, "You always know how to make me laugh."

She looked at Melina, "What? I was being serious," she pouted.

"We know you were honey," Melina said faking a serious look and wrapping Kelly in a hug and then winking at me.

I smiled, then grabbed my bag and left the room. I couldn't help but feel exhausted as I was walking down the hall of the arena. My match hadn't even been that demanding, perhaps I was mentally tired, that would definitely make a ton more sense.

I pushed the door open and stepped out into the night. I felt a bit better as I breathed in a breath of fresh air. I stood there for a minute and turned back towards the door just enjoying the moment to turn around and smack –surprise, surprise – into the Viper again.

This was getting ridiculous, "Seriously! Would you leave me alone?" I practically shouted.

I noticed a hint of amusement on his face, "Hey, you are the one who walked into me . . . again."

He was right, but I didn't feel like putting up with him tonight, "Well maybe you need to re-evaluate the places that you choose to stand in!"

"And maybe you should learn respect for those who are clearly better than you," he retorted while motioning to himself. And as if a switch had been hit, his eyes filled with hate almost instantly.

I was taken aback by how threatening he looked, but I wasn't about to let him know he had the same affect on me that he did everyone else in the arena.

"You know what Randy; get off that damn high horse of yours. You may scare the majority of people on this roster, but I am not one of them!" I said defiantly.

"And why is that Mickie? Because I'm really hoping we can change that," he sneered and then took a step closer.

I stepped backwards and swallowed, a lump forming in the back of my throat and all the while not being able to tear my eyes away from his.

"Because of this," I managed to blurt out and pulled out my cell phone.

"Oh, what are you gonna do? Call someone for help," he sneered with a hint of sarcasm.

I managed to force a smile, "No, actually it just so happens I have a certain special someone on my number four speed dial."

"Oh no, I am so scared Mickie, I guess I should probably start running now," he replied sarcastically, "So tell me before I do, who is it that I should feel threatened by?"

"Your mother," I said with a sly smile creeping onto my face, "You see it's actually a funny story, because back when I dated you – god only knows why – she and I happened to be close, you know that," I reminded him and with each word I slowly regained my confidence, "What? You thought that would end because we did? She's like a second mother to me Randy; we talk more often than you would think."

I stared at his face, this was totally worth it. I don't think he was scared, so much as surprised about the fact that his mother still talked with his ex. His facial expression answered the question I had been wondering for years, he in fact did not know that his mother and I had stayed in touch.

"Good night Orton," I stated smugly, gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked off towards my car with a smile on my face.

**So what did everyone think? I hope you liked it, definitely not the best one but I did like the scene with Ted and Mickie. More Randy and Mickie to come as well in the following chapters.**

**Did everyone watch Raw this week? It was classic, probably the best episode I have seen in a really long time. I loved the loyalty and team work between the Raw superstars!**

**Read and Review please :)**


	8. Why do you let him affect you this way?

**Thanks to emma217, MJxxRKO, rkocak1980, tvrox12, TNAKnockout4-Life ****XxFutureWWEDivaxX** **for the reviews :) **

I woke up the next morning feeling just as smug as I did last night, while replaying the confrontation with Randy in my head. I had fallen asleep thinking about it, and now I was awake and I felt even better. I had almost forgotten that the alarm clock I had set to wake me up on time was still going off until I heard shouts from my roommates – 'turn that damn thing off Mickie' and 'trying to sleep here!'.

"Oh wake up you two. Kelly we have an autograph signing to get to, and you are not going to make me late," I said grabbing my pillow and throwing it onto their bed. Missing their heads by a great amount and thinking to myself that I really should work on my aim.

I threw the covers off of myself and because neither of them had moved, I grabbed the blankets on their bed and pulled them off with a yank. Melina sat up so fast and grabbed them back resulting in a tug of war.

"Two things Mickie James, one I don't have the autograph signing today and two just because you got such great sleep, by the sounds of things, doesn't mean that I did as well!" she shouted while pulling on the blanket and eventually winning the tug of war with me falling to my butt on the floor.

I sighed with defeat. "What are you talking about?" I questioned her. I did feel pretty good, but how did she know I happened to have the greatest sleep I have had in awhile?

"I couldn't even count on both hands the number of times you muttered Randy's name in your sleep last night," she stated with a haughty look on her face.

With that Kelly sat upright so quickly and jumped out of the bed to come and sit on Melina's side of the bed facing me.

I said defiantly I had a sinking feeling in my stomach; it was definitely possible with the amount I had been thinking about him before falling asleep last night, "I did not!" I stated defiantly.

"Yes you did!" Melina shouted from under the covers, "Randy, oh Randy, Randy, Randy, Randy," she started sighing and then giggling.

I jumped to my feet to grab a pillow and then I started hitting her with it as Kelly started giggling at the both of us.

I stopped and heard Melina's laughter from underneath the blanket and had to smile to myself, "Get up," I said before stalking towards the bathroom.

After my shower I walked out of the bathroom in my towel and both my friends were now up and Kelly passed me on her way to the bathroom with a huge grin on her face. I shook my head and sighed, they were never going to let this go, **ever**! I put on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged my body in all the right places. I had just finished doing my hair when I heard the shower in the bathroom turn off.

Trying to avoid any more jokes at my expense I quickly threw on a jacket and told Melina I would meet them downstairs for breakfast, she nodded and I bolted out the door before her or Kelly could make any more comments. I got off the elevator at the lobby and headed to the room where breakfast was being served. Upon entering I couldn't make out anyone familiar, and couldn't believe I was the first one up, until I noticed Ted DiBiase sitting alone at a table in the corner reading a newspaper. I smiled and headed towards the one Legacy member who didn't make me want to vomit and sat down without even asking if I could join him.

He looked up from the paper to see who had intruded on his quiet breakfast and smiled, "I'm beginning to think maybe it's you who likes me James."

"Hey! What? No, I noticed you were sitting alone and decided to save you from the embarrassment of being a loner," I stated not revealing that I actually enjoyed spending time with him.

"Well I was quite enjoying my quiet morning alone . . . until you showed up" he challenged me.

"Oh that is just rude DiBiase! After the courage it took for me to come over here and sit with a member of Legacy, this is how you repay me? I am wounded!" I faked insult, and then smiled.

He laughed at me, "Oh James, I am terribly sorry I thought this was all in the name of joking, and yet I managed to hurt my closest acquaintance. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Well, if you buy me a really big cookie and get Hornswoggle to go on a date with me, I might find it in my heart to forgive such a terrible offence."

"Okay, what is it with you and Hornswoggle?" he managed to ask through fits of laughter.

"Well the little guy has grown on me. Can I really be blamed, he is quite cute!" I said innocently.

He chuckled and shook his head, "I don't know about you James –" he started but was cut off by Kelly planting herself in the chair beside me.

"Melina and Dave are fighting . . . again. Honestly for as happy as they are, they sure do argue a lot. The morning has barely started and–" she cut off when she finally noticed exactly who I was sitting with.

"Um Mickie, why are we sitting with Ted DiBiase . . . From Legacy?" she attempted a whisper but it came out a little louder than she had intended . . . I hope.

I looked at Ted apologetically but he just laughed and then leaned back to listen to what I would say with pure amusement on his face.

"Well Kel, **I **was sitting with him and **you** happened to join us. You are more than welcome to sit somewhere else," Kelly looked confused so I continued, "Besides Ted here isn't arrogant like the other two."

"Hey they aren't that . . ." Ted started to argue but I cut him off.

"Ted you do know that I used to date Randy right? And he likes to harass me any chance he can get," I reminded him.

He took a second, probably to think of an argument and then gave up, "Yeah, you got me on that one," he replied with a chuckle.

"So you two are like . . . friends now?" Kelly questioned.

I looked at Ted and grinned, "Yeah I guess you could say that, who would have thought right?"

"Okay then, hello Ted, I'm Kelly," my blonde friend said looking at him. Awe she was so sweet, trusting my word and being nice to my new friend.

"Yeah I know, nice to officially meet you on . . . better terms I guess you could say," he replied with a smile clearly thinking of moments when they had met in the past. I was looking at him waiting for what he would say next when I seen his eyes dart to the door. I followed the path of his eyes and noticed what had caught his attention – The Viper was standing near the door staring angrily towards our table. If I wasn't mistaken his angry eyes were directed towards Ted, and not myself. Was I seeing this right?

Ted looked back towards me, "Looks like I have to go. Talk to you later James," and with one nod towards Kelly he exited the restaurant walking past Randy and with one last glare towards me, the Viper followed him out.

"What was that?" Kelly asked with pure curiosity at what just happened.

"I have no idea," I said with confusion heavy in my voice just as Melina took the chair Ted had been sitting in moments earlier.

"Were you guys just sitting with Ted DiBiase . . ." she asked her face clearly suggesting we were crazy, "From Legacy?" Its funny how alike Kelly and Melina are.

I looked at Kelly, "This one is all yours Micks," she replied and picked up her menu.

Melina was looking at me questioningly so I told her the truth, "What? He's a nice guy, we've talked a time or two," I said in a relaxed manner.

"And you never thought about mentioning it?" she replied clearly hurt that I wouldn't bring up something she considered this big sooner.

"Slipped my mind," I shrugged my shoulders and picked up the menu, "So what are you two ordering?" I looked up and Melina was still staring at me.

"Yeah okay, if you wanna play that game," she replied and picked up her menu.

_Randy's POV_

I couldn't stop thinking about what I had witnessed when I went to look for Ted and found him sitting at a table with not only Kelly Kelly but Mickie James. Seeing the way he had been looking at her, and the way she was smiling at him in return had sent anger pulsing through every inch of my body. I hadn't realized I had been staring at Ted with my eyes narrowed until I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye only to realize Mickie had turned to stare, clearly wondering what Ted had been looking at.

I was in my room now killing time until I had to head downstairs to the Lobby to catch the bus that was taking us to the signing. I had kicked Ted and Cody out of my room only half an hour ago, after lecturing Ted about mingling with others who might make him lose focus.

He had questioned why I was so upset about him sitting with Mickie James and if maybe there had been underlying issues. I couldn't believe it! He was actually insinuating that I was jealous that he had spent the morning with Mickie. I informed him that I couldn't care less about her, and that I was worried about what would happen to Legacy if Ted let his guard down. He said he understood, but he wasn't letting his guard down for anyone, and that talking with other superstars isn't a sign of weakness.

Who does he think he is anyway? Mickie wouldn't have taken a second look at him had he not been a member of Legacy – a group created by none other than the Viper, who just so happens to be her ex boyfriend. Obviously she was using Ted to prove a point, or even to make me jealous, and I wasn't falling for it. I didn't care about her anymore, she was nothing but a memory of the past – a memory I was more than willing to forget.

…So why couldn't I stop thinking about her? When I found out she was being brought back to Raw I felt happy, but only because I knew I would have more chances to rub this in her face and show her what she is missing. But last week on Raw when she ran into me after her match, I had feelings that I couldn't register. I had feelings that I haven't felt in years; suffice to say I'm feeling pretty disgusted with myself. Of course this means nothing, this is all normal as far as seeing your ex goes. I just need to get used to having her around on Raw, and I definitely need to teach her proper manners. The way she has been speaking to me, just makes me angry, and yet at the same time I find myself oddly fascinated by it. Everyone else around here runs in the other direction when it concerns me, but Mickie – even though I know she is intimidated – she stands her ground and acts defiant, it entertains me. I might just find myself running into her on purpose just to see how she reacts.

I was interrupted by a knock on my door that caused me to look at my clock and realize it was time to head downstairs. I opened the door to see Cody standing on the other side of it, pointing at his watch.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I said to him and then slammed the door. Who was he to tell me what to do? I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door, where Cody was still waiting for me along with Ted. I glared at them and then headed for the elevator.

Outside the three of us boarded the bus and being the first ones on, we headed to get seats at the back. Not five minutes later, Kelly, Mickie and the incredibly annoying John Cena entered the bus. Kelly sat by herself and then giggled at Mickie, who looked really embarrassed. Obviously Kelly wanted Mickie to sit with John, who knows why? Mickie just noticed I was on the bus and her eyes instantly narrowed, she was so cute when she did that. _Really? Did I just say cute? What is wrong with me?_ She took her seat and John slid in beside her.

The ride to the signing was extra torturous, having to watch Kelly shoot devious grins to Mickie and John. Did she actually think something would happen between the two of them? Yeah Mickie seemed to like John, they danced together at the club last week and they seemed to get along well, but John wasn't Mickie's type, and I could tell she only thought of him as a friend. John, well he was harder to read, but I always see him with others girls so I imagine he wasn't all that interested in Mickie. Mickie was one of the few divas on the roster who didn't try to throw herself at everybody, and she was easy to get along with so it would be possible as a guy to be friends with her. I mean I was friends with her as well as Dave, Paul, and Ric back in our Evolution days, and we had always just considered her one of the guys – of course an extremely good looking one, but all the same. Kelly being as senseless as she is is seeing something that isn't there.

I looked out the window to see we had almost reached our location so I stood up and headed to the front, which didn't take long considering it was a small bus. I heard a part of Mickie and John's conversation and stopped to listen.

"God Kelly is way too obvious about it. It's embarrassing!" Mickie exclaimed.

Cena laughed and then replied, "Well hey don't worry about it. As long as we know what this is, no one else matters."

I scoffed, "And what exactly is this?" I spoke causing both of them to turn and look at me, "Obviously John is trying so hard to keep it in his pants, but Mickie given your history, I don't think it will be very long until the 'this is nothing' turns into the big 'something'," and with that I continued walking until I was off the bus so that neither could reply.

Obviously nothing would happen between the two, but I just couldn't stand seeing Cena with her. I felt Ted and Cody come up behind me, and then I continued towards the door that would take us to the signing and all the WWE fans.

_Mickie's POV_

Meeting the fans had been great, and listening to all of their stories about times they had seen me, or my favourite matches they had enjoyed would have made my afternoon quite enjoyable if it hadn't been for the uncomfortable feeling I got every five minutes to only look up and realize that Randy was staring at me in between signing his autographs. I held his gaze for a few seconds each time only to look away to be distracted by a fan then for that to repeat itself once again. What was his problem? I don't recall ever doing anything to him, for him to be justified in treating me this way. From trying to threaten me, to staring daggers at me any chance he got, to making rude comments like he had on the bus, I really had no idea what his issue was.

We were back on our bus heading back to the hotel; I was sitting by myself with my head rested against the back of the seat going over the afternoon in my head. I sat up suddenly interested when I noticed Randy stand up to go and speak to the bus driver. What could he possibly be saying? He turned to sit back in his seat but took a glance back towards me and detect I had been staring. Great, something more to add to his ever-growing ego. I sighed and turned away to gaze out the window, I just wanted to get back to the hotel and rest for a couple hours. I was tired, and just wanted to be away from Randy.

I heard giggling and I looked over to see Kelly and John smiling at each other while carrying on a conversation. I smiled to myself, now if anyone was a cute couple it was those two. Kelly definitely deserved someone as wonderful as John. I know she thought John and I would be good together, but my love life was messed up right now. I haven't found myself really attracted to anyone since, well you know who, and even though he has been nothing but a jerk since then, I find myself still getting butterflies when he comes near me. How messed up was I? Am I ever going to get over him completely, or am I doomed to be attracted to a jackass like Randy Orton for the rest of my life?

I looked out the window again and the bus driver was pulling into the parking lot of what appeared to be a mall. We weren't due to end up at the hotel for another fifteen minutes, so what was he doing? Maybe he was stopping for gas, but I couldn't see a gas station around here.

I looked at John and Kelly but they were just as confused as I was.

I glanced back at Randy who was smiling and stood as the vehicle came to a stop and the bus driver opened the door for Legacy to step out onto the curb. Was this what Randy was talking to the bus driver about? For him to drop them off at the mall? After they stepped off Randy smirked at me and then headed in the doors of the mall. _Adieus_ I thought to myself, but after a few minutes the bus still hadn't started moving again.

"Are you going to take us back to the hotel now?" I called up to the front of the bus.

"Sorry ma'am I'm instructed to wait here until those gentlemen get back," he admitted and then turned back around to face the front of the bus.

"Who died and made Randy Orton boss? Leave them here, none of us will tell," I said getting frustrated. How could he be so selfish? I really didn't want to spend my time waiting on a bus for them to get back, who knew how long they would take.

"He paid me a lot of money to wait for him miss," the bus driver said apologetically.

I got to my feet and stomped to the front of the bus, "Well how much did he pay you? I will pay you double," the bus driver told me the amount and I couldn't believe how much Randy had paid him just to wait. I looked to John and Kelly for help, obviously Orton was just trying to piss me off and I wasn't going to let him win.

"Maybe we could just go and take a look around," John offered as if this wasn't a big deal.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind checking out this place. Haven't visited this mall yet," Kelly said with a chuckle.

"You guys, we cannot let him win, how do you know he isn't waiting for us to get off just so he can hop on and leave us here?" I said defiantly.

"Well it wouldn't be the end of the world; there are other forms of transportation. However, I don't think," John started and then looked at the bus drivers name tag, "Harry here would allow that to happen. So ladies, let's take a look around shall we," and he headed off the bus with Kelly following.

I stood there and then glanced at the bus driver who shrugged his shoulders in an 'it couldn't hurt kind of way', and I narrowed my eyes at him, like he would know! I sighed with defeat and followed them off the bus.

After looking around for about fifteen minutes, I was sick of being the third wheel and informed Kelly and John I was going to find a washroom and they agreed and said they would meet me in the food court. I didn't really have to use the facilities but it did turn out to be a good excuse. I found a washroom five minutes later but before entering the washroom I happened upon Randy flirting with a girl to my left.

I grinned to myself and headed towards them with the perfect revenge in mind.

"Hey Randy, your mom wanted me to inform you that you forgot your anti-itch cream at home when you left a few days ago," Randy breathed in and narrowed his eyes at me. I turned towards the girl who was confused, "A one night stand with a random in Las Vegas will do that to you. Herpes, you can't get rid of it, you can only suppress it," I stated and with one disgusted look at Randy and then me, she turned and walked away.

I watched her walk off with a proud smile on my face, and then turned to face Randy who, well lets just say if looks could kill, I would be six feet under by now.

"What," I said innocently, "I was only helping you out. Clearly she was way too easy!"

"And that's bad how?" he practically shouted, "You know, I'm all about the chase, but sometimes easy just so happens to be good," he sneered.

"Oops, my bad," I said faking disappointment and then started walking away towards the food court that was directly in front of us.

I felt a hand on my arm – clearly Randy's – and he gripped it harder and then spun me around, "You know Mickie, just because you still talk to my mother, doesn't mean I'm intimidated by you. You are nothing but an irritating memory that keeps popping back into my life," and with that he continued on the same way I had been heading moments earlier.

And that's when I spotted it; my second form of revenge. Randy Orton thought he was big and tough, well I'm gonna show him I'm not easily intimidated. He continued walking and I followed, except I stopped at the table that was selling homemade pies. Yes, I knew it was very immature, but sometimes you have to stoop down to someone else's level to prove a point.

I paid for it and caught up to the Viper, "Hey Randy, I hope you like lemon meringue," I said while pulling on his arm.

"What are you –" and he couldn't even finish his sentence before I slapped the pie right in his face while his arms flapped in front of him a moment too late.

He was still for a few seconds while I could barely contain my laughter. I become aware that people around us were staring, and the food court had gone quiet, but at the moment, I didn't care. I was too busy revelling at the sight in front of me.

"Actually, I don't," He answered my question from before.

"I know you don't like it, that's particularly why I chose it in the first place," I managed to get out in between the laughter.

I saw him reach to the table nearest him for a napkin, which happened to be occupied with three teenagers.

"Pie? Really Mickie, how old are we?" he spoke and before I could register what he was doing I felt something cold being dumped on my head. He hadn't been reaching for a napkin he had been reaching for the soda that had been sitting on the table.

I looked at the owner of the soda and he looked like he was about to protest but I was angry and totally embarrassed, I silenced him with a glare.

"You know," I started out calmly, "I really hate Pepsi!" I yelled and lunged for the ketchup bottle on the table and within seconds I was squirting the bottle of ketchup into Randy's face.

I saw movement to my left so I turned and looked to see Ted, Cody, John, and Kelly rushing up to us.

Kelly came running towards me, "Mickie what are you –" but she slipped in the pie that had fallen to the floor and wiped out before she could finish her sentence.

"Oh my – Kelly are you okay," I asked her as John stood in front of her to try and pull her up – a job that would have been much easier had there not been pie and soda all over the floor.

I looked up just in time to see something flying towards my face, but ducking would have been unnecessary because Randy's aim turned out to be terrible because it hit the figure standing beside me. I turned around to see ice cream dripping down the face of John and I had to laugh. He wiped it off with his hand and stared daggers at Randy, carefully walked forward through the mess, picked the ketchup bottle off the floor and squeezed it in the direction of Randy, who happened to have amazing reflexes, and ducked just in time for the ketchup to hit Ted and Cody who had been standing behind him.

Seconds later there was more movement, and four mall security guards strolled up to us and motioned for us to follow them with disapproving looks on their faces. I grimaced and then leaned down to help Kelly up who was grumbling about her 'new jeans' without a hint of a smile on her face. As we followed the guards out of the food court, I became fully aware that everyone was staring at us; I felt the embarrassment color my cheeks. There were people laughing, and some were shaking their heads, I had to look away, so I looked down at my feet while I walked.

I looked up as I heard Randy speak, "You know I could take all four of you right?" he said talking to the mall security.

The four of them didn't say anything, but the one who was walking near me, rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Yeah whatever Randy, you couldn't even defeat that rookie a few weeks ago," John spoke up.

"That was a joke and he cheat– you know what? I don't have to explain myself to you. You already know what it feels like to be a loser . . . naturally," Randy replied and then turned to face forward again.

"Oh really well why don't you come over here and I will show you what a loser-"

"SHUT UP! Both of you, I have had ENOUGH of this for today, from ALL of you," Kelly shouted.

Everyone turned to stare at her in utter shock, "What? You've never heard me yell before? Well now you know that all you have to do is ruin my perfectly new, **very **expensive jeans, and you will get this reaction again!"

Kelly Kelly the bubbly diva wasn't so bubbly today. I sighed, this was all my fault, nothing good ever comes out of being immature. We ended up in a waiting room and they asked us a few questions, obviously knowing we were WWE superstars. About an hour later, I seen Vince McMahon through the glass window talking to what I assumed was head of security. After the conversation was finished and a phone call was made the chairman of the WWE came strutting up to the room and I knew this wasn't going to end well.

He threw the door open and came in like a bat out of hell. I have never seen him so pissed off . . . in real life.

"So I'm sitting in my hotel room, quite enjoying myself, chatting with my wife on the phone when I get a call from the hotel saying that some of my superstars got into some trouble at the local mall, and that I was needed down there ASAP. I come down here to find out, you got into a FOOD FIGHT!" with every word his voice got louder, "You are grown adults, not children, and **I **am **not **a damn babysitter! Do any of you have any idea how this is going to look in the papers? Huh, do you? Well I guess the joke is on you, because I just talked to the PR company, you are going to be doing a little volunteering for the mall tomorrow. Helping out with anything they may need help with and you are going to do it without complaint, otherwise I will suspend all your asses!" his face was red by this time, and he stomped out the door slamming it behind them causing me to flinch.

I looked up to seeing Randy staring at me with such ferocity, it made me cringe. Before anyone could say anything though, two of the security guards informed us they would be escorting us out of the mall and I sighed with relief.

The moment we were outside Randy turned to face me, "This is entirely your fault, you started it, and now we all have to suffer!"

"I don't recall forcing you to pick up the soda and dump it on my head Orton," I defended myself, how could he put all the blame on me?

"Yeah whatever," he gave up and then turned his back on me to board the bus. I was amazed; he must be really pissed off in order to not throw an insult my way.

After everyone was on, we headed back to the hotel and I had to listen to Randy bitch loudly about how this was all my fault. The jackass didn't even have the courtesy to keep his voice to a whisper; no he had to shout it to the entire bus. John defended me once, but after they started arguing again, John realized it wasn't worth it and turned his back to sit down again.

Back at the hotel everyone went their separate ways, Ted and Cody convinced Randy to take the stairs so as to avoid any confrontation with me again, and John got off the elevator on the first floor and that left just Kelly and me.

"Kelly, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for any of that to happen," I said apologetically.

"Just save it Micks, I'm really not in the mood," she said calmly.

I sighed and there was silence as we stepped off the elevator. Outside the door she hesitated with the key and then turned around to face me.

"Look, I just don't understand why you let him affect you this way. You tell us all the time that you are over him, so why don't you act like it? Which is it Micks, are you over him or not?" I sighed again and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, he was, and apparently still is such a huge part of my life, it just isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be," I looked away and leaned myself against the wall, "I wish he didn't have this affect on me, because we both know he brings out the worst in me, but he just does and I don't know what to do."

"Look, you need to make a decision Mickie; otherwise you are going to go crazy. I am here for you, whatever you decide," She said and wrapped her arms around me in a quick embrace and then stepped away, "But not while you smell like soda."

We both laughed and she inserted the card key in the lock and pushed it open. We saw Melina look at us with a smile and then it faded into confusion. She stood up from the sofa and walked towards us.

"What . . . happened to you guys?" she questioned. Kelly and I looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

"You are not going to believe what Mickie did today," Kelly exclaimed with a huge grin on her face.

"I will tell you all about it, but first I really need a shower," I said with a smile and headed towards the bathroom.

After recounting the events of the day, and after listening to Melina laugh at us for what seemed like hours, I finally got to crawl into my bed excited for sleep. I knew Kelly had been right, how I was letting Randy bring out the worst in me was something I needed to put an end to – for my sake as well as everyone else's.

**A/N: What did everyone think? I thought it was a fun chapter, I love writing about Mickie and Randy arguing. This chapter is quite a bit longer than the others. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know.**

**Read and Review :) Thanks.**


	9. you had a lot of faith in me

CHAPTER 9

I took a sip of my coffee as I was staring out the window, looking at all the buildings we were passing. We were back on the bus, heading towards the mall to start our day as volunteers, and make up for our actions yesterday. 'Take pictures with the locals' yada yada yada. I guess I understood, I truly regretted putting that pie in Randy's face, but secretly I still giggled to myself when I was alone just thinking of the joy I had gotten out of it.

I turned to look at Kelly who was sitting beside me, "I am soooo not in the mood for this," I sighed and took another sip of my coffee as the bus rolled to a stop outside the mall.

"You got yourself into this mess Micks," Kelly said with a shrug.

"Actually, you got us all into this mess," oh my god does he have to respond to every conversation I have? Does he not know the meaning of private conversation?

"Seriously Orton, why do you feel you have to stick your nose in every aspect of my life?" I said standing up not waiting for Kelly to get up first and pushing my way past him, not even bothering to wait for an answer.

I headed towards the doors not waiting for anyone and found the mall guards waiting for us outside the door.

"Seriously, I'm quite sure we could have found our way through the mall without throwing a pie," I rolled my eyes.

"That's funny, because you couldn't manage to do that yesterday," said one of the security officers that I recognized from yesterday.

"Hahahaha," I said sarcastically, "Can we just get this over with?"

We followed them through the mall and ended up outside a door that had a sign that read "Mall Personnel Beyond This Point Only". They led us into a room full of shelves, with many different products. I assumed this was where they kept all of the cleaning supplies, and my theory was proven true when I happened upon mops, brooms and mop buckets – old and new.

"Well as you can see this is where the cleaning supplies are kept. We have various items, mops, brooms, cleaners, dusters, you name it. That's where you six come in because we have organized a list of chores that need to be done," one of the guards spoke, "We really appreciate it," he continued, not showing any sign that he cared at all.

Another guard stepped forward, "There have also been maps made to designate which areas you need to be in, and the lists we mentioned earlier correspond with what needs to be done in that area."

Randy turned to face all of us, "Well this should be easy, there are six of us, so each of you will choose a task, and I will dictate," he finished with a smile.

The guard who had spoken first put his hand on Randy's shoulder, "Not so fast there buddy, there are three phases in this mall, which means you will split up into groups of two and each group will be working on its own area. Each phase has its own room for cleaning supplies, so you won't have to worry about coming all the way over here each time."

"That could take us hours," I exclaimed, "I mean yes I know we are paying the mall back for our terrible mistakes yesterday but –"

"Correction, **your** mistakes remember?" Randy spoke up and I glared at him.

"Look, if you all do your work, you will get it done easier. But if you continue to bicker like you have been doing since you walked in the doors, then it might take you longer," the third guard spoke.

"Wait a second," Cody said appearing deep in thought, "That means that one of us," he said motioning to Legacy, "Will have to team with one . . . of them," he finished motioning to me, Kelly, and John.

"Will you guys just get over yourselves for five seconds, its **one **afternoon," John said after rolling his eyes.

We all stared at each other, not wanting to decide who will be the one to team up with a person from the apparent "opposing team". This was all too childish for me, and yet I wasn't giving in. Some day I would really need to grow up, I mentally kicked myself. Come on Mickie, be the adult here. But before I could take the initiative and offer to go with Ted, one of the guards, I really couldn't keep track, spoke first.

"Fine suit yourselves, act like children. We will go by alphabetical order, the first two with their names closest to the letter 'a' won't have to write their names down, the rest of you put your names on these pieces of paper and throw it in his hat," he said pointing at John's 'you can't see me' hat.

"Well I guess that will be Cody obviously, and uh John," I informed the security guard going over in my head who the two would be.

So the rest of us threw the pieces of paper with our names on them into the hat and the guard told Cody to choose first.

"I got Ted, yeah man!" he said slapping Ted's hand and then realizing that that left Randy as the odd one out, he let the smile fade off his face while Randy glared at him.

It was John's turn, he stuck his hand in the hat and pulled out a paper, he looked at it and then looked at me apologetically, "Sorry Micks, I got Kelly," oh god no please tell me this is not happening.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me! Why me?" I said throwing my hands in the air.

Randy smirked at me, "Stop being so dramatic, you know deep down you are just jumping for joy."

I walked up to him, "Yeah, deep, deep, deep, down in that non-existent part of my body!"

"Oh you mean your ass?" he replied innocently.

I scowled at him and then turned to the guard still holding Johns hat, "Do you see what I have to put up with on a daily basis? You are not going to leave me here are you? Take pity on me, please let us pick again!" I was practically begging. I heard Randy laugh behind me.

"This isn't the first grade. And you know what, just because I can't put up with you two anymore, this is where you find your cleaning supplies, the rest of you follow me!" with one last head shake in my direction and after handing me the map and the list he exited the room. Ted shrugged his shoulders at me, and John came and put his hand on my shoulder in sympathy and then followed the two guys out. The last thing I saw was Kelly mouthing the word sorry to me as she was the last one of our group to exit. The last guard informed us they were to be checking up on us when they had the opportunity, before he too left me alone with the Viper. The sound of the door closing literally felt like I was being locked away.

I breathed in and closed my eyes. You can do this Mickie I assured myself. You are a mature, intelligent adult and you are not going to let Randy Orton–

"So Micks, we got ourselves a little alone time, how about we make up for some uh, lost time," he said raising his eyebrows. This was going to be a whole lot harder than I thought.

"You disgust me. Besides like they say 'Been there and done that'," I smiled at him, how's that for karma, "Look can we just get this done, so I can get the hell out of this mall and away from you?"

"Likewise Mickie James, you actually think I like being stuck in a group with the one person I can't stand?" he sneered at me.

"Well glad to know we are on the same page," I couldn't believe how he insisted on being such a dick all the time, doesn't he ever get tired of it?

I turned my back to him and scanned the list. Okay first up was cleaning the windows at every entrance in our phase. Well how many entrances . . . let's see, I stared at the map, three entrances in this phase alone? I really hope they don't have that many windows.

After ten minutes of gathering our supplies we were on our way when Randy spoke again, "I wonder if they think they are real officers. I mean anyone can be a mall cop, hell I could be a mall cop if I wasn't so good looking and wasn't such an amazing wrestler," he smirked again and I rolled my eyes, different question: does he ever get tired of complimenting himself?

After the torturous second hour came around I had managed to tune out most of his comments, as well as finish cleaning the windows of two entrances with very little help from my partner, not that I should be surprised. He had spent the last hour making stupid little comments, and telling me what to do. I decided my best bet was to just ignore him and work my hardest to get everything done. It was proving to be difficult not only because of the snide comments, but because of the continuous stares of passers-by and those who had stopped to watch. I had to restrain myself when a little boy had come running in through the entrance and placed his hands upon my newly clean window. The mother had obviously seen the anger in my face because she quickly ushered her son through the second set of doors and away from me.

I was just thinking that this couldn't get any worse when:

"Remember the time that we were visiting St. Louis and you got into a fight with my ex-girlfriend," he said laughing, "oh man that was classic."

"Randy I am quite sick of memory lane if you don't mind," I almost shouted. He had been bringing up embarrassing memories of me, that I had been perfectly content with leaving in the past. I mean sure, everyone has them, but to hear them come from his mouth, made them that much worse. That particular memory – it wasn't even my fault. It was his psycho ex who had attacked me; I had nothing to do with it.

"Who pissed in your cornflakes?" he asked me acting as if he hadn't been annoying me for the last two hours. God he was so infuriating!

"Take a guess," I said and then quickly rewashed a part of the window Randy had rubbed his finger across creating a streak.

"Hey, I'm not the only one who throws the insults around here. Obviously you can dish it out, but you can't take it, and that right there isn't my problem," and he walked away to grab his squeegee and finally finish the same window he had been working on for thirty minutes.

I stared at my own squeegee. That certain memory had been one of many from that period in my life. We had spent three days with Randy's family one of which had been the day of the Orton family reunion. It – I am hesitant to admit – is to this day one of the best memories I have, ever. I think it was then that I truly realized I had been in love with him. The memory of his ex-girlfriend, yeah that wasn't exactly something I was proud of. She was very close with the Orton's, so of course she and her family were hanging around for those few days, and she spent almost the entire time flirting with him. Of course I didn't know it at the time, and I had let the 'incident' become just a part of the past, despite the feelings I had deep down. I respected the fact that she had grown up with Randy and I enjoyed listening to stories about their childhood. Randy was perfect during all the days, he never made me feel left out, and always found a way to include me in the conversation.

That last day though, I ended up leaving with a black eye, not that it was the first time, it was just the first time another wrestler hadn't been the cause of it.

_Flashback_

_I couldn't believe how amazing these last few days have been, how welcoming Randy's family has been, and how wonderful he is around them. I have really fallen hard for him, and I know he feels the same for me. I don't want to leave tomorrow, but we have a flight to catch and then its back to reality. I was standing on the porch enjoying the nice breeze when I heard the screen door open and someone step out. I looked back to notice Laura had stepped out of the house and was making her way towards me._

"_Hey," she smiled at me._

"_Hi," I replied. I liked her; she was very nice and easy to get along with, especially since she was trying to make it up to both Randy and me for the situation at the reunion._

"_I haven't had a chance to talk to you alone yet, Randy is always around," she said laughing at me._

_I smiled towards her, "Yeah he tends to do that. No he's really sweet, just trying to make me feel comfortable."_

"_Yeah he __**is**__ really sweet. You two seem really happy," she looked out towards the street as a car went by._

_I smiled and then looked down, "Yeah, I mean I am, and I'm quite sure that he is too. It's real you know," I felt great getting it off my chest to someone else._

_She turned around so her elbows were resting on the railing and her back was facing the street she looked in through the window and then turned her head in my direction, "Yeah, that's the thing, it's not real. Randy always does this. He leaves home for awhile and brings back a girl who he claims to be the one, but who do you think he always comes running back to?" she pointed at herself and mouthed 'me'._

_What was it I said before, I liked her? Yeah not so much anymore, what a manipulative little–_

"_So you see Mickie, why don't you just be the smart girl that I know you are, and see this for what it truly is, a game for him. He has always enjoyed the chase. So why don't you do the right thing and just end it now, before you end up getting hurt," she smirked at me._

_What a bitch! How could Randy not see the truth about her, I don't care if there is history, she is awful. I had had a feeling that the apology she had given before had been bullshit but decided upon disregarding that feeling for Randy's sake. I sighed, she was not going to get to me, I would not allow it._

_I smiled and looked down at my feet and then back up to her face, "I'm just going through my head right now wondering why Randy can't see you for what __**you**__ truly are, a manipulative little, well you have an imagination I'm sure, so why don't you just take it upon yourself to fill in that last word."_

_She smiled and flicked her hair over her shoulders, "Randy and I have this thing called history, and he has more trust in me than he could ever have in you. This is how I know this little thing you guys have going on is nothing! I know him better than anyone; you think in the long run he would choose someone like you over me? Well if you think so you are more delusional than I thought," she said now standing close to me._

"_It's just so funny that you say that. He would choose you huh? Well how come he keeps changing his mind? How come he keeps bringing home these supposed girls, why wouldn't he just stay with you in the first place? Obviously whatever you think is there, well to put it bluntly, just isn't. So why don't you snap out of that dream world of yours and join us back here in reality," I could tell by her face she was getting angry. I wasn't going to waste my time getting angry at someone who didn't deserve any kind of reaction from me in the first place._

"_Randy is just confused with everything that's all. When the dust settles, I will be the one he comes home to, not you," she said poking me in the chest. She was so lucky we weren't in a ring right now, I would school her._

_I wasn't exactly known for keeping a hold on my anger, "Randy is a professional wrestler, which means he is travelling around the world more days out of the year than he is at home. And guess who else just happens to be a part of that company as well," it was my turn to point towards myself and mouth "me" in an attempt to mock this psycho who was getting on my nerves, "So, when Randy gets lonely, who do you think he is going to come to. That's right me once again. When he wants someone to talk to, someone to go out for dinner with, someone to spend time with – if you know what I mean – who do you really think he is going to come to? That's right that would be me again. So if you will excuse me," I could tell she was really getting angry, so I turned to walk back into the house, "I would rather not spend my time arguing with someone who doesn't understand what it's like to be in a demanding business such as the one Randy and I are in and one who also doesn't deserve my time in the first place."_

_Before I could even make two steps towards the door I felt my hair being ripped out of my head, and I flew against the railing where I had been standing moments before. I let out a cry of pain, but she pulled me up and started hitting me, I put my arms up in defence and grabbed her shoulders to try and push her off me, but she pushed the other way and we ended up flying over the railing and landed on the ground below with a thud. I heard the door open but I lunged at her tearing my dress in the process and we rolled across the lawn just smacking each other. I knew it would be unfair for me to throw any kind of punch so I just pulled her hair and smacked her a few times before I felt myself being pulled off of her. She stood up and tried to come at me, but Bob had her firmly around the waist and was pulling her back._

"_Laura!" I heard someone speak in surprise – probably her mother._

_I stopped struggling suddenly realizing the entirety of the house was watching from the porch and I turned around to notice the person who had pulled me off had been Randy. I felt instantly embarrassed._

"_Randy, I'm so sorry," I apologized, I couldn't look him in the eyes, "She just pulled me by the hair and I just started… I just… I should have known better."_

"_What the hell happened?" he questioned me._

_I felt the tears come to my eyes as I looked up and seen everyone staring at me. Of course they would all blame me, I was the professional wrestler here, first time in my short career that I wished I wasn't._

_When he became aware of the tears forming in my eyes his eyes softened and he pulled me into his arms in a warm embrace._

"_I'm sorry," I whispered into his chest just loud enough for him to hear._

_He kissed the top of my head, "I know, its okay."_

_After a moment of silence he spoke, "Laura, I think it's probably best if you leave…"_

"_Randy please just let me explain…" she started and I turned around to realize she was closer now, but without any hint of anger on her face._

"_Now is really not the time; Mickie is staying here until tomorrow, so it's just best if you stay away until then," he said firmly._

_With one last look at him and everyone else but me, "I'm sorry everyone," she exclaimed, "Elaine, I'm really sorry," she said before turning and walking towards her car._

_I myself would have felt sorry for her, but not after everything she said to me. She had been playing me for the last three days, how could I have been so stupid? But what would I have done? Attacked her like she did to me? Of course not, I was merely defending myself – and relieving a bit of my anger – but I never would have initiated anything, not at Randy's parents' house. But of course she didn't care; she was already close with them as well as the rest of the family, so that left me to be the subject of criticism for years to come._

_I looked at Randy and then turned towards the house to approach Randy's mother, "I'm so sorry, that got way out of hand, and I shouldn't have allowed it to happen in the first place. I'm feeling humiliated and I feel awful. I guess I will probably pack my things now, and find somewhere else to stay. I just, I really am sorry," I looked her right in the eyes and she smiled, she actually smiled._

"_Don't be silly, you aren't going anywhere. We all make mistakes, no need to feel humiliated in this house. Come inside and have a drink," and she put her arm around me and pulled me into the house._

"Am I going to have to do all of this by myself?" Randy spoke, bringing me back to the present. We were now standing in a closed off women's washroom, and Randy was cleaning one of the toilets.

I shook my head and looked at him, "Well I did most of the window washing by myself, so I think it's only fair."

"If I wanted to scrub toilets, I wouldn't have become a professional wrestler," he said through gritted teeth, speaking more to himself than to me it seemed.

After a moment of silence I went to grab a broom and started sweeping the corners in the bathroom. I took a deep breath, "I did kick her ass though," I smirked.

"What are you talking about?" he flushed the now finished toilet and turned to look at me.

"Laura. I totally schooled her," I said with a smile on my face.

He laughed, realizing what I was talking about, "Yeah you schooled her, I mean she doesn't have any wrestling experience or anything, but you did a great job Mickie," he said sarcastically but with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Oh come on, I went easy on her. Need I remind you she wasn't innocent at all; my head was throbbing all day from where she almost ripped my hair out," I said probably sounding a little more defensive that I should have.

"Remind me again what exactly that was about, you never really gave me all the details and neither did she come to think of it," he set his gloves on our cleaning cart and leaned against the wall to listen to what I had to say.

I felt awkward; I really did not want to bring that conversation up again.

I hesitated, "You mean she didn't tell you anything?" he shook his head.

"She said it was 'girl stuff', whatever that means," I can't believe she never told him.

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt now. She was trying to manipulate me into leaving you," his face changed to that of confusion, "She was full of shit when she apologized to me for kissing you. She was just biding her time until I was alone, so she could tell me how much you really loved her and that you always come running back to her. That you guys are meant to be together and all that crap," I started sweeping again, feeling that awkwardness come over me. I looked up when there was a continued silence and he was still staring at me.

"What?" I said shrugging my shoulders.

"You didn't believe her?"

It was my turn to be confused, "Um, should I have?"

"No it's just; I mean you had a lot of faith in me. Probably more than I would have given myself credit for," he finished and then turned away awkwardly.

"So you're telling me that you bringing girls home was common?" I felt severely nauseous.

"No, no I mean as a matter of fact, apart from of course Laura, you are the only girl who I have ever brought home…" he looked away. This is the first conversation we have had in years that didn't involve insulting each other.

"Oh. So did you and her, are you…?" I couldn't finish the sentence.

He realized what I was asking, "Uh, no we aren't dating. We never did…"

For some reason I felt relief but this conversation was seriously starting to scare me, "Well one of the highlights of my life, getting to kick someone's butt outside of the ring," I said attempting a joke.

He smiled at me, "Well I don't think I would call it 'kicking someone's ass' considering she almost kicked yours."

I took a step toward him, "Oh yeah whatever. What were you smoking that day? I was clearly on top," I responded.

"Oh yeah you were on top, just not in the way I would have preferred," he smirked at me.

"Oh you are so dirty," I was laughing at him and I even punched him playfully in the shoulder. What's weird is that an hour ago, I probably would have rolled my eyes and ignored him, "But really, should I expect anything different to come out of your mouth?"

"Despite what you may think, I am not actually quite as dirty as popular opinion would suggest, I'm just a guy," he said taking a step closer.

"Oh yeah? You were never like that before," I said to him with a huge smile on my face.

"That you knew of, because I had a girlfriend I had to be extra subtle about it," he winked at me.

I laughed at him and without thinking I threw my arm around his neck and pulled him into a headlock which he quickly broke out of by pulling my legs off the ground forcing me to let go and grab onto him for support with my broom falling to the ground. I couldn't stop laughing, and I was surprised to see that he was laughing too. Randy Orton was actually laughing. I couldn't pull my eyes away from him, the sight made my heart ache, and I realized how much I had missed that… and him. When was the good-humoured Randy Orton replaced with the serious one that everyone was accustomed to these days? Oh yeah, when we had broken up with each other. Was I to blame for Randy being the way he is?

I looked at him realizing we still had our arms wrapped around each other, apparently he was thinking the same thing, and at the same moment we let go and walked in opposite directions to continue on with our tasks.

I knew I needed to break the silence, "Didn't know it was possible for you to be quiet this long," I attempted a joke, but my voice came out a little shakier than I would have liked.

"What, do you miss my voice?" …and he was back. Wow, he went a full ten minutes without being a jackass.

"Yeah, not in this lifetime Orton, or any other for that matter," I smiled to myself and continued sweeping.

After mopping the bathroom and making sure everything was spotless, we moved onto the men's washroom which didn't take us quite as long. We didn't talk as much as we had in the ladies bathroom, and I definitely knew why. What had happened was rather awkward, I mean it was like taking ten steps forward with our relationship, which was – at this stage – way too much.

I just don't know how to act around him. One minute he's one person, and the next he's another. I feel as if I always need to have my guard up around him, and how can you become friends with someone you feel uncomfortable around more than half the time?

We were able to take a break for lunch around noon, and because none of our friends were finished with their current chores yet, Randy and I were forced to sit and eat together which honestly wasn't as awkward as I would have expected it to be.

"So what's next on our list?" he asked me before taking a sip of his soda.

"Let's see . . ." I picked up the list and scanned it, "We have to empty the garbage's in this food court, as well as clean off as many tables as we can before continuing on to the other garbage's in our phase," I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

"Any chance you have an urge to do all this cleaning yourself?" he asked with a smirk.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't let you off that easy," I gave a fake smile and then laughed.

"Doesn't surprise me, you never were good at the domestic stuff," he said and took another sip while turning around in his chair to check out a woman who had just gone by.

I rolled my eyes, "And how do you expect me to get a chance to learn the "domestic stuff" considering I am gone more than half the year. Besides, why should I learn it anyway? It's not going to be very beneficial when I step into a ring now is it?"

"Well what if you get married and have a fam–" he cut himself off and then looked at me shocked. I looked away quickly and racked my brain for something to say.

"Because you need to be able to look after your man. All I'm saying is that I want a wife who is able to cook and clean," thank god he changed the subject, and I rolled my eyes again to steer the conversation away from that topic.

"Typical male. Thinks that is all a woman is good for."

"I don't believe I once said that that was all they were good for. Of course I wouldn't mind helping out, mostly because I happen to be an excellent cook, but also because despite what you believe, I don't think those are the only things women are good for," when I scoffed he continued, "I respect the divas . . . okay I respect some of the divas for their wrestling ability," he said after I stared at him in disbelief.

"Well I agree with you on that one. As much as I love most of the divas, some of them are a disgrace to the division, but I guess that's what kind of world we live in," and I took a sip of my coffee.

"Let's get going, the sooner we get started the sooner we will finish, and the sooner we get to leave!"

An hour later after taking countless pictures with fans we had finished clearing out the overflowing trash cans, but we were still scurrying around emptying trays and trash into the bins.

I approached a table to clear the tray when I looked over and noticed a tiny little blonde girl, who couldn't be more than three, staring at me with her big blue eyes and a wide smile on her face. I felt a pain in my heart, but averted my eyes quickly, scooped up the tray, emptied the garbage into my trash bag, washed the table, placed the tray on top of the others, and hurried away from the table without looking back.

I had just finished wiping the trays clean when I heard a commotion and looked over to see Randy in the face of some guy.

"Oh boy," I muttered, and dropping what I was doing I hurried over to them.

"You want to say that again?" I heard him threaten. That was no longer the voice of Randy Orton; it was the voice of the Viper. That was an indication that things were going nowhere good.

"Hey what's going on here?" I placed my hands between the two men and tried shoving them apart, to no avail.

The stranger looked down at me and smiled; I have to say it was very uncomfortable. It wasn't a smile you would offer a stranger, but one that felt as if there was some hidden meaning behind it.

No one answered me though, "Randy?" I said and looked at him for a little help.

He looked down and for the first time I think he realized I was there.

He took a step back, "Nothing, it's nothing."

The guy was still smiling but Randy only said, "Clean up after yourself next time. You don't have your mother following you around to do it for you," and he turned to walk away.

What had that been about? I stared after him and then looked back at the stranger who was now staring at me. I felt a creepy vibe run through my body and with one sceptical look at him I turned and walked as quickly as I could after Randy.

"What was that about?" I asked once I caught up to him.

"The jerk didn't want to clean up after himself," he said without looking at me.

"So you almost get into a fist fight with him? A little drastic don't you think?"

"A little drastic? I'm stuck scrubbing toilets and emptying garbage's, I'm not putting up with some punk kids who can't pull their heads out of their asses long enough to throw their own trash away," his tone was a little higher than I would have liked.

"Okay," I said putting my hands up in defence and picking up the trays to wash them again. I had a feeling there was something he wasn't telling me.

Finally, after all the garbage's had been emptied and our chore list was done we headed back towards our supplies room for what felt like the hundredth time. This was a special visit though – this was the last one we had to make. I almost jumped for joy. I do not envy a janitor's job, and I definitely have new found respect for them.

Upon entering the door Randy lost his footing and tipped the bucket of water we had used to mop the bathrooms all over the floor.

"Oh man! Right now? You have to do that right now," I cried out in disbelief.

"Yeah because I did it on purpose!" he said sarcastically, "Well what are you waiting for? Go and get the mop!"

"You get it, it's your mess!" I whined. He shrugged his shoulders, crossed his arms and leaned against the door in protest.

"Fine! Be a lazy ass," I shouted and decided to fill up another bucket with clean water, so as to do a proper job.

I grabbed a mop, dipped it in the bucket and started mopping up the mess. I looked at Randy who seemed to be fully absorbed in staring at something on his hand and then looked over to the cart we had been pushing around all day. I saw a spray bottle that was filled with just water, picked it up and before Randy could looked up, I sprayed him twice in the face.

"That's what you get for making me do over half of the work today," I glared at him and then stuck the bottle back onto our cleaning cart.

He glared back after wiping the moisture from his face, "Isn't that the reason we are stuck in this mall today," he spoke slowly and menacingly.

"No I believe that was pie," I said playing dumb and then winking at him.

Before I could move he had lunged at the same spray bottle I had put back on the cart, twisted the top off and dumped the water on my head.

I let out a scream and tried getting away, which was a lot harder to do with the ground covered in water, and ended up slipping, grabbing onto the thing that was closest which turned out to be Randy, and I fell to the floor still clutching his shirt in my hand – I had dragged him down with me.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted at me.

I had fully expected to give him a lecture about how this was entirely his fault, but instead I burst out laughing and I found I couldn't contain myself. I held my stomach because it hurt so much, and looked up to realize that for the second time today Randy was laughing with me. It took me another second to realize that also for the second time today Randy's face and my face were inches apart and his body was slightly more elevated than mine, which caused him to look down on me. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his either. Neither of us was laughing anymore, and then all of a sudden he started moving his face closer to mine. And then I realized that my body was imitating his. It was as if two magnets were pulling us together.

Then I heard a crash and both of us turned our heads to see the door had swung open and the security guard who 'couldn't stand us' had entered the room.

"Looks like you to have sorted out your differences," he said with a grin that instantly faded when he noticed the new mess.

He picked up the empty spray bottle and then his eyes travelled to my wet hair, "I take it neither of you have learned your lesson," he stated with a frown.

I was mortified, he couldn't possibly be thinking about making us come back!

"Get that look off your face. Because I don't want to have to see either of you again after today, I will give you ten minutes to get this mess cleaned up and if you can finish, you are free to go. All of your friends are already done. I didn't expect you guys to finish this quickly, because I figured you wouldn't be able to shut up long enough to get anything done," and with that he dropped the bottle and swept from the room closing the door behind him.

Randy struggled to his feet, and when he was securely on them, he offered me a hand. Boy, these Legacy men are not quite living up to their reputations. I seized his hand ignoring the tingling sensation, and allowed him to pull me up.

He seized the mop and continued the job I had been doing moments earlier without saying a word. This was even more awkward than the moment we had while cleaning the washrooms. Oh this is going to kill me.

Ten minutes later – but what felt like ten hours – Randy announced he was finished and as if on cue the guard came back, surveyed the area and told us we were free to go.

"I could still take you ya know, you and your buddies," Randy told him when they were face to face.

I laughed to myself and gave Randy a little push out the door, "I'm gonna miss you so much, we've become almost like a family," I said to the guard and he rolled his eyes.

"Out!" he said pointing to the hall and without a backwards glance I followed after Randy who held his hand up for a high five with a grin on his face.

"Ya know I have respect for that guy, he doesn't take shit from anybody. I can definitely relate," he stated matter-of-factly.

I knew that he was pretending what happened didn't happen, and I decided that it was best to follow suit and do the same.

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter.**

**I rewrote this entire chapter because I was disappointed in what it was before. I believe it could have been better, but there are a few parts that I really enjoyed.**

**Please let me know what you think!**

**The more reviews, that faster I will update.**

**Enjoy :)**


	10. Things are more complicated on Raw

Turns out it was easier said than done, I had spent the last three days engaging in activities that were supposed to have been getting my mind off the 'episode', as I now like to call it. Obviously, for most people it wouldn't be a big deal, because lets face it nothing even happened. But because of the fact that it had been Randy and I, and given our history, and also throwing in Randy's new personality he has acquired over the years, what happened had definitely been something. And the last thing I needed in my life was more complications, so I vowed that I would forget it, and I also had concluded that I would not bring this up to anybody. The more I kept this to myself, the less of a big thing it would be, right? I felt guilty not having told Kelly about it when she had asked for details on the bus, and also denying when Melina had specifically asked me if anything had happened. I knew it had to be this way; I knew my friends, and something like this they would not let go. They would be worried for me, and I didn't want to cause something that was so unnecessary. I knew what happened was wrong, and therefore it was to be forgotten. It would be easy, right?

Our plan for the day was to explore the windy city of Atlanta, which would be where Raw was broadcasted live tomorrow evening. I needed some good friend time, and today happened to be the perfect opportunity. I had invited John as well, and told Melina that she should ask Dave if he would like to join us. The one thing I knew would be the perfect way to release this stress was laughter, and what better way to do that than with the champ John Cena and the animal Dave Batista?

"Mickie! Are you ready? They are waiting for us downstairs," Melina called to me, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up at my friend and smiled, "Of course I'm ready, just gotta throw my shoes on… and get dressed, and fix my hair," she glared at me and my smiled faded, "Right, you are totally right I should probably get a start on that."

I finished getting ready as I heard shouts from my best friend telling me to hurry up and blah blah blah. Honestly, after the first few minutes I tuned her out, it was like an art. I stepped out of the bathroom to the scrutiny of Melina's piercing gaze.

"Why are you yelling at me? Kelly isn't even here, maybe you should figure out where she is!" I actually hadn't seen Kelly for the last ten minutes. I wonder where she got off to.

"That's because, I already sent her down to meet the guys!"

"Okay, okay chill, I'm ready let's go. And to think, they call me the psycho," I laughed at my own joke, and after another glare her face softened and she smiled.

We headed down to the lobby after grabbing my camera out of my suitcase and my jacket that I had laid on the bed and found Kelly, John, and Dave lounging on the lobby sofas.

Dave stood up to receive a hug and a kiss from the now-smiling Melina, and I walked into the wide open arms of John Cena.

"And how are we today? Not carrying any pies around that we should be worried about are you?" he winked at me.

"Awe damn," I snapped my fingers, "I knew I forgot something! Today's target was going to be Dave," I whispered loudly.

"Hey what did I do to you?"

"Well you looked at me, and might I say Mr. Batista, it was seriously painful! I'm still recovering."

"Oh is that how it's going to be today? You better watch your back Mickie James," he said while pointing at me and then winking. He turned back to Melina and they were the first to head out the door. Kelly grabbed my hand and led me out the sliding doors, with John hot on our heels.

The weather today was windy and rather cold, thank gosh I grabbed my jacket before we left. I got my camera out and started taking pictures of my friends, some group ones, as well as individuals. I threw my arm around John's neck and stuck my arm out to snap a picture of me and the Champ. I told Kelly to come join us, and I snapped another one of us three, and discreetly I slipped away and took a picture of the two of them. One John kissed Kelly's cheek because I told him too; he didn't notice how Kelly's face had turned instantly red – so cute.

After walking for about twenty minutes, we stepped into the coffee shop to get out of the cold. It was the beginning of the summer months, but today looked as if it was going to rain. I hope it doesn't rain anytime soon – save that for later. We took our seats on some sofas bunched in the corner, and sipped our beverages.

"So Mickie, what are we going to do about this whole Jillian Hall business," my smile faded at the mention of her name.

I looked to John who was waiting for an answer, "What Mickie James does best…"

"Kiss her?" Dave asked. And everyone turned to look at him, "What, I can't be the only one who thinks that the kiss before the finishing move is the best part about the whole match."

"No, you have a valid point, it's hot," John laughed and they bumped knuckles.

I rolled my eyes at Melina, "You sure got a keeper there."

"She knows it, besides she's the only woman for me, none of the others stand a chance. Sorry Mickie, I know how you have that whole crush thing going on with me and all, but I am a one woman man," he said and kissed Melina's forehead.

"Oh you are much too full of yourself," he shrugged his shoulders, "and as for that being the best part of the match; hello do you guys even watch us wrestle? A good portion of the divas actually have skill it's just we aren't used in the way we, oh whatever I guess at some point I have to accept that this is the kind of world we live in," I sighed in defeat and took a sip of my latte.

John put his arm on my shoulder, "Awe Micks, we know you can wrestle, but we are guys, do you honestly expect anything different? However, I am not a pervert, and I fully respect the women's division in this company."

"Hey, I do too, I mean obviously it could be better, but that is not to be blamed on you girls. It's no secret the guys have it a lot easier, it's almost sad," he faked a tear and Melina giggled and playfully slapped his chest.

"I sure do have the pick of the litter here," she teased and then Dave started tickling her.

"Anyways, back to the main topic of discussion, Mickie what are you going to do about Jillian? She can't get away with that," Kelly insisted and then leaned against the back of the couch.

"Hopefully they will book me for a match tomorrow night, or in some sort of match. I deserve that revenge, I had that title won!" I pouted and crossed my arms, thinking about the sweet victory it would have been until Jillian burst that bubble.

Kelly patted my leg, "Don't worry, she will get what's coming to her girly."

I looked up to smile only to notice Kelly's attention was elsewhere. She was staring into the eyes of John Cena, and I felt intensely awkward just sitting there. After a few minutes of me wishing I could be somewhere else, Dave announced we should probably be moving on and I sighed with relief. I threw my jacket on and we were out the door minutes later.

We ended up visiting the Perimeter Mall, and after taking more pictures of the mall itself and of my friends and I, we gave into our temptations and hit the boutiques with the guys in tow.

"Hey if I would have known this would have turned into a shopping trip, I would have gladly stayed at the hotel," Dave was whining and Melina was mimicking him.

She leaned in and whispered, "He does this every time, he's such a baby," I giggled at her.

"I heard that," he called out to us.

"That's the life of being a boyfriend man, at some point you just have to suck it up," John sighed and looked down at the bags he was carrying – mine and Kelly's. We stopped to let them catch up, and to give ourselves a bit of a break as well.

I giggled to myself, "Dave, there has to be at least one store you want to visit here."

"Yeah, I like shopping – for myself. That's completely different than following you three around," he admitted and looked down at the bags **he **was carrying which happened to be more than Kelly's and I combined and all Melina's.

"Well baby, it just so happens I have a lingerie store to hit, wanna join me? I might need your opinion," Melina sighed while biting her lip.

Dave's face looked like he just hit the jackpot and a smile grew on his face; Melina winked at Kelly and me.

"Okay, wait how fair is that? He has been doing nothing but complaining this entire time, and he is the one of who gets the lingerie fashion show? Life sucks," John said dropping our bags and crossing his arms.

"Well considering you are carrying mine and Mickie's bags, I'm sure we could reward you with a little show," Kelly replied with a smile and then tilted her head with a sigh.

"Whoa, hey, John signed the contract about being my best friend, carrying my bags happens to be in that contract," I retorted.

"Well surely Mickie, I wouldn't have signed this 'contract' if there wasn't a section about getting rewards every now and then," his face filled with excitement.

"Fine, I will buy you a pair of socks and that can be your reward," I aid clapping him on the shoulder, and in return he gave me a fake pout.

Kelly gave me the look, you know the 'if you don't do this with me I will kill you' look. I sighed, why couldn't she just do it herself? Duh Mickie that would make it obvious and Kelly probably doesn't want to put herself out there yet.

"Fine, but consider yourself lucky Cena," I pointed my finger at him and narrowed my eyes.

He rubbed his hands together, "Oh you have no idea," Kelly giggled and I rolled my eyes and together we followed after Melina and Dave.

After the apparent fashion show, which I had to admit was a little fun, we found ourselves heading back to the hotel. John had stolen my camera and took pictures of us trying on different ensembles much to the dismay of the sales people, and he and Dave were now ogling the pictures on the camera as we made our way down the street. We had actually had more of an audience than I would have liked, but then I remembered I was a WWE Diva, and I had been in a WWE ring wearing less in front of millions of people.

All in all the afternoon had served as a perfect distraction, as well as a much needed time out with my best friends. I had ended up with several new outfits for when we went out to the clubs, as well as two new pairs of shoes, and a pair of boots for in the ring.

I was sitting in the hotel room, hours after getting back, alone. Kelly had accepted a dinner date with John, and Melina had gone out for a movie with Dave. They had both invited me to go with them, but I had no interest in being a third wheel. Besides, I knew they were just being nice and the last thing they wanted was me coming along. I knew I would think the same in their situation, so I quickly told them I had other plans. And here I was, an hour later lying on my hotel bed staring at a stain on the roof.

Well if all else fails, hit the gym. I sighed and pulled myself off the bed to go get changed into some yoga's and a matching top. I threw my running shoes on, and headed out the door. I found my way into the gym, which seemed busy, but not overly.

I headed for a treadmill, planning on keeping it easy, and it had only been ten minutes when Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase were heading my way towards the door. I figured they would walk by without noticing, but Ted looked up and realizing it was me he stopped and yelled for Cody to stop too.

"Hey James, long time no see, I thought you were avoiding me," he smiled.

I smiled back, "Me? Avoid you? Really, I am hurt you would think that about me. Actually I thought you were avoiding me, I've been confined to my room for the last three days eating nothing but ice cream, until I realized a) you weren't that important and b) I can't afford to get fat, so here we are."

He clasped his hand to his heart, "Ouch, not important? I am heartbroken." I giggled; I think I had missed Ted.

All of a sudden Cody cleared his throat; I forgot he had been standing there. He stared between the two of us, clearly confused.

Ted laughed, "Oh Cody, you know Mickie. Mickie this is Cody."

"Well thanks for the introduction, I had no idea who he was until this moment," I joked and Ted laughed at me. Cody just stared, "Okay, tough crowd. It's nice to officially meet you Cody." I went down a few levels on the treadmill, but continued the exercising.

"Yeah nice to meet you too," wow did he say that? He leaned against the treadmill next to me obviously realizing we were going to chat for a while and turned his attention to the rest of the room.

"So Mickie how have you–" Ted started but was interrupted by an eager Cody.

"Dude check out the rack on the blonde," he said pointing to a blonde in the corner who just so happened to have a full chest, and was doing skip rope in the corner – typical, "I would definitely like to make her bedrock," he said licking his lips.

I rolled my eyes, "Dude we are in the presence of a lady, watch the language," Ted said to him. Ted was just full of surprises, a gentleman? He was the catch of the century, I smiled at him.

"It's just Mickie," he responded and then turning to me he added, "No offence," I scoffed, what did that mean?

"Just Mickie? Really? Well I do happen to be a woman, as well as a WWE diva, you can't tell me that you haven't objectified me before," I was actually quite curious now, or did he really find me that unattractive?

Cody who was still absorbed in the blonde managed to respond, "Yeah I have," it was his turn to scoff, ouch that's brutal but he continued before I could respond, "But it's not worth it if Randy hears or finds out-" but before Cody could say anymore Ted reached his hand out and slapped him across the head.

What the hell did that mean? I switched off the treadmill and got off to stand next to Ted.

Cody looked surprised and then his expression went to shock, "Uh… finds out you've been distracting us…?" he looked to Ted for help.

Ted rolled his eyes, "Subtle Cody, very subtle. Just seriously forget we said anything?" and he turned to face Cody.

Cody who was now completely absorbed in the blonde girl again seemed to have lost any interest in the situation, "Oh man, she's leaving, I gotta get her number," and he ran after the girl who was now heading towards the exit.

"Last time that happened, the person I was talking to left me for a sandwich. What a loser eh?" I said attempting a joke, but still fully absorbed in what happened earlier.

Ted started laughing, "Yeah that's… hey," he finally realized I had been talking about him, "It turned out to be the best sandwich I have ever eaten thank you!"

"Oh I have no doubt about that."

"Yeah I better go and find Cody before he gets another restraining… right. Uh catch up with you later," he said shaking his head before making a quick exit.

I laughed while watching him leave and then hopped back on the treadmill. What better way to get my mind off what had just been said than to absorb myself in exercise?

_Randy's POV_

I couldn't believe I had agreed to this date! This girl wasn't even my type let alone someone I should have consented to go on a date with in the first place. We had spent the last twenty five minutes talking about the new diet she is on and how she prefers herself as a blonde as opposed to a brunette. She even asked me what color of hair I would prefer on her. Honestly at this point I really could care less for two reasons a) I'm not dating her and b) I'm never going to date her. I just want this torture to be over.

I can't seem to stop thinking about Mickie and everything that happened yesterday – which I don't mind at this point, because it did help me escape the details of Mel's (my dates name . . . I think) diet.

When we had been joking around about the day – which felt like it had happened ages ago – that her and Laura had gotten into a fight, I had the strong urge to kiss her. Thankfully we both came to our senses pretty quickly and had resisted, but that didn't stop it from happening a second time while we were laying in the mess of the water. Having Mickie on Raw is already proving to be disastrous and very distracting when the only thing I want to do is focus on my career and winning back my WWE title.

Things aren't exactly going as planned because I find myself distracted at every little mention of Mickie. Yesterday the guy in the food court kept making dirty comments about Mickie -'Hey buddy do you think you could ask your friend over there very nicely if she would like to get together with me to enjoy some alone time?' – And trust me that was the nicest of the comments.

Finally after trying so hard to control my anger, which of course is hard for me on a good day, I got in the guys face. I would have beaten the shit out of the guy and punted his head in for good measure, but then I saw Mickie looking at me. Questioning why I was so angry and the anger hadn't vanished, but it was as if Mickie was the antidote. As stupid as it sounds, and I would never mention it to anybody, I just couldn't do that in front of her. I know for a fact she wouldn't have approved – even if it had been to defend her. And that was the other reason for preventing myself from taking action, because I didn't want Mickie to know that I was angry because he had insulted her. Of course I made sure he didn't say another word, but it didn't mean that Mickie had to know about it. It wasn't the first time I had defended her, but I just didn't think any good would come of it if she had known.

" . . . Randy? Randy are you listening?"

"Huh? What? Oh yeah of course, very interesting," I took a sip of my beer, I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but she didn't seem to notice.

I had a brilliant thought, "Hey what do you say we skip dinner and head back to my hotel? I can guarantee we will have a better time there," I smirked at her and after a few seconds she grinned back. Why not get a little something out of this torturous experience?

"You read my mind," and she grabbed her purse, jumped to her feet and we made our way out of the restaurant to enjoy my favourite part of the date.

_Mickie's POV_

Well that was a pretty intense hour long workout, with absolutely no interruptions. I exited the gym area and walked over towards the elevators. The doors were just about to close, but I managed to catch them before they did, and instantly regretted doing so. Not only was the Viper in the elevator, but he happened to be with some floozy I have never seen before.

I stepped in and stood off to the right and hit the button for my floor. Oh god, was this happening? What was he even doing anyways, it was only eight in the evening and he was already heading up to his room? Okay Mickie none of your business.

"Randy," I acknowledged him without looking.

He cleared his throat, "Mickie," he replied.

"Decided to skip dinner I see," oh god why did I just say that. Why can't I ever keep my damn mouth shut?

I heard him chuckle, "And that would be your business how?"

I put my hands up in defeat, hopefully letting him know that was somewhat of an apology. I looked up at the monitor to see which floor we were on. Third floor? That's it? Why couldn't I just have my room on the first floor, or why couldn't I have at least taken the stairs. This is the longest elevator ride of my life! Ah, finally the eighth floor. The doors opened and I hurried to get off.

Before I was barely clear of the elevator I heard the mystery girl whisper, "Who does she think she is? She says that, while looking the way she is? Who would go out in public like that?"

How dare she? I turned around just as quick and stuck my hand between the closing doors, forcing them to open back up. I smiled at them as Randy rolled his eyes; I guess he knew what was coming.

"Mickie…" he sighed.

"Actually honey, it's called a gym, which by the looks of things you don't visit very often. I'm sure the only type of exercise you get is of the sexual variety," I faked smiled at her. Did I just say that? Well, once I get going, you can't stop me.

"Jealous," she smiled at me.

"Of what exactly? Your cheap, skanky dress? Your apparent lack of self-respect?" her eyes narrowed but I continued, "Or maybe you think I'm jealous of your obvious tendencies to jump into anyone's bed who happens to ask, or maybe I'm 'jealous' of your god awful choice in men?" I said motioning to Randy who scoffed. I pretended to think about it for a second, even placing my hand on my chin and looking to the ceiling all the while leaning against the elevator so the doors wouldn't close, "Yeah not so much, but have a wonderful night," I fake smiled once again and then walked away rolling my eyes.

The last thing I heard was, "How dare she?" before the elevator doors closed.

Okay, it was extremely childish, like all of my actions as of late, but _how dare she_ think that she can say whatever she wants about me? She doesn't know me, nor does she deserve to give her opinion on me. Yeah I unceremoniously stated my opinion of her when it was none of my business, but she started it. Oh man, some day I was going to pay for my actions.

What I really couldn't get off my mind, was the situation with Ted and Cody earlier despite trying to block it out with the exercising. What did Cody mean when he said it wasn't worth it to objectify me in front of Randy? Was it because Randy didn't want me mentioned; that he didn't want Ted and Cody associating themselves with the likes of me? Or, and I was more hesitant on this one, was Randy being protective of me? I wasn't trying to be full of myself, but maybe part of him still cared about my well-being. I could understand, obviously I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to Randy, but at the same time I probably would never admit that out loud.

I just find it hard to think that a part of him still cares about me, after everything that has happened over the last few weeks and on a larger scale the last few years. Not to mention everything that happened during our volunteer time at the mall! And on top of all this, now I am going to have to deal with the situation in the elevator next time I run into the Viper. Things are far more complicated being on Raw; I wonder if maybe I should have just stayed on Smackdown.


	11. Just another Monday night

Chapter 11: Just another Monday night

I was finding myself rather amused while listening to my friend Kelly sing her little heart out on our drive to the Georgia Dome arena. I started out tapping along on the steering wheel, but eventually I joined in with the singing. Melina was catching a ride to the arena with Dave, so it was just the two of us. I had decided that what Cody and Ted had said in the exercise room was of no importance to me, and I was going to disregard it. Whatever Randy Orton may or may not think about me – I do not care. Okay, maybe I care just a little bit, or fine maybe a lot, but that doesn't change the fact that I am never going to let him know that. I am not going to let him control me; he is no longer that person in my life.

Not only was I struggling to put that conversation out of my head, but now I had to deal with my friends trying to force me to be a third wheel on one of their dates tomorrow. I told them not to worry about me, after I had asked them what we were doing and they both informed me they had dates for tomorrow evening. They both claimed to feel guilty, and had offered to cancel but I insisted that neither of abandon their plans just for me. I figured that was the end of it, until they discussed that neither of them would mind if I tagged along, and now they just wouldn't let it go.

Kelly, however, knowing that Melina wasn't around to back her up, had actually let the topic go – for now. I was dreading having to be alone with them and having to make a choice.

Pulling into the parking lot I noticed a few other superstars just arriving. I parked the car and we pulled our bags out of the trunk and headed in for another night of Raw.

I told Kelly I couldn't wait, so we found our way to the match card before going to the Women's locker room.

"Look at that Micks, you got your match against Jillian," she informed me and I got excited and surveyed the card for myself.

"It's a tag team match," I felt my heart sink just a little bit; I wanted to get my hands on Jillian as much as possible.

"Yeah but that's exciting, you get to choose your own partner," she reminded me as we turned and made our way to the locker rooms, "So Micks, who you gonna choose?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Well Kel, I don't know anyone who might want to be my partner," I teased her, and she pouted.

I put my arm around her, "I'm kidding girly, and who better to have as my partner than my best friend?"

She beamed. Of course I would choose Kelly; not only were we best friends in real life, but we were good friends on screen as well, so naturally my character – who was very similar to me in real life, go figure – would end up choosing Kelly.

"Thanks Micks, and don't worry I will make you proud," she offered enthusiastically.

I offered her a smile in return, "Of course you will Kel; I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Oh and Micks, can you please make a decision about tomorrow? Melina and I don't want you to be alone on our day off alright?" so she had decided to say something.

I sighed, gave her a forced smile and continued walking. We found our way to the locker rooms and waited – along with a few of the other divas – for the show to start for the evening. I told Kelly I needed to get prepared for the match and I was going to take a walk. She offered to come, but I declined, just wanting to be alone for awhile. I exited the room and started along the corridors, just thinking about how good it will feel to get my hands on Jillian Hall. I was strolling along, when I noticed Ted DiBiase up ahead. I was initially only planning on saying hello, but then a brilliant idea came to mind and Ted was just the person to help me with that.

He hadn't taken notice that I was approaching yet, "DiBiase! Miss me yet?"

He looked up and smiled, "Man, how did you know? You know everything!" he sighed for effect. He was such a fun guy.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Happens to everyone, once they've had a taste of Mickie James," I said nonchalantly, as if it actually were true. He laughed at me.

"So, I have a favour to ask," I began, this was kind of awkward for me, but the alternative was terrible so this was necessary.

He stared just waiting for me to continue, "I have this little problem. I mean I have absolutely no interest in being a third wheel on either of my friends dates, but they are very persistent in me not spending the night alone and are trying to drag me along on one of their dates. They think they are trying to help, but really I don't do the whole awkward situations all that well."

He narrowed his eyes, "You want to use me to get out of being a third wheel?"

That did sound a lot worse when you put it that way but I was desperate, "Well look at you go Ted, you are much smarter than people say you are," I smiled and winked.

He sighed, "I don't know Mickie." Oh dear, was he going to object? Now I was getting rejected, and being dragged on a date with my friends, life was unfair.

"Oh please, please we don't actually have to hang out but I do need an excuse, and I don't want you hearing I was hanging out with you and you not knowing about it. So I decided it was best to inform you. I wouldn't know who else to ask, because I'm not really comfortable with anyone else, just Eve, and she's more loyal to Kelly than she is to me so she would tell her I was just using her as an excuse, and it would be awkward to hang out with her alone," I took a deep breath.

"Well I can't do that Mickie…"

I sighed in defeat, "Well it was a big chance, we are different," now I felt a little awkward.

"…because I don't like lying. So therefore we are going to do something. I'm not going to be used, I plan on getting something out of the deal," he winked at me.

I narrowed my eyes, "And what might that be DiBiase?"

"I get to spend an evening with Mickie James! Don't worry; put your mind at ease, I am not thinking of you in that way James. Yes I will admit that you are hot," I smiled at him and then rolled my eyes, "but I just am not fascinated by you in the same way that you are by me."

He was quite the cocky little bugger.

I gave him a playful mean look and then smiled, "So Ted what shall we do tomorrow evening?"

His face went to that of confusion, "Tomorrow? I thought you were talking about tonight. Cody and I, we're going to this new restaurant everyone has been telling us about tomorrow evening and then off to this club on the other side of the city."

Awe crap, there goes my damn excuse! This bad luck business is really getting on my nerves!

I was about to claim defeat when Ted spoke first, "…but now that I'm thinking about it, I have decided to formally invite you to come along!" he smiled at me.

"Are you serious? I mean I don't want to intrude, besides it doesn't seem like Cody is all that fond of me," I guess it was good he didn't hate me, that much I could tell, it was just he seemed kind of cold towards me. Then again, I had only met him briefly.

"Well I happen to be fond of you, so who cares about Cody," he smirked. It definitely wasn't a Randy smirk, but it was cute in its own way. However, him putting me before Cody, that was a little odd.

I gave him a questioning look, "…and having a girl around will make us seem less gay," he admitted to me hesitantly.

I let out a giggle, "Well who's the one being used now? Pleasure doing business with ya DiBiase."

"You as well James. Now go out there and give those Divas some hell, good luck," and with one last smile, I was off to go show Jillian who was boss.

Kelly and I made our way to the gorilla position just as Maryse's theme ended, and only seconds later mine was playing.

"See you out there babe," I winked at Kelly and was off.

I made my way out to the cheer of the fans, and found my way to the ring, not being intimidated by the fact that there was two of them and one of me. I motioned for the microphone so I could announce my mystery partner.

"So Jillian, as much as I had hoped that it would be a singles match tonight, I guess I don't really have a problem kicking your ass in a tag team match," the crowd cheered and I smiled, "So let me introduce you to my partner…" a few seconds later Kelly's music hit and she made her way down to the ring with an amazing cheer from the fans in attendance.

The control changed back and forth, and ended up with Jillian and I in the ring after Kelly had taken out Maryse and they were now battling on the outside. Jillian went for a clothesline but I ducked underneath, turned quickly, got a kick to the midsection, pulled her head back and planted the kiss while the crowd roared – all the while thinking of John and Dave and grinning to myself. I hit the reverse roundhouse kick and went for the pin… 1-2-3! Yes! Take that Jillian, don't ever mess with my title matches again. My music was playing over the speakers and Kelly got in the ring and threw her arms around me just before the referee held both our hands high in victory.

We made our way up the ramp and to the backstage, and had barely made it very far before we ran into the Viper.

He stared at Kelly who looked frightened; I had to roll my eyes, because this whole Randy Orton being scary act was getting old.

Kelly looked to me and I nodded and she took her exit giving me one last pleading look.

"Okay, you did your job, you scared Kelly off," I smirked at him, he didn't seem amused so I continued, "Oh I get it, you came to congratulate me on my match, well thank you that is so sweet you really didn't have to."

He scoffed and finally got to the reason he was standing in front of me in the first place, "That was quite a show you put on yesterday. You played jealous ex-girlfriend perfectly!"

I rolled my eyes again, "Actually I believe the role was disgusted onlooker, but hey whatever puts your mind at ease," I smiled innocently.

"Just admit it Mickie, you want me," it was my turn to scoff.

"It's more a case of you wanting me to want you. Well sorry to disappoint but that just happens to be your ego becoming sooo big," I threw my arms in the air for effect, "that it has managed to convince your brain that miracles do in fact happen."

"Miracles do happen, how else would you explain my existence?" he smirked. Could his head get any bigger, figuratively, because his head happens to be perfectly – oh Mickie snap out of it.

"Well you see one night your parents got sooo incredibly drunk and they ended up doing this thing called…"

"Hahahaha," he said sarcastically, "very funny, and disgusting," he said shaking his head before getting back on track, "I'm an 'accident', definitely heard that one before. If that's the case, I guess it only means that I am the best looking, most amazing, athletic 'accident' in history. I really can't be blamed for the amount of girls that want to sleep with me," he ended with that smirk I was getting quite accustomed to again.

I rolled my eyes once again and crossed my arms, "Ugh, you are so…"

"…Irresistible? Yeah I know."

"I was going to say repulsive actually. And just to prove my point, I'm going to walk away now without the courtesy of even giving you a reason why other than the fact that I can't stand you. However, you already knew that so there's three seconds of my life I'm never going to get back," I forced another fake smile and then pushed my way past him and continued to the locker room shaking my head.

After showering and getting changed Kelly and I met Melina in the parking lot. She was driving back with us because she was tired and didn't want to wait until later when Dave was done. Kelly and I spent the whole time bragging about our match and how great it had been. I was waiting for the right time to tell them about Ted, but was mentally preparing myself for the interrogation that would come with it.

"So Micks, which one of us are you coming out with tomorrow? You are absolutely not allowed – like I stated before – to stay by yourself tomorrow night," Kelly asked the moment we had all stepped through the door to our hotel room.

Before I could even speak up Melina beat me to it, "She's right, besides this whole third wheel business is crap; you are just as comfortable around both Dave and John as you are us."

I sighed, "Yeah, well it's different if it's just me, you and Dave," I said pointing to Melina, "or me, you and your current crush," I motioned to Kelly. Group things are so much easier. Now before you decide it should be a double date and I will be coming along, I want to tell you that you don't have to worry about me ladies, I have plans for tomorrow evening."

I made my way towards the bathroom.

"Oh that is . . . wait what?" Melina questioned.

"With who?" Kelly stared in disbelief. My friends made me out to be such a loser.

I walked into the bathroom, "Ted and Cody," and then I slammed the door and locked it behind me, smiling to myself.

"As in DiBiase and Rhodes? Mickie!" Melina shouted while banging on the bathroom door.

"Mickie open this door," Kelly called out to me.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail and grabbed my toothbrush. I started brushing, and then realized I forgot my pj's, so I opened the door and walked by my crazy friends and grabbed my pyjamas before heading back to the bathroom. I didn't have the chance to close the door, so they followed me in.

"I know you chat once in awhile, but when did you become 'going out' buddies?" Kelly wanted to know.

"I think the more troubling question is, when did you become friends with Cody? He's weird, Eve told me he followed her around the arena last week wanting her to go out for drinks with him," Melina rolled her eyes.

I spit the toothpaste into the sink and rinsed my mouth then turned to look at Kelly, "Since now," I said to answer her previous question and then turned to Melina, "And I'm not really friends with Cody, they were just going out tomorrow and Ted invited me," I informed her innocently. I stared at my pyjamas and realized bringing them in had been pointless because I didn't have privacy.

Melina narrowed her eyes at me, "Seems rather convenient him inviting you out tomorrow, just in the nick of time. Awfully suspicious considering how much of a fight you put up. Mickie James, did you ask him to ask you out?"

"So what if I did," why was it such a big deal? I grabbed my sleepwear and headed into the bathtub and pulled the shower curtain closed, "I'm not allowed to go out with other people? I know you are trying to be good friends and I appreciate it. I love you both to death, but if I have to be a third wheel one more time I might jump off a bridge," I exaggerated while pulling my pyjama shorts on and continued to put my top on as well, "Besides I would just be putting a damper on your nights."

There was silence for a moment and I had a fleeting thought that they might have given up, "Wait a minute, is this about Randy Orton?" and then I remembered who I was dealing with.

"What about him," I asked casually and a little bit confused.

"Yeah . . . yeah, it seems so convenient that Ted and Cody happen to be pretty close with Randy doesn't it?" Melina said agreeing that Kelly had a valid question.

I rolled my eyes and pulled the shower curtain back. I stepped out, "Actually I wasn't thinking about him. Besides I don't have to **hope** to run into him, it just fricken happens because I have the worst luck ever," I said exiting the bathroom and then turning around to face them again, "Honestly though, what is with the third degree? You two spend way too much time trying to analyze my love life."

"Love life? Since when is the entirety of Legacy part of your love life?" Melina questioned.

Shit, that definitely came out wrong! _Play it cool Mickie_.

I shook my head, "You know what I meant, obviously you are seeing something that isn't there. Now I'm tired so I'm going to sleep. Good night ladies, love ya both, despite your annoying antics," I joked and then pulled the covers back and snuggled into my bed.

"But Mickie . . ." Kelly started but I cut her off.

"No this is sleep time," I said firmly and then closed my eyes.

They both sighed with defeat and prepared for bed, by the time Kelly climbed into the other side of my bed, Melina was sleeping and I was fully absorbed in my own thoughts.

It was the truth when I told them I hadn't thought about him in regards to my plans with Ted tomorrow evening. In fact I hadn't factored Randy Orton into tomorrow at all. I had just been excited to see Ted. Besides, Ted had said it was just him and Cody so the only issue I had to worry about was in fact Cody, which was barely an issue anyway. So tomorrow should be perfect and fun – exactly what I needed. I just hope that Randy doesn't become a part of it, he has that ability to appear during the moments when I least want him to – which is all the time.

**A/N: Chapter 11, please review and let me know what you think. Not much happened in this one but the few chapters after this one are probably some of my favourite yet.**

**Also, does anyone have any ideas on who the 'Anonymous GM' might be on Raw? I would love to hear opinions and theories :)**


	12. too much Tequila

**Thanks For all the reviews :) r****kocak1980, all55husbands, MJxxRKO, XxFutureWWEDivaxX, Melia-J, tvrox12, emma217, wrestlinggirl4eva, Cailin RKO Orton, Sharni-Walker, Pinayprincesa all for reviewing the last few chapters. I appreciate it so much!**

After breakfast with John and Dave (Kelly and Melina had packing to do apparently) I decided to start off my morning by heading to the gym and was fully satisfied with the uninterrupted workout I underwent. The gym wasn't as crowded as I had expected it to be, so it was much easier to get everything done without having to wait for an exercise machine or materials.

I was feeling pumped and energized as I pushed open the door and made my way towards the elevators just thinking how great it will be to get out tonight. I hit the button and waited for the elevator doors to open. When they finally did, Ted DiBiase stepped out of the elevator clearly heading towards the place I had just left.

"James! What are you doing up so early?" he questioned me with a smile. Early? It was noon already.

"You know, typical life of an athlete, hitting the gym whenever you have nothing to do," I answered and watched as the elevator doors closed without me on it.

"Yeah that's where I'm off to," he said motioning to his towel, "So you ready for tonight?"

"Ted DiBiase I was born ready," I laughed and he laughed with me.

"So awkward question," I started and then hesitated I scratched the back of my head, "It's going to just be you, me, and Cody right?"

When I looked up at him he was smiling, "Yes Mickie, just the three of us," he came closer and whispered, "The big bad wolf Randy has a date tonight, so he won't be joining us."

"I wasn't talking about . . ."

"Mickie, you insult me! I'm not as stupid as popular opinion would have you believe," he winked at me, "So I will text you later and let you know all the details, but for now I got me some exercising to do and some ladies to scope while doing so," he turned and then turned back to me hesitating, "Not in the way Cody does, I'm not a creep."

I giggled, "I believe you DiBiase, now go and get some exercise, you are starting to look out of shape," I teased him while pressing the elevator button.

With one last smile he was on his way to the gym, and I was on the elevator heading up to my room to take a shower and enjoy the rest of my afternoon. I was so much more relaxed now, partially because of the exercising but mostly because now I knew for sure Randy wasn't going to be coming. Ever since Melina and Kelly had brought it up last night, I was stressing if maybe Ted had invited him to come along. I guess I would be kind of excited, but when Randy and I get together, things rarely ever turn out good. We bicker like an old married couple, which is bad because we aren't dating and not so much the fact that it's annoying. Although, I find it a bit fun arguing with him, while I'm sure he finds me annoying. Actually I know he does, I can just tell by the way he glares at me; it's somewhat unsettling.

I opened the door to the hotel room to find Melina and Kelly's suitcases open on the bed, and the girls crawling around on the floor, apparently looking for any of their items they seemed to have overlooked.

"Hey ladies," I announced and placed the card key on the stand near the door, before slamming it behind me.

Kelly looked up from the floor and smiled, "Hey Micks how was your workout?"

"It was great," I responded with a smile.

Melina lifted a bra from under the bed before turning and smiling, "Well this isn't mine, must be one of yours."

I walked over and looked closely at the white bra and knew that it wasn't mine, "It's not mine I don't even have a white bra."

We both looked at Kelly, "You actually think these would fit in that? That looks like an A-cup," and looking more closely the bra _was_ pretty small, and all three of us definitely didn't have small boobs.

Melina stared and then got a horrified look on her face as she flung the bra across the room and screamed 'ew'! Kelly and I exploded into laughter as our raven haired friend rushed to the bathroom to wash her hands.

"I wonder how long that has been under there," I questioned while falling to the floor, not really wanting to know the answer. Kelly looked over at me and started laughing again and I couldn't hold back either; Melina's face had been _far_ too priceless.

"Yeah laugh it up," she said returning from the washroom with a hand towel and picking the bra up to chuck into the garbage.

"Don't worry, that's what we are doing right now," I said through bursts of laughter while obviously stating the obvious.

Kelly flopped onto her back and sighed; the laughing clearly gone out of her. I smiled at her and then pushing myself to my feet, I headed into the bathroom to take a nice, long shower and get all cleaned up for later. After my calming shower, the girls and I watched 'A walk to remember' that Kelly had rented from the lobby movie store. My cheeks were tear-stained by the end of the movie, and my head was resting on Melina's shoulder. I looked up and Melina's make-up was running and Kelly had tissue in her hands.

"That is the greatest movie ever. I could never get sick of it," Kelly was the first to speak.

"Oh me either, honestly I cry every single time I watch it," I admitted and then repositioned myself on the sofa so I was facing both of them.

"Their whole relationship is just envious, the way they love each other," Kelly remarked.

"Yeah I agree, and he marries her even though he knows she is going to die. That is true love," Melina said before sniffling. She flicked the TV off and stood up.

"So with my dose of Shane West for the day, I am going to decide what I am wearing tonight," she said while making her way towards her now fully packed suitcase, "I just realized it was stupid to pack up without deciding on my outfit. I cannot believe our flight is at seven in the morning, like that is ridiculous! I never was much of a morning person. I'm just glad we got flights together."

"Excuse me, **you **all got flights together. I am stuck on the afternoon flight tomorrow, and as far as I'm aware, I will be alone. Although, it is kind of good because then I can sleep and not have to listen to a bunch of annoying people," I stated. Melina, Kelly, Dave, John, Eve – Most of the people I knew were either on the flight this afternoon, or the one at seven tomorrow morning. I unfortunately had been booked for a flight at eleven tomorrow morning, and I didn't know anyone else who was on it. I knew there would be others, but obviously no one who I was close with.

"Yeah sorry about that, I would put you in my suitcase, but then I wouldn't have room for my shoes," Melina joked and I gave her the not so nice middle finger gesture.

"Don't worry Micks, your flight is only like four hours after ours," Kelly commented and I knew she was right. It wasn't much of a big deal; besides I wouldn't have anyone to talk to on the plane anyways if I went with them, because Kelly would be with John and Melina with Dave – as per usual. Of course I wasn't complaining, my friends were happy, and despite what they thought, I thoroughly enjoyed my alone time. It was the insistence of coming on their dates all the time that got to me.

We spent the next while picking out our outfits and were quite happy with the results. Melina and Dave were going to a dinner theatre downtown, so she chose a simple black dress with a scoop neckline, while a black belt wrapped around her waist cinching her curves. She paired it with black ballet flats and a silver sparkly clutch to match her silver heart necklace.

Kelly was going out for a movie with John, so she wanted cute and casual. She wore dark wash jeans and a grey flowing tank top that had lace along the hem of the bottom, and matching lace creating the thick straps. She chose a cute cropped leather jacket to complete the look.

And me? Well since I was going out to a club, I decided on dark skinny jeans and a pair of black caged heels. A ruffle with raw edges lined the front of my top, while a large jewelled buckle attached to the tie back halter.

After choosing our outfits, we focused on our make-up as well as hair. This was honestly my favourite part of going out; being able to get ready and have fun with Kelly and Melina as well as helping each other out and giving our honest opinions. After everything was done Kelly insisted I get my camera, and we took at least thirty pictures of ourselves all over the hotel room. Goofy ones, cute ones, sexy ones, I had such a blast in those thirty minutes. It was the simple kind of fun the three of us could always have whenever we were together.

"Oh crap, I'm late," Melina said after looking at her phone and realizing it was after six and the dinner show started at seven. Her phone rang seconds later, and it turned out to be Dave who asked her if she was ready.

She hung up the phone, "Okay Mickie, I will probably be sleeping when you get back tonight, so I will just see you when you get to New York. Call us when your flight gets in. You better have fun tonight," she added with a smile and then gave me a hug.

"I will, and don't forget to have fun tonight either," I pulled away and then added, "Say hi to Dave for me."

"Okay," she smiled, "Kelly have fun tonight, and keep it PG," she teased and Kelly stuck her tongue out at her before heading back into the washroom.

"Bye Micks," she said one last time before heading out the door.

An hour later John came by to get Kelly, and gave me a hug when I answered the door.

"Hey stranger, long time no see."

"Yeah and who's fault is that," I asked him narrowing my eyes.

"That would be mine," Kelly called walking out of the bathroom, "Hey John," she gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Sorry about that, promise to share in the future," she winked at me and grabbed her coat.

"You look great Kelly," John complimented her and she blushed. I smiled, they were super cute.

"Thanks, well we should get going so we aren't late," she gave me a hug and opened the door and headed out.

John turned to face me, "You look wonderful Micks," and he winked at me causing me to chuckle.

"Jealous? Wish you could look like me hey Cena?"

"Mickie how do you always seem to figure out my secrets?" he winked again and with one last wave he headed out the door after my friend.

I smiled to myself and went to the bathroom to check my hair. I had straightened it, and Kelly had teased it for me – she was the best at it and it came in handy most of the time.

I spent the next little while packing my own belongings into my suitcase so that I wouldn't have to worry about it later and after I was finished my phone vibrated with a text message from Ted.

_**Meet in the lobby in fifteen minutes? Is that alright?**_

I texted back assuring him that was fine, and packed all my necessary belongings into my black Coach clutch, and I made my way to the lobby.

Upon seeing Ted I felt happy and a smile came to my face, "Hey DiBiase," I called out and he smiled back at me.

"James," he acknowledged, "My you sure clean up good," he complimented and I playfully punched him.

"You don't look too shabby yourself; however you do seem to be one man short. Where's Cody?" I looked around and didn't see him anywhere in sight.

This smile disappeared off his face and he looked hesitant, "Uh, Micks there's something I should probably tell you . . ."

I put my hands on my hips, "Awe is Cody too embarrassed to come because he has a huge crush on me," I asked in a teasing tone.

"Hardly," I heard a deep voice speak from behind me.

I turned around to reciprocate when I noticed that Cody hadn't been alone – he was with the Viper, Randy Orton.

I was confused; shouldn't he be on his date?

He stared me down and I felt uncomfortable, so I turned to Ted and asked, "What is he doing here?" I hissed, while trying to keep my voice low.

Obviously I wasn't very successful because instead of Ted it was Randy who answered, "First of all, these happen to be my friends, so if I want to hang out with them, then I will. Second of all, I would really like to know why you seem so affected by me," he smirked.

"I'm not affected by you, so don't let that go to your head. Ted just didn't inform me you were coming, so I was surprised, that's all," I lied; it came rather easily in a time of need.

"Well I did have a date, with a smokin' hot chick," I rolled my eyes. Why did he find it necessary to add that? "However, that date turned into sex in my hotel room. This is fine with me because I think dinner on dates is a waste of time. So when Cody asked again if I wanted to come, I said why the hell not?"

Mental note: Kick Cody… hard!

I put on a smile, "Well great, the more the merrier, now let's get going," and I turned and lead the way out the door with a scowl on my face.

_Randy's POV_

Dinner at the restaurant had been both awkward and entertaining. I couldn't remember the last time I had done something like this with Mickie, and to be honest it felt somewhat normal. I had found myself highly entertained by her, because she was trying to make it seem like she didn't feel awkward the entire time. Of course there were the usual insults being directed at me and sometimes Cody, but neither of us missed an opportunity to reciprocate.

When Cody had asked me to come I had been hesitant, until he mentioned that Ted had invited Mickie and I couldn't resist. I wanted to have fun; and Mickie was just the person for that. It hadn't been completely awkward; there were actually moments when we all had civil conversation and there had even been laughter – from the rest of them. I had restrained myself from doing so, and only managed to pull off a smirk now and then or once in awhile a smile.

Laughter, to me, was weak, especially in front of Mickie. I don't know why I cared so much, but Mickie had always had some weird effect on me. Like she brought out the best in me, and she didn't even have to try. I had spent years perfecting the way I was today and in a few weeks, she had managed to see past that and bring out another side of me. Suffice to say I had to watch myself around her, or weird things would happen.

The cab had just pulled up in front of the club that had been our destination. I got out of the cab and walked towards the bar as Ted paid the driver. I pushed my way past the crowd up to the bouncer, ignoring the remarks of people I passed, with the other three following, and he let us in instantly.

"This place is really nice," I heard Mickie shout over the sound of the music.

"Yeah, it's one of the top places in Atlanta apparently. So drinks shall we," Ted offered and led the way to the nearest bar. I had already had a few drinks at the restaurant, as well as Mickie. Ted and Cody complained about the flight tomorrow and how they didn't want to be hung over, so they didn't drink as much as usual.

After getting a drink and Mickie doing two shots of tequila – she really loved her Tequila – we sat down on a couple of stools at the bar, and surveyed the bar area. There were so many hot women here, that this just made it to the top of my list of favourite clubs. Three ladies approached us; two blondes and a brunette. I took a liking to the brunette, and she seemed interested in me – not much of a surprise there.

". . . So I came over here figuring you needed someone to dance with, and just my luck, I believe I was right. So what do you say?" she bit her lip at me and placed her hand on my lap and then tilted her head to the side.

"I believe it is _your_ luck that I'm ready to dance," I responded and I let her lead me to the dance floor.

After three songs of dancing, Carmen – the name of my new brunette friend – pulled me off the dance floor and towards the bar so we could have another drink. She insisted on tequila – what is with girls and tequila? – And then I ordered another beer.

"Well, usually I'm not this forward, but I'm going to make an exception for you," she winked at me, "How about we head back to my place and relieve some of this sexual tension I'm feeling between us," wow she was being forward – my kind of girl.

I was just about to accept when I happened to look over and see Mickie sitting at the bar – alone. I don't know what came over me, but I found myself walking away from Carmen and heading in Mickie's direction.

"If I didn't know any better I would say you were having a great time," I commented sarcastically, taking the stool next to her.

"Oh tons, like you wouldn't believe. I got asked to have a threesome with two other girls, I'm kind of wishing I hadn't declined," I could tell she was joking about the last part.

Wow, what an amazing mental image . . .

"Well I'm sure it would have been more fun than what you are having now," I forced myself to say and forced the images out of my mind.

"And you care about me having fun why?" she challenged me staring into my eyes.

I looked away and took a swig of my beer and then turned back to her, "So Mickie, how about you stop being such a bitch for one night and have some fun?"

She looked taken aback by my boldness and to my surprise she smiled, "And what do you do for fun Orton?"

"Well stop sulking around by myself for one."

"I'm not sulking, usually I'm the life of the party, however not knowing anyone puts me at a disadvantage," she admitted.

"Well make new friends," I insisted.

She stared at me with confusion, "And that's what you do all the time hey?" she had a point; I wasn't exactly the greatest at making new friends. Of course it wasn't because I was anti-social; life was just easier without attachments.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Tequila?" I questioned her and she laughed. I hadn't seen her laugh around me since our little incident at the mall in the cleaning room. In that moment, I had wanted to kiss her, and probably would have had that douche bag security guard not interrupted. I was glad that he had though, that would have made things far too complicated.

"Tequila," she agreed with a smile and turned towards the bar to order us some shots of the liquor I was getting quite accustomed to.

After four shots of tequila and two beers later, Mickie was downright drunk. She kept slurring her words, but seemed to be having a great time. She had four guys approach her already asking her to dance, but each time she declined saying she wasn't going to ditch her friend. Of course I was her friend now, she was plastered. I had to admit this Mickie was just as entertaining as angry Mickie.

She was laughing at everything I said as well as everything she said. She was much more relaxed, and didn't take everything so seriously. I had drunk as much tequila as her, but triple the amount of beer and I was feeling a pretty strong buzz. However, I continued to drink more and more and knew pretty soon I was going to be just like Mickie.

"Hey Randy?" she asked me, inches from my face. If I kissed her, she probably wouldn't remember . . .

"What Mickie?" I asked her and disregarded my thought from before.

"How about we have more tequila shots," she giggled and when I shook my head she pleaded and made a pouty face. She was so cute even when she was drunk and slurring her speech.

"Fine, one more Mickie. I think you have had enough for tonight," I couldn't help but laugh, she could definitely hold her liquor. Besides, this was the most fun I had in awhile and it happened to be with Mickie, I didn't want this to end.

We had another shot while a new song started over the speakers.

"Randy?" she asked me again and I thought she was going to ask to do another shot and I was ready to decline when she asked me something totally different, "I love this song, we absolutely have to dance! Please?" but before I could have give her an answer, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor, with the song 'Promiscuous Girl' playing. I had to help her there because she was stumbling everywhere, although I had to admit I wasn't fairing so well myself.

She stopped in the middle of the dance floor, having pushed her way through the crowd of people, and turned around to face me. She started dancing to the beat of the music and I joined her. When the chorus came around she pulled herself closer to me and we started grinding. I didn't even think about what I was doing, it felt natural to me and my head felt cloudy. It felt amazing to have her that close and to be able to put my arms around her.

We continued that way for the rest of the song and then found our way off the dance floor laughing and holding hands.

I looked up to see Ted and Cody making their way towards us without the two girls they had been with earlier.

"It's one in the morning; we should probably head back to the hotel now," Ted offered and I instantly felt anger at the both of them.. I was having a wonderful night, and they wanted to ruin it.

Before I could respond though Mickie spoke up, "Te-eddd," she said in a pouty voice that made me laugh, "I am having a great night I don't wanna go yet!" she pouted.

Ted laughed at her and then his eyes found our hands entwined; I quickly pulled my hand away as Ted's eyes found his way to my face and he gave me a questioning look.

"Well I am heading back, you guys can stay here if you want," Cody interrupted the stare and Ted looked towards him.

"Well I'm not going, I'm having too much fun," Mickie's slurred words came out as a shout and then she laughed at herself.

"I'll stay with her," I offered and both of my friends turned to stare at me.

After a few seconds Cody nodded his head, "Okay that's settled then. Are you sure?" his face had confusion written all over it, but Cody was never one to push me for answers.

I nodded, "Yeah sure, I'm not ready to go yet so I may as well stay. You two can go," I insisted.

"Okay, bye Mickie, hope you have fun," Cody called to her and before he could turn to go, Mickie threw her arms around his neck.

"BYE CODY! I HOPE YOU DON'T MISS ME TOOOO MUCH!" she yelled into his ear and Ted and I burst into laughter.

Cody managed to pull Mickie off of him and he turned to walk towards the door shaking his head.

"Teddyyy! I'm gonna miss you," Mickie pouted and threw her arms around him too.

Ted laughed and reciprocated the hug. A shot of jealousy coursed through my body, but was gone just as soon as it came, "Of course you will James, you always do!" he laughed again and then they released each other.

He came towards me while Mickie was talking to some random stranger about how she liked the girl's shoes, "Are you sure about this? I mean is this a good idea?" he questioned me. _Why wouldn't it be?_

"Yeah of course, why not? I will make sure she gets back okay," I informed him. What was he her father?

"That's not what I'm talking about Randy," he admitted, "She's pissed drunk, and by the looks of things you're on your way there. Something is bound to happen, you aren't known for controlling yourself. I don't want Mickie to get hurt," he narrowed his eyes at me.

Since when is he so protective of **my **ex-girlfriend? Who does he think he is? He barely even knows her! I would never hurt Mickie, not even if someone had a gun to my head. Okay yes I have hurt her before, but I would give anything to take that back, and I would never let it happen again. I **vow** to never let it happen again.

"Ted, everything will be fine okay! Just trust me, I'm not gonna let anything happen to Mickie alright?" I assured him even though it really wasn't his business. I knew that Ted had a valid point, and that he did care for Mickie, but I did as well. This whole thing would be fine.

With one look and a farewell to Mickie and me, Ted made his way over to a waiting Cody.

"Hey Randy?"

"Hey what?" I smiled.

"TEQUILA!" she said throwing her arm in the air and pulling me towards the bar.

_Mickie's POV_

I had such a sharp pain coming from my head, and when I opened my eyes and sat up I wished that I hadn't. I had a throbbing pain in my head, and I felt queasy. I don't really remember much from what happened last night, but at the moment I am regretting all of it profusely. What I do remember is a whole lot of Randy Orton and even more tequila. I yawned and looked over towards the clock and jumped back at the sight that I saw. I was on the edge of the bed, lost my balance and ended up falling to the floor with a shout. I rubbed my head and looked up to see Randy leaning over the bed rubbing his eyes and staring at me.

"What happened?" he questioned so calmly. How could he be so calm about this? What the hell happened? And why the hell was I in bed with Randy Orton? Oh god, oh god, this is why I shouldn't drink so much tequila!

I stared at him with my eyes widened in horror, "What happened? What the hell is this? What the hell happened?" I said jumping to my feet and instantly regretting it. I sank onto the bed holding my forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern in his voice. Concern? For me? From Randy Orton? What planet had I been abducted to?

"NO I am not okay! I have a massive hangover, and I wake up to find myself in a bed with you!" I shouted standing to my feet a little more carefully this time.

What was going on? Did we sleep together? I couldn't even remember, and now I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry . . . or die. Dying would probably take this horrible headache away. I stared at Randy trying hard to sift through the memories in my head, but the last thing I remember is . . . oh dear god I made out with Randy Orton – my ex-boyfriend! The one who has made my life a living hell for the last two years, despite the fact that I was on Smackdown for a lot of it. Now that's skill, being able to annoy someone when they are on a completely different roster. Mickie what have you done!

"How can you be so calm about this?" I turned around and put my head in my hands, "Oh I understand, because now I am on that stupid list of yours!" I said throwing my hands in the air and whipping around to face him which in all honesty was stupid to say because I was on that list long before any of the other divas. I just realized I was only in my underwear so I dashed across the room and pulled on my jeans. This definitely wasn't my own room; could this get any worse? I clutched my head as another throbbing pain resounded through it.

"Mickie, sit down," he said standing up and coming towards me, "You are going to hurt yourself."

"I am fine!" I shouted. And then my stomach gave a lurch, and I ran to the bathroom; I could feel the vomit rising in my throat and I made it to the bathroom just in time. I was on my knees bent over the toilet; things had _definitely_ just gotten worse.

"Mickie are you okay?" Randy asked from behind me; his voice was heavy with distress – now there's a surprise and a half.

"Just go away!" this was so embarrassing. This was the last thing I wanted – for the Viper to watch me as I vomited into the toilet of his hotel room.

"Mickie I have seen you throw up before," yeah that was when I could actually count on him to be there for me. When I could trust him . . .

I wiped my face and couldn't turn to look at him, "Yeah, well we aren't dating so you are off the hook, now please just go," I pleaded and I felt a tear stream down my cheek.

I heard the door close and I looked to see that I was now the only occupant of the bathroom. I cleaned my face up and fixed my hair as well as used the mini bottle of mouth wash – complimentary from the hotel. After taking a huge breath I knew I couldn't hide in the bathroom forever, and the only exit was beyond the bathroom door that was keeping me safe from the effects of the Viper. I slowly opened the door and stepped out to find Randy fully dressed and sitting on the couch. He looked up when he heard the door open, but didn't say anything.

"Are you okay now?" he asked. No I wasn't okay; I had a splitting headache and many unanswered questions.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied and made my way over to grab my clutch and my jacket that were hanging on the edge of the sofa.

I picked my phone up off the table; it was dead, just great.

"So I'm going to . . ." I stopped dead as I noticed the time on the clock. Randy looked up clearly wondering why I stopped, "Oh shit, is that the time?" I shouted.

He looked at the clock, "Yeah it's . . . oh my god the flight! I missed my flight!" he yelled while jumping to his feet.

"Me too," I turned around and made my way slowly about the room trying to find my shoes, and trying not to throw up in the process.

"You were on the eleven am flight as well?" he asked me while looking at his phone, "Ted and Cody called me like five times asking where the hell I was. Why didn't they come to my room and wake me up?"

"Because you aren't five!" I called out finally finding my second shoe lodged under the bed, "I so hope they have another flight going out soon that I can get on!"

He glared at me, "What's your problem?"

"My problem? Look around! This entire room is my problem, and everything in it! This was a joke; and a mistake, one that I can't take back, now if you will excuse me, I have more important things to do than stand here and argue with you!" I shouted.

I didn't even say goodbye before throwing open the door and stumbling into the hallway without looking back. After getting to my room and not even bothering to change I grabbed my suitcases – thank god I had packed them before I had gone out last night – and made my way to the lobby to check out only twenty minutes after leaving Randy's room. I threw my luggage into the trunk of my rental and sped out of the parking lot, and the majority of the way to the airport.

How could I let this happen? I was usually pretty level-headed, but in the course of twenty four hours, I missed my flight to New York and ended up in bed with my ex-boyfriend. However, I don't exactly remember anything happening so maybe I am getting ahead of myself. Yes that's it, I was so drunk anyways. There was no way Randy would do that to me knowing the state I was in would he?

This just screws everything up, because as hard as I had worked to hate him, it wasn't possible. I had told myself the feelings I felt were as a result of us not having a chance to get used to each other in a non-romantic way, and now I know I had been lying to myself. Maybe I was just trying so hard to make it seem like I hated him, that I had just been covering up my feelings for him in the first place.

Of course now I was being delusional; Randy was egotistical and arrogant, and probably seen last night as a way to get me into bed. Now that I'm thinking about it, a part of me really does hate him, for everything he has done and for his manipulative ways. It was his fault for the way things ended last night! He didn't make any attempt to stop me! Yes that's it, I blame him and he will pay.

I arrived at the airport and found the rental place I had visited only a few days before to get this car in the first place. I headed towards the counter that was being maintained by a short balding man who was wearing glasses and looked as if he was in his fifties. I stood my two suitcases up by the counter and placed my carry-on bag on top of them.

"Yeah, I'm here to drop off my rental, I'm in a hurry so I need this to go as quickly as possible," I said quickly, "My name is Mickie James, and the car is right out there," I pointed outside the window to where I had parked the car.

"Mickie James, Mickie James," he muttered to himself while surveying the list he had in front of him. I tapped my foot impatiently and looked at the clock behind him. I hope there is another flight. I have an autograph signing tomorrow afternoon in New York and I cannot miss it.

"Ah here we go; yeah you were late in bringing it back. We called you a bunch of times," he said sternly.

"Yeah my cell phone died and I missed my flight so just add that to my list of problems," I said with a sigh.

"There are other people who managed to get their cars back on time. There is a penalty for late returns. It's all in the agreement you signed," he made it sound so important.

"Okay, sorry about that. Just charge it to my card, but I really have to go. So if there's something to sign, let me do it now." The man glared at me and then placed a paper in front of me. I signed it and he gave me a receipt and I was on my way to sort out my flight problems with my luggage in tow.

I made my way towards one of the front desks; I chose the one with the shortest line and after ten minutes it was my turn to approach the pretty blonde lady.

"Hi, yeah I missed my flight to New York, it was supposed to be at eleven, so I need to be on the next flight as soon as possible," I said to her and then ended it with a smile. I didn't want to be rude, and she looked like a very nice lady.

"Okay I can do that for you," she said with a smile. This was working out I guess, as long as I was in New York by tomorrow morning, my missed flight wasn't really an issue.

"Okay, the next flight to New York is . . . tomorrow at eleven in the morning," she said and then looked up to face me, "Would you like me to book you for that one?"

Tomorrow at eleven? There was no way I would make it to the signing on time even if I flew my own private jet!

"No um you see I have an autograph signing tomorrow at noon in New York, so I have to be there before that, or my boss really isn't going to be happy," I concluded and she stared at me clearly wondering who I was, "I'm a professional wrestler . . . with the WWE, they have me booked for a signing. Yeah, never mind is there anything earlier at all?"

She looked at the computer screen again and then looked at me with sympathy on her face, "No, I'm really sorry, eleven tomorrow is the earliest. Any connecting flights, well you probably wouldn't make it there in time. I'm sorry," she repeated.

I sighed and looked down, "It's fine it's not your fault. Looks like my career is heading south . . ." I was about to turn and walk away when she called me back.

"Miss? New York is about fourteen hours from here – driving. If you were to rent a car, you could make it there long before your signing," yes! She was a genius, why hadn't I thought of that?

I smiled, "Thank you so much! I never thought of that," I pulled my purse out of my carry-on looking for any bills I had on hand. The only one I had was a fifty . . . oh screw it. I handed her the fifty dollar bill and headed off in the direction I had just come from –

The rental car place, hearing a thank you called after me.

I approached the desk again and the man had his back to me. He didn't turn around but I had a feeling he knew I was there.

"Excuse me?" I said impatiently.

He turned around and instantly narrowed his eyes. This man had serious issues, he didn't even know me!

"I need a car, as soon as possible."

He smiled at me which was surprising, "Sorry, but I just rented the last car out. I'm not expecting any back until tomorrow," and there's the reason for the smile.

"Are you serious? Today couldn't get any worse," I muttered and turned my back on him.

That was when I noticed Randy Orton sitting in the corner going through his bags. He didn't notice I was here; I turned back to the man at the counter.

"Did you rent that man a car?" I asked while pointing to the Viper.

"Yeah he got the last one. He's some sort of celebrity, isn't that exciting?" he said eagerly. I rolled my eyes.

"Ma'am?" he asked when I didn't say anything.

I looked at him and forced a smile, "Excuse me while I go and beg my jackass ex-boyfriend for a ride," and I grabbed my suitcases and wheeled over to where the Legend Killer was just about to exit the building.

He looked up at me, "Mickie, I see you had the same idea as me," he sneered. Well right back to the real Orton.

I didn't waste any time, "This goes against every fibre of my being, but I need a ride," I sighed and waited for an answer.

"Why don't you get your own car?"

"There are none left otherwise I would never willingly squeeze into the car with you and your ego!"

He smirked realizing the disadvantage I was at, "Sorry but I'm not a taxi service . . . but now that I think about it I'm not sorry."

"Of course you aren't," I sighed, "I'll pay you," I offered.

"For the entire car?" why was he doing this, he didn't even need the money!

"No that isn't fair," I protested.

"And gas?" he added while ignoring my protest, "Come on Mickie, you don't have much of a choice do you?"

I sighed and gritted my teeth, "Fine I will pay for the car and that's it! I am not paying for gas or anything else!"

He smirked at me obviously enjoying this, "Fine it's a deal. Now take my bags to the car," he demanded.

I glared at him, kicked his suitcase over and then walked past him pulling my own suitcases out the door. I swear I heard him chuckle behind me, but didn't turn to verify it.

Our car was parked alongside at least ten other rental cars. That stupid rental guy, I wish every bad thing upon him. Okay maybe not that extensive, but he denied me a car because he said there were none left. I don't even know why he doesn't like me, I repeat he doesn't even know me! I am so calling the rental company when I get to the hotel that is just so rude. Now I was stuck in a car with the one man I can't stand.

Randy and I . . . stuck in a car together . . . for fourteen hours. This was going to be interesting, if not torturous.

**A/N: This is the start of the next few chapters of Randy and Mickie on the road together . . . alone :) I hope you enjoyed it. Please take the time to review :)**

**As far as the "Dashing Cody Rhodes' nickname, I think it's cute! Haha, Cody is definitely a good looking guy so the nickname suits him. He deserves a push because I can totally see him being a main-eventer one day.**

**At first I thought the new GM was Stone Cold as well, but I agree with ****all55husbands**** , Stone Cold wouldn't hide behind a computer! I'm just really curious to know who it is! It would be cool if it was Mickie haha like XxFutureWWEDivaxX suggested. But a lot of you seem to think its HHH which would be so cool as well, but it's the same thing for him – he wouldn't hide behind a computer either.**


	13. you broke my heart

I slept for about the first four hours of the car ride, I was exhausted from last night. I could have slept a whole lot longer had it not been for Randy suddenly deciding to start singing at the top of his lungs. Actually it was more like screaming, or if you threw a metal can into a blender you would get a sound similar to this experience. I knew he was trying to annoy me, so I ignored him . . . for the first thirty minutes. My god, isn't his throat sore? I couldn't take it anymore so I hit the knob on the stereo and the music stopped and seconds later Randy did as well.

"Do you mind? I was listening to that?" the first words of the car journey came from his mouth.

"Yeah, sorry my ears needed a break," I said while staring out the window.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, I happen to be an awesome singer," he stated smugly as I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, maybe to a crowd of deaf kids . . . or Jillian Hall," I added as an after thought. She and Randy could do a duet together or maybe not. I don't know if my ears could take even a second of that.

"Well I needed something to drown out your snoring," he smirked.

I scoffed and then the car was silent because I didn't have anything to say. A few minutes later a thought popped into my head.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Do I have a choice? I'm stuck in a car with you," he said and I just ignored his comment and proceeded.

"Why did you agree to let me drive with you? Obviously you don't need me to pay for the car. This could have been your perfect chance to screw me over," it was obvious, I mean I at least would have thought about doing it to him. I doubt that I would have; Randy on the other hand is the vengeful type.

"Honestly? I was hoping at some point we could stop for a quickie. I have forgotten what Mickie James was like in that area. I imagine you would be a lot quieter than you are now, until of course you started screaming my name," he said and then smirked and raised his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes – again, "You forget all that from last night. You must have been pretty drunk," I said and stared at the passengers of a car we were passing.

"What are you talking about?" he seemed like his confusion was genuine.

"Uh, last night, me and you? Ringing any bells?" I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

His face was full of confusion and there was silence. _Was I honestly that bad?_ I thought to myself mortified. I mean come on, I was so drunk I can't even remember it, could I be held accountable? Besides, what do I care? Randy doesn't deserve my best anyways.

His face straightened up and he glanced at me before turning his attention back to the road, "Nothing happened between us last night Mickie, apart from the dirty dancing and drunken make-out sessions."

I was confused now, "But I woke up with no pants on . . ."

"Well you insisted you couldn't sleep in jeans. Actually it was amusing watching you try to get out of them. You fell like three times before I finally helped, which wasn't all that much because I can't remember the last time I was that drunk," he said while laughing to himself clearly reminiscing on how humorous the situation had been.

"That would explain a few sore spots," I muttered to myself and giggled a bit. I sighed with relief and felt myself instantly relax.

There was silence in the car again until he broke it, "Honestly Mickie, my life goal isn't to screw you over. Yeah sure I like making life hell for you sometimes, but never in a serious matter."

"So sleeping with a string of girls after I was honest with you and told you how I felt wasn't a serious matter?" I said before I could stop myself. Mental note: Ask someone to kick me when I get to New York.

Instead of getting defensive like I expected, he surprised me, "I don't know why I did that . . . honestly – and if you repeat this to anyone I will deny it – I didn't know how to be without you . . ." he trailed off and glanced at me.

I couldn't believe this! That was his excuse? That he didn't know how to be without me!

I was furious and a little upset, "So that gave you an excuse to rip my heart out!" I almost shouted, and cringed again thinking about what I was getting myself into.

"No I never intended . . . well yes I was mad. That whole time of my life was weird. Coming back from Smackdown, I was excited but it was difficult. And I just felt so angry at you for wanting to leave me – I was stunned, I hadn't seen it coming – and my ego kicked in . . . and well you know the rest. I know we had problems, but I was blindsided when you wanted to end it. I know it's not an excuse, and I regret it everyday," he admitted, I had finally gotten my answer after two and a half years.

Oh god, I could feel the tears coming. Please give me the strength to hold back, but I had this urge to say exactly what has been on my mind for the last few years. All the emotion and the pain just grew into a bubble and this was its breaking point.

"I'm sick of holding this in. You broke my heart. I wanted to curl into a ball and just never get up; to this day I still feel like that sometimes. It just seems like that would have been easier than continuing on living while feeling numb and broken the way I was – the way I still am. I just could never quite understand how you just left without caring . . ."

"Mickie I never stopped caring," he stated and his voice told me it was the truth.

"It sure didn't seem like it," I felt the tears creeping down my face, "I don't know what to do about any of it. It's been two and a half years and I still don't have the answer, I'm still not completely cured. I don't know if I ever will be and I don't know if I could ever be able to love anyone ever again, the way," my voice cracked and the tears spilled down my face, "the way I loved you." I put my head in my hands, I was so embarrassed.

I became aware of the fact that the car was slowing down, and eventually it altogether stopped. I looked up to see Randy looking at me. He tried to put his arms around me but I pushed him away; the last thing I needed was his sympathy.

"Don't," I managed to whisper, "I'm fine. This isn't exactly new to me, but I've done enough crying over you. It's not worth it. Please can we just keep driving?" I pleaded with him, it was the least he could do.

His face was torn, I could tell he wanted to comfort me, but he knew what I wanted and he respected it. He nodded his head and put the car in drive and continued on our way.

"Thank you," I muttered after a few minutes of silence.

"For what?" he asked clearly confused.

"I needed this; it's like closure or something. I needed to know I hadn't become nothing to you," it was the truth, that is what has been eating at me for so long and I was glad I knew the truth.

"Of course you weren't Mickie. For what it's worth, I haven't been in any kind of relationship since . . . it's too hard, and a part of me is uncomfortable with settling down with anyone."

I smiled at him and wiped the remaining tears, "So now that we have the sentimental moments out of the way, I'm hungry," I said getting straight to the point looking for a distraction.

He laughed at me, "Well I seen a sign for a town up ahead, it's about an hour? I can tell you are feeling better. Driving cheered you up eh?"

"How did you remember how much I love driving?" I guess we did date for two years and we have known each other for about five years, but I didn't expect him to remember that.

"I remember a lot of stuff," he admitted without looking at me, "I remember that mainly because most people would get sick being hung over in a car, the whole motion sickness thing. But you always felt relaxed driving. You know stuff doesn't always go in one ear and out the other," he said finally looking at me and smirking, "you could at least give me some credit."

"Fine, I apologize," I said with a smile and then stared out the window again and the trees passing in a blur, "I wish I could drive everywhere. Unfortunately the job doesn't exactly support that seeing as how I would never make it anywhere in time," I said with a sigh.

We continued driving until we came to a town that, well it wasn't much of a town and the one restaurant looked a bit sketchy. I decided our best bet was to grab a quick snack from the gas station while filling up, and then stop at another town on the way for a real dinner.

I was walking along the aisles trying to decide what I should have, and what I should get Randy, when I looked out the window at him pumping the gas. I smiled to myself, this day had been so much better than I ever could have dreamed of. I got a good friend back - maybe, and I got answers I had been waiting on for what feels like an eternity. I also had the opportunity to get things off of my chest that I have kept to myself for years. I shook my head and continued along the aisles, finally going to the cash register with a couple bottles of water, a bag of chips, two chocolate bars and a bag of beef jerky. After paying I made my way back to the car where Randy was waiting.

"What did you get?" he said taking the bag and opening it, "Wow, there's enough junk in here to give us a heart attack . . . or two."

I laughed at his joke, "Come on, when's the last time you had potato chips? This is a road trip, besides I'm sure we can get in a ton of gym time at the hotel in New York," it was the truth. I rarely ate junk food, but I always worked extra hard to burn it off when I did.

"I won't tell if you don't," I leaned in and whispered.

He smirked at me, "I find myself all of a sudden craving everything in this bag. I guess I couldn't have expected much else considering our choices were limited by the fact that it is a gas station."

"Exactly, so relish this moment Randy Orton, it will be one of the greatest," I teased him, "I will drive if you want, you can get some sleep or whatever," I offered and he accepted.

We had fun listening to the music and eating our usually forbidden goodies and had fun reminiscing on what it was like years ago. Of course we still had our petty arguments and teasing, but I think a lot of the tension has been loosened since our "closure" talk. A couple of hours later, Randy was breathing heavy with sleep and the car was – for the most part – silent.

How great would it be if Randy and I showed up to the hotel, and we were finally acting decent towards each other? I don't know how our friends would react, but at this point I didn't care. I don't think John would be too happy, given their history and I think Melina and Kelly would be hesitant upon trusting him. And why shouldn't they be after everything that has gone down lately, but I have a good feeling about this. Sure Randy and I had our chance, but that doesn't mean that we cannot be friends. He understood me better than anyone else back in the day and maybe that hasn't changed.

But what if it has? Clearly, we are both different people, but I think for the most part we still function the same. Talking with him today has been normal and not awkward at least not since the talk. Mostly I'm just excited to see how everything works out. If we were completely done with having each other in our lives, then what was the point for us being in this same car right now? What would have been the point of us both missing our flight, or of my cell phone dying so no one could get a hold of me. I mean it all has to mean something right? I smiled to myself, I'm just curious to see what the fates have in store for me.

**A/N: I figured this chapter was too short and not much happens except Mickie is able to get some truth out of the Viper finally! So I uploaded the next chapter as well which is much longer. I hope you enjoy both of them. **

**Thanks so much for the reviews, and I really hope I can get some more for these chapters :) Thanks.**

**I can't wait to see what happens at the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View!**

**And did all of you check out that beautiful RKO on Evan Bourne while he was mid-air on Monday Night? You can really appreciate it especially when you watch the replays! Both men did an excellent job at pulling it off! People are going to remember that for years to come!**


	14. Crazy For You

"Hey baby, wanna dance?" a man asked while checking me out and not being very subtle about it.

Wondering where we are? We had been sitting at a restaurant just down the road eating our dinner, when a man approached us– no doubt about the fact that he was drunk – And absolutely insisted on us going down to the bar, the only one in town might I add. Randy figured we were ahead of schedule so he managed to convince me that a few hours at the local bar wouldn't put a big dent in our itinerary. I was hesitant at first, but after a few minutes of him practically begging, I gave in – only to get him to shut up.

I looked over across the bar and observed Randy was being entertained by a huge crowd of the local girls, _so_ dancing with this guy _would_ make me seem less pathetic. However, I couldn't bring myself to dance with this sketchy and rather unappealing man, no matter what the reason.

I smiled at him, "No sorry I don't really feel like dancing," I politely declined.

"Do you think you are too good for me or something?" he insisted; wow is he deranged?

"No I never said that it's just . . ."

"What?" he cut me off, "Huh? All you skanks come into our town and think you are better than all of us," he said menacingly. Skank? Last time I checked I wasn't a damn skank!

"No that's not what I meant . . ."

"Well dance with me then," and he grabbed my hand and jerked me forward. I could smell the heavy stench of alcohol on him. I pulled my hand out of his grasp and took a step back; but he stepped forward and grabbed my hand again, this time much tighter, and forcefully pulled me forward.

"Let go of me," I hissed at him. When he continued to pull me, I reached my other hand up and smacked him right across his face and he let go.

He was momentarily stunned, "What the fuck you bitch," he yelled and reached his hand up to punch me. I closed my eyes and waited for the blow, but it didn't come. I opened my eyes after hearing a minor scuffle to see the back of a much taller man and when I looked around I noticed Randy Orton was posing as a shield to me from the guy.

"She said she doesn't want to dance with you, so why don't you take your redneck ass and do us all a favour and get the hell out of here," Randy's cold voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" the guy shouted and took a step towards the Viper.

"I'm Randy-fucking-Orton, who the fuck do you think you are?" I giggled at his last corny statement.

"You think this is funny you bitch, I'll . . ."

"You call her a bitch one more time and I will knock you on your ass and kick your head in," Randy hissed at the guy who in turn flinched, "I bet you think you are real big attempting to hit a woman, but let me tell you, you definitely messed with the wrong one; And not because I'm around, but because she could kick your ass all over this bar. So I'm thinking you should probably thank me for intervening." I smiled to myself; I wonder if that is how it would go down.

With one final glare, the man turned on his heel and stormed off leaving the Viper smirking after him.

He turned to look at me after making sure the guy wasn't returning, "So, considering I just did you a favour, how about you do me one?"

I plastered on a smile and turned my head sideways, "And what might that be," I said and crossed my arms.

"As payment for my kind duty, you can dance with me so those girls will leave me alone. They're seriously scaring me, I actually think one of them might not be a girl . . ." he said with a disgusted look on his face.

I had to laugh, "As much as I would love to, I don't need to repay you, like you said I could have taken that guy."

"That was all in the heat of the moment, a threat if you will."

"You are Randy-fucking-Orton remember? Just tell them to leave you alone," I stated in an obvious way.

"Yeah I tried; these girls are different around here. Come on, I am begging you! This is a one time offer, you will never see Randy Orton beg again!" he was actually pleading with me, how could I not take pity?

I narrowed my eyes at him and pretended to think, "Okay," I laughed again.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the dance floor. We danced to a country song; all the while enduring glares from a handful of women. When the song was finished a new song started. It took me a few seconds to realize what was playing, but when I realized, I stopped dead in my tracks as did Randy. I looked up at him and then we both turned at the same time and made our way to the bar. We ordered non-alcoholic drinks and after a few seconds, he pushed his way out onto the patio. With one sigh, I opened the door and followed him outside.

After an awkward silence of just standing there sipping our drinks, I knew I had to say something.

"That was insanely awkward . . ." wow Mickie you deserve a Nobel Prize for that piece of work.

"The girls glaring, yeah just a little bit . . ." was he joking? After a few moments he realized I was staring at him questioningly, ". . . Is that not what you were talking about?"

"Uh, the song . . . Madonna . . . Crazy for you?" after a few seconds of waiting I continued, "Nothing comes to mind?"

"Should something? I mean Madonna isn't exactly my idea of a good time," and he chuckled, he actually chuckled. This was even more awkward.

I felt my heart sink, "Yeah, uh, me either," I said and managed to force a tiny laugh.

After a few seconds I realized he was staring at me this time, "Are you gonna tell me . . .?" he questioned. Oh god, what am I supposed to say now? _**Do not**__ under any circumstances Mickie remind him of the memory that goes along with that song, you will regret it, _I thought to myself.

I laughed nervously, "No, it's uh, it's silly. I barely remember it. Just the general memory itself, nothing important," I managed to get out.

There was silence for a few more minutes until he moved, "Well," and he looked at his watch, "we should probably be going," he gulped the rest of his drink and put the empty glass down and then made his way towards the door.

I did the same and when we emerged on the other side of the door, we found the guy from earlier standing at the front of a pack of people – four other guys and three girls. Great, definitely don't want to deal with this right now. Randy took a step forward and I took my place beside him.

"Going somewhere?" the guy questioned, and this time it was his turn to smirk.

"What was it you said earlier about leaving," I leaned in and whispered to Randy, "because it doesn't look like that's happening."

I really hope we can solve this without resorting to fighting, however that might be hard considering the angry mob is a group of drunken people.

"Hey Mickie," Randy spoke up so the crowd could hear, "remind me in the future not to enter a hick bar without bringing back up, I seem to have forgotten they all know each other," he finished with a smirk.

I gave the crowd my most angelic smile, "Randy, really not helping," I hissed low enough so that only he could hear.

He turned to me, "What? If I'm going down, I'm going down swinging," you had to admire the guy's pride, but sometimes I wish he would just shut the hell up.

"So you're the skank who was putting the moves on my boyfriend?" one of the girls stepped forward and motioned to the guy from before. Looks like I was a target too, just great.

"Ew! Are you kidding me? He was hitting on me . . . ugh I just shiver at the thought of it," I can't believe that bastard told her I was hitting on him.

She continued walking towards me, "Yeah right, my Ricky would never hit on another girl, let alone someone like you," she sneered and by this time she was a foot away from me.

"Wake up darling! Your boyfriend is a dickhead scumbag, who has probably slept with half if not all of your friends. Although, judging by his looks I honestly do not understand how," I stated; this girl was really starting to piss me off.

"Hey Sherry, shut that bitch up. She has no right talking to you like that!" one of the other girls shouted from her position near the guys. God, I swear if one more person calls me a bitch I'm gonna start throwing punches.

"Yeah Sherry, why don't you take your best shot at shutting up a WWE superstar and four time Women's Champion," I said with a smirk, bring it on redneck, I'll show you who's boss.

"Nice!" Randy laughed while holding his hand up for me to give him a high-five.

I turned my head to glare at him, "Once again Randy, _really_ not the time." I was still hopeful that maybe they would back off knowing we were WWE superstars.

He shrugged his shoulders and before I could turn to face the girl again I felt her hand collide with my face in the form of a slap.

She started it! I turned to face her, "You're gonna have to do better than that," and before even a second passed I tackled her to the ground. I managed to get a few slaps and one or two punches in, before I felt a blow to my back. I fell over and ignoring the pain I jumped to my feet and punched the girl's obnoxious friend from before square in the face, knocking her to the ground. The third girl came at me with her arm extended and tried clothes lining me, but I ducked and swept her feet from under her knocking her on top of "Ricky's" girlfriend.

I held my back in pain and turned to find out where Randy was. He was being held by two of the guys, while Ricky and two other men were taking turns throwing punches everywhere they could manage. I came up behind the furthest guy back, and gave him a low-blow which took him to the floor in immediate pain. I felt my hair being ripped out of my head, and turned around to see one of the guys had a firm hold on my hair. So I just smoked the dude in the face and when he let go of my hair I kicked him in the groin. While he was doubled over, I grabbed his head and shoved his body into Ricky, and they went sailing over a table and onto the floor with Ricky landing on his friend. That'll teach them to triple team a defence-less guy. I turned to see Randy had taken out the other two and was now slumped on the floor. I dashed over to him, helped him up, and while supporting him I lead us to the door of the bar. I turned to see the group staggering to their feet, and some of them heading our way. I grabbed the keys out of my pocket when we were outside – thank god I had decided against a clutch – and after shoving Randy in the passenger side I ran to the driver's side as the group of psychotic hillbillies made their way out of the bar. I started the car and stomped on the gas, leaving them all in a cloud of dust.

_Randy's POV_

My head was killing me; along with every other part of my body. Not even I, the Viper, WWE's Apex Predator, could take on five guys at once. Thank God Mickie was there; otherwise I probably wouldn't have made it out of that bar conscious.

"You were pretty impressive back there Mick," I said while wincing in pain.

"Yeah I took down half of them, what would you have done without me?" she said smiling and then looked at me, "Whoa, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine don't worry about me. Oh and by the way, this doesn't get mentioned to anybody. Randy Orton's reputation would be ruined if this got out."

She scoffed, "Scout's honour," she promised me, "Honestly though, those guys deserved everything they got, they were douche bags! Anyways, I just got lucky . . . no way I would be able to take out that many people on a daily basis."

She laughed out loud and when I looked at her clearly confused she answered, "And people think all of our wrestling ability is 'fake'!"

"Doesn't change the fact that we are trained to deal with people like that, except this time we don't have to worry about protecting the other person when we pull off a move. But seriously do people think the only thing I am capable of is an RKO? I mean come on I'm not going to pull off my finisher in a bar, that's just lame."

"Hell, maybe I should keep you around instead of Ted and Cody," I muttered with a grin. Of course I was kidding, Ted and Cody were very useful to have around, and despite the fact that I wouldn't say it out loud, they were good friends. Maybe I should tell them that sometime . . . oh god hanging out with Mickie is turning me into a chick.

"Whatever, Ted and Cody are both great wrestlers," she retorted and I knew she was right.

"True, but they still have so much to learn," and they will learn everything I could teach them in time. They both have so much potential; wrestling is in their blood.

"That's true, but so do the both of us," she was also right about that, just because we have been in the business for a long time, doesn't mean we know everything. Hell, I learn so many new things everyday. Talking about Ted and Cody, made me curious, and reminded me of something I have been dying to know.

She laughed and nodded in agreement.

"So can I ask you a question?"

"I'm stuck in a car with you, do I really have a choice," she said mimicking me from before and then smiling. She was so cute.

"How are you and Ted so close?" I said with a sigh. This was kind of uncomfortable.

"I wouldn't say we are 'so' close, but when Ted and I are together we can just have fun. Our conversations are usually mostly joking around, and it's just relaxing. I think in time, Ted and I could become really good friend," she said smiling to herself, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh I was just wondering, he seems really protective of you. He didn't want to leave the two of us alone last night, because he didn't want you to get hurt," I had to admit I was a little jealous of Ted, actually a lot jealous of him. He was a part of Mickie's life in a good way; he wasn't some stain that could never be removed.

"Really?" she said with surprise, "He's such a sweet person, but when it comes to you I can handle myself."

"Yeah of course, but a part of me knew he was right. I mean look what happened. This," I said pointing to my sore ribs, "is the result of us being reckless. With that being said, I wouldn't have changed any of it. I have never once thought about you in the same way I would see other girls, and I think that is what he was worried about. It – you are more than that," I said to her, "Oh god you have single handedly turned me into a woman in less than ten hours."

Mickie giggled at me, "Look at us, being all nice to each other. Whoa, did hell freeze over and I was never informed?"

"Must have," I joked along with her and then laughed. I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. Today had been such a long day, and sleep would be wonderful right now. However, sleeping in a car isn't the same as actual sleeping. I cannot wait until we get to New York, but I also can wait because I am having a great time here as well, minus our latest fiasco.

Those guys, I could kill all of them for laying their hands on Mickie and trying to hurt her; but I guess that makes me something of a hypocrite. Although I have never hurt Mickie physically, I have done something worse in hurting her mentally. I seen the way her eyes betrayed her when I lied to her just before the fight. She had pretended like she hadn't been affected, but I could tell by the look in her eyes. I had wanted to comfort her, but I knew it would have been highly inappropriate.

Truth is, that had been one of the greatest memories I have with Mickie. It had been hard hearing that song in the bar knowing how things once were and how different they are now. Sure I wasn't close to being a fan of Madonna, it wasn't the song that had been hard to hear necessarily, but it was the memories that the song brought along with it. I had everything I had ever wanted and I screwed it up. If I had just tried a little harder things would be different now. The memories were the only reminder I had of that bright spot in my life.

_Flashback – Randy's POV_

_I was still confused about what had just happened. Laura and I had been talking, and reminiscing and she kissed me. Of course I had been quick to end it, and after not knowing what to say I just walked away. I needed to find Mickie. Laura and I had a history; we had grown up together and had dated on more than one occasion. All of that was over between us, and I am completely committed to Mickie. I am in love with her and happier than I have ever been, which is why I have to tell her about what happened. Honesty is the only thing that will help this situation._

_Mickie was sitting at a table with my mom and two of my aunts. I had to smile, she fit in perfectly. Not only did my immediate family take a quick liking to her, but all the relatives that had had the opportunity to meet her told me how 'wonderful she is' and 'how great we are together'. I already knew these things, but I loved hearing them from my family._

_I made my way over to the table and immediately everyone turned to look at me._

"_Sorry to interrupt ladies, but I was wondering if I could have a quick word with my beautiful girlfriend," sucking up at this point wasn't beneath me._

_My mom stood up and came towards me, "We were just about to head over and see how things are going in the kitchen, so you two can have your privacy here," she smiled towards Mickie who reciprocated it._

_My mom turned back to me, "You got a great woman there Randy, don't take her for granted," she said quietly and I nodded. Of course that was true, my mother was very smart and to have her say something like that to me, made all of this real. She smiled at me one more time and I gave her a hug and then a kiss on the cheek. She left after telling Mickie she would talk to her later, and her and my aunts made their way towards the kitchen._

_I grinned at Mickie, "Hey babe," I said leaning down to her, to which she pulled away quickly. She must feel uncomfortable doing that in front of my family. I took a seat and knew I needed to tell her as soon as possible._

"_Your mom is really great," she told me, "she's fun, and it's not uncomfortable to be around her."_

"_She really likes you. Actually my entire family likes you; I've been confused this entire time. Where's the real Mickie?" I attempted a joke, but she didn't seem amused._

"_Hey I'm kidding baby," well Randy it's now or never. "I have something to tell you," I started, but she didn't look up. She was apparently very interested in a fork that was sitting on the table._

"_Mickie?" she looked up and stared into my eyes. There was something wrong, I could tell by her eyes. I would have to ask her about it later, if she forgives me for what I'm about to tell her._

"_Mickie I kissed Laura," well it was more she kissed me, but I wasn't much to point fingers, I had been there too._

_Her cold eyes bored into mine, "I know," was all she said. How did she know? I guess her actins made sense now. She is mad. What am I going to do? What is she going to do?_

"_How . . .?" was all I managed to stutter._

"_I seen you two when I was looking for you," she stared directly into my eyes. I felt uncomfortable. It's not like I had slept with Laura._

"_Mickie it didn't mean anything-" she cut me off._

"_Randy, I don't want excuses. I want you to tell me if you still have feelings for her," she said with no life to her voice. This was bad, she wasn't even acting angry._

"_No of course not," I started out strong, "I mean I don't think so . . ." damnit Randy, what the hell is wrong with you? You love Mickie and there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But before I could say anything, Mickie was up off her seat and making her way away from the table. She ran into the bathroom before I could catch up with her._

_Why was I such a moron, I didn't feel anything for Laura now and when she had kissed me, I didn't feel anything for her then. I was thinking of Mickie the entire time, and I just need Mickie to believe it. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked around to see my mother._

"_Hey honey, what's wrong? I saw Mickie run into the bathroom, is she okay?" my mother looked genuinely concerned._

"_I messed up Mom. I don't know what to do, I can't lose her . . ." I didn't know what else to say._

"_I'll go and see how she is," and before I could protest she made her way into the bathroom._

_Mickie's POV_

_I wiped my eyes with the tissue I was holding and repositioned myself on the toilet I was sitting on. What the hell do I do now? I feel like such a fool. He has a history with this girl and they are reunited for five minutes and his feelings already come back. I didn't have a chance against something like that. Had I known when he asked me to come that his ex was still close with his family, I probably would have declined the invitation. This is a situation that I do not want to be in. If anything, I'm glad I know now, instead of being a fool sitting back in a hotel room wondering what might be going on. I feel so embarrassed, with all his family out there and . . . her. _

_I heard the door open and decided I would wait to come out until the bathroom was empty._

"_Mickie?" someone spoke softly and there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, I found Elaine Orton standing there._

"_Are you okay?" she asked me._

_I walked past her and walked to the sink to wash my hands._

"_I'm alright, I'm just gonna head back to the house," I insisted._

"_Mickie, I know it's not my place, but I'm asking you to forgive whatever it is that he has done. I feel silly asking, and I know he would probably be angry with me for saying this. He made a mistake, but I know how much he loves you."_

"_It's not that easy . . . I can't help how he feels about Laura," it's not like I could make him not have feelings for her, and it's not like I could just ignore them even though I know he does love me._

"_Laura?" she asked confused as to why I was mentioning her, "They grew up together, and they have a great bond, but it's nothing more than that. Mickie I have seen the way my son looks at you and it's such an incredible thing. I have never seen him look at anyone in this way, not even Laura. It's with respect, passion, and immense love that he looks at you and I don't think any woman could ask for anything more. You make him happier than I have ever seen him, and if I may be so bold, I can tell that he makes you immensely happy. Something like a person's past, should not decide your future. You have to factor other things into your decision. Love is such a powerful thing; don't let it go to waste over something so minimal. He is a good person; you must remember that if anything," tears were gathering in my eyes and I let out a sob; she pulled me into a hug._

"_I know he's a good person, and he does make me happy. And god," I chuckled through the tears, "I love him more than anything."_

_She smiled at me, "Let him explain. We wouldn't want to miss out on adding a wonderful member to the family like you," I threw my arms around her again._

"_Thank you so much. I love being here, you all are just incredible people, thank you for having me," I said while wiping my eyes._

"_It's our pleasure Mickie. Now go find him," she smiled again and I was out the door._

_I seen that Randy was sitting on a chair to the left of the bathroom and he jumped to his feet when he glimpsed me come out._

_He hurried over to me, "Mickie I'm so sorry I don't know what I was saying . . ."_

"_Stop," I cut him off, "you don't need to explain, I trust you," and I offered him a smile._

"_I want to say this anyways. You are the only one for me, and I love you more than I could ever tell you. The way you make me feel is incomparable to anything I have felt before. Every time I see you hurting I just want to shield you which makes it so much worse when it is me who is doing the hurting. It kills me to know what I am the cause of your pain, because you deserve every happiness. I love you Mickie James and I will fight to the end for you."_

_I wanted to cry, but instead I smiled. I placed my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer to him. I loved the smell of him; it made my heart melt as did the way he kissed my neck._

_I pulled my head away, "Dance with me," I insisted. Madonna's 'Crazy for you' was playing, and I had to admit I was a sucker for this song._

"_Anything you want," he replied and pulled me onto the dance floor._

"_Randy, us upsetting each other is inevitable, the important thing is that we learn how to get through it," I said to him and he nodded in agreement._

_After about a minute of slow dancing I could feel his eyes on me so I looked up._

"_Mickie, you're the one. You're the one I want to spend forever with. In such a short time, you have made me a better person and you have made me happier than I could have ever imagined. I don't ever want to let you go."_

"_Then don't ever let me go Randy Orton, ever," I responded._

_He leaned down and kissed my forehead and then he kissed my lips. I laid my head on his chest and knew that in that very moment that I would love him forever._

A tear slid down my check at the thought of that memory. A tear for things that once were, and a tear for how things ended. I quickly brushed it away and looked over to make sure Randy was still sleeping. I turned back to the road in front of me. I had been right when I said I would love him forever. Sure people could say that we had only dated for two years, but the affect he had on me would last a lifetime. It was funny because at the time of that reunion, I had known him for just over a year and had been dating him for five months, but I knew. Despite the fact that we are no longer together, a part of my heart does and will always belong to him, which is why I could never fully love someone else. But maybe someday I will end up with someone, who won't be Randy Orton, but maybe he will be the next best thing, and that is definitely more than I deserve.

**So what did you think? Was it too corny? Haha I actually really enjoy this chapter and this flashback. Let me know what you think! Thanks again for the reviews this far.**


	15. you KNEW me better than anyone

Staring at my cell phone that was now plugged into the car outlet and was in the process of charging I was taking my time working up the courage to finally get in touch with my friends. I had pulled the car over an hour ago, at the demand of Randy who insisted it was his turn to drive. While we were stopped I had taken the opportunity to dig my car charger out of my suitcase and plug it in. I gave up trying after not being able to force myself to sleep. Neither of us was in the mood for talking so we sat in silence with the sound of the radio playing softly in the background. I sighed and picked up my phone – time to get back to reality.

"What's with the sigh?" damn never realized I sighed so loud.

"Millions of calls, texts, and messages. What do I say?" I had been thinking for the last hour about what I would tell my friends. I still hadn't come up with a solution and I was very hopeful that Randy had some brilliant ideas.

"Well I haven't any idea what I'm going to say," guess I won't be holding my breath then, "The truth I suppose?" That's his brilliant idea?

I rolled my eyes, "Oh hey guys, yeah me and Randy are like total BFF's now," I said in the most girlish, sarcastic voice I could muster, "Yeah that'll go over well," I finished and then turned to look out the window. It was a pointless gesture because we were in between cities and everything was dark.

"Well when you put it like that . . . doesn't sound all that great. They are going to assume something happened," he finished with a sigh.

"I know, um maybe we should just not tell them? At least for awhile, until we can figure this out ourselves," I suggested.

"You know it really isn't a big deal anyways. Guaranteed Ted and Cody already know or have at least assumed as much, so what is the point in telling anybody anyway?" he said without looking at me.

"And I'm sure once we get back you will still be annoying," he added with a chuckle.

I smiled, "Likewise Legend Killer. I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I'm not gonna lie, I've had fun over the past few weeks, despite the times I wanted to lock you in a closet. You are very entertaining when you're jealous," he glanced at me quickly with a grin on his face before turning back to the road.

I scoffed, "When was I jealous?" I said a little too defensively. Tone it down Mickie, "I mean if anything it was annoyance."

"Yeah right, you were totally jealous in that elevator."

"I believe the term I used was . . . oh yeah disgusted onlooker," I said with a fake smile. I guess I had been a tad bit jealous, but I would never admit that to him, not even if he had a gun pointed to my head.

"Oh yeah, that's why you found it so necessary to insult my date the first chance you got."

I rolled my eyes again, "Two things," I said holding up two fingers, "One, Date?" I scoffed, "Going straight for sex isn't classified as a date and Two, she insulted me first. I'm sorry but standing around while some girl who doesn't know the meaning of class or self-respect insults me really isn't my style."

Those happened to be two excellent points; I believe I had just won the argument.

"Mickie, I can still read you like a book. I know you better than anyone," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Correction, you **knew **me better than anyone. The difference is that was then and this is now," honestly did he think I was still exactly the same as before? I mean sure I was in certain ways, but I was also different in a lot of ways as well. I was a girl who knew exactly what it meant to have her heart broken. I was a girl who also had a shield surrounding her life, and I was a girl who was reluctant about letting just anyone back into it.

There was silence in the car now and I figured this was as good a time as any to check my phone. I sighed again –more quietly this time – before picking it up. I unlocked my phone –the iPhone – and read that I had twenty missed calls. I scrolled through them – seven from Melina, five from Kelly, four from John, and four from Ted. Wow, I was sure in demand. I bet Melina was just freaking out.

"How bad?" Randy asked breaking the silence.

"Twenty missed calls all from Melina, Kelly, John, and even Ted," I responded and then made my way to my inbox. I cringed, this was even worse than the missed calls, "And that's just the beginning. There's like over thirty text messages."

_Mickie you didn't text us when you landed - Melina_

_Micks did you find a ride? Should we be expecting you? – Melina_

_Micks we haven't heard from you. Your flight landed an hour ago, call us. – Kelly_

_Mickie James we're getting worried. You won't answer your phone, call us when you get this – Melina_

_Mickie are you alright? Please text us or call us to let us know you are okay – Kelly_

_Mickie, Kelly and Melina are worried. I told them you weren't on the flight. What happened? – Ted_

"And those are just a few of them," I said after reading them out loud.

"Well you should probably text them back or something before they report you missing," he said with a chuckle.

I smiled to myself thinking that Melina and Kelly would probably do such a thing. After spending a good amount of time composing the prefect text message I sent one each to Kelly, Melina, John, and Ted.

_Hey :) I'm sorry I didn't respond or answer, my phone died and I just found my charger. I'm fine – missed flight so am driving to New York. Be there early morning. xoxo_

After hitting send I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. I felt tired now so maybe I could sleep for a few hours. My phone rang, so no to the sleeping I guess. The caller ID informed me that it was Melina so I hit send and pressed the phone against my ear.

"Hey Mel," I said.

"Thank god, I almost had a heart attack! I thought you were dead or something. How hard is it to pick up a pay phone?" ever the drama queen.

I smiled to myself, "Sorry, I never really thought about it. I'm so tired. I've been driving all day and now I'm going to be driving all night."

"What happened?" she sounded concerned, "Ted said you weren't on the flight."

"Yeah I slept in by accident," I didn't know what else to say, so I went for the obvious.

"When do you ever sleep in, let alone sleeping in the day you have a morning flight," she knew me too well.

"Well I had a lot to drink the night before. Anyways, I should probably concentrate on driving. I'll see you when I get there. Tell Kel I say hi. Love ya . . ." and before she could respond or question me further I hit the end button.

Seconds later my phone beeped. It was a text message from John.

_Man Micks, would it kill you to get in touch somehow. We were all worried. _

I responded_, Sorry it's been a crazy couple of days. See you when I get to New York._

I wasn't in the mood to text or talk to anyone for that matter. My phone beeped again and this time it was a text from Ted.

_Good to finally hear from you Mickie. You don't happen to know what happened to Randy do you? He isn't answering his phone, I'm worried._

"Ted wants to know where you are. I can't believe you haven't called him _or_ Cody," I said to him.

"I'm not a chick. I'll be there when I'm there," he said arrogantly, I rolled my eyes again.

"I'm telling him you're with me," I told him and he just shrugged his shoulders.

My phone beeped again with a text from John.

_Okay, drive safe. See you when you get here. :)_

Disregarding it, I composed another text and sent it to Ted.

_Yeah he's with me. We're driving together. Long story. I will tell you all about it when we get to the hotel. Please don't tell anyone . . . Cody is fine but tell him to keep it to himself. This is awkward enough._

Hopefully Ted doesn't make a big deal out of this. Honestly he and Cody I have no problem telling. It's different with them. I think they can understand or at least pretend to. A few minutes later my phone beeped with a response.

_Your secrets safe with me. I expect a full detailed story when you get here. Be careful both of you. Have fun ;)_

I put my phone down and leaned back against my seat. I felt myself dozing off when my phone rang again. I cursed knowing it was Melina. Can't she get the hint that I don't want to talk. I picked my phone up and hit send without looking at the caller ID.

"Melina I told you I will . . . oh," I laughed, it wasn't Melina. It was Elaine Orton.

"Mickie, I'm sorry to call you so late."

"No don't worry about it," I said taking a glance at Randy who still had his eyes fixed on the road.

"I've been trying to reach Randy all night and I know you two aren't on speaking terms, but he hasn't answered his phone all day and I've been worried. Do you happen to know where he is, or how I could get a hold of him?" she sounded worried. I can't believe the jackass didn't answer for his own mother.

I looked at him and then turned to face the window and whispered, "Yeah, you won't believe this, but he is actually with me right now. It's a long story but we missed our flights so we had to drive to New York together. I'll explain it all another time, or even he can, but he's fine. I'll have him call you when he can, you should get some rest."

"Well there's a surprise and a half. I'm glad you two are getting along, for the time being if anything. Make sure you tell him to call me honey. I miss you both."

"I miss you too and don't worry I will tell him," I promised.

"Well take care now, bye Mickie," she spoke.

"Bye," I said before ending the call. I put my phone down and cleared my throat, "Sooo . . ."

"That was my Mom wasn't it," he said before I had a chance to.

"Yeah how'd you . . . yeah she told me to tell you to call her. She misses us and she weally wuvs you," I said while laughing. I hadn't talked to Elaine in a couple weeks to be honest despite telling Randy we talk all the time. I missed her so I was glad she had called.

"Very funny," he said sarcastically, "Why would she miss you?"

"Jealous?" I said with a grin, "She loves me and you know it."

"Yeah, I never understood why."

I laughed again, "As much as you may hate to admit it, and I'm not trying to sound arrogant but I don't think that your family will like any girl you take home in the future as much as they liked or like me," I smiled, it was more of a that's what I was hoping kind of thing. I loved his family, probably even more than they liked me. I would be insanely jealous if any other girl got to call herself part of that family.

"Yeah you think so? Well wait and see. Oh and by the way you are very good at arrogant," he stated, "And people always say I am," he scoffed.

". . . because you are!" I shouted with a laugh.

"It's all a matter of opinion," he said while glancing out his window.

"Name one person, other than your mother, who would say you aren't arrogant. And even then it's only because she is in fact your mother."

"It's not arrogance, its confidence, big difference."

"How many times have I heard someone say that?" I said and then gave him the loser symbol.

"Very mature Mickie," he said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and then leaned my head back and closed them. Part of me really enjoyed this new relationship Randy and I had going on ever since I came back and especially now after we somewhat worked our problems out. It was fun teasing him, and he said he has had fun over the last few weeks. Of course I didn't particularly enjoy the insults from before, and the way he looks at me at times, so we have taken a step forward from those encounters – hopefully.

All I know is that Randy Orton has to be a part of my life . . .

The next thing I knew I was being shaken awake and I opened my eyes to see we had finally arrived outside the hotel.

"Mickie are you awake?" I heard Randy ask softly.

"Are we here?" I asked still half asleep.

"Yeah you slept the last four hours, it was actually incredible," he said with a small laugh.

"What?" I said sitting up, "I'm so sorry, you are probably exhausted."

Surveying his face I could see the signs of exhaustion showing pretty heavily. I felt terrible, I should have switched with him a few hours ago; he has gotten so little sleep the last two days.

He chuckled, "Don't worry about it. I get to sleep for awhile before the signing, in an actual bed, and that beats sleeping in a car any day. Besides," and he pointed to the cup holders, "I stopped off, and over the last four hours I have drank three energy drinks."

I smiled, "Oh that's just gross," and I pushed the car door open and stepped out. We headed to the trunk and he lifted our suitcases out and set them on the ground.

"Hey Randy," I said staring at his face, "I just noticed but you have a few bruises on the side of your face," those stupid guys, I had almost forgotten about the bar brawl until now.

"Makes me look tough doesn't it?" he said with a smirk. I smiled and shook my head.

I grabbed my suitcases and he followed towards the lobby of the hotel. After asking the hotel clerk the room numbers of our friends – Randy asked Ted and Cody's, and I thought it was best to bunk with John for the night – we made our way to the elevator.

"So, I had fun?" I said to him.

He laughed, "Yes I believe we did have fun. Arguing on a road trip, sentimental conversations, getting beat up by rednecks-"

"I believe you got beat up by the rednecks, not me," I said interrupting and then correcting him.

He raised his voice and pretended I didn't say anything, "All in all I think it was a pretty eventful road trip. How about we don't do it again sometime," he smiled at him.

I reciprocated the smile, "Agreed," and the elevator stopped on the third floor, "Well I guess I will see you around Orton," I said stepping off.

He was still smiling, "I'm sure we will. Good night or rather good morning?"

"Good night," I said and as the elevator doors closed I turned and found my way to John's room.

After pounding on the door for five full minutes, a groggy John finally answered the door.

"Mickie what-" he said rubbing his eyes.

"Surprise!" I said with a huge smile, "Please take pity on me, I'm exhausted and need a place to sleep. And I'm not in the mood for questions right now, and you know Melina and Kelly and how they are and I just want to sleep!" I whined.

He laughed at me, "Come in come on," and he grabbed both my suitcases and pulled them into his room.

I closed the door behind me and after he put my suitcases in the corner he gave me a hug.

"So what happened to you?" he asked after he pulled away from me.

"Well I missed my flight and they didn't have any available until this afternoon, so I had no choice but to drive," I told him.

"You drove all the way here? Yourself? I mean that has to be like ten or twelve hours," he said doing the math.

"Fourteen actually," I said while taking my jacket off, "And why do you think I'm so tired?"

"Mickie, that is dangerous, you have to be exhausted," he sounded concerned.

I sighed, I didn't want to lie to my friends, "I didn't drive alone," I said quietly.

Now I definitely wasn't going to be avoiding questions. However, John isn't as bad as Kelly and Melina in this sense, so I should be feeling lucky that he actually answered the door and allowed me to sleep here.

"What do you mean? You just said . . . who did you drive with?" he was clearly confused.

"Well I missed my flight and so did Randy, so we-"

"As in Orton, Randy Orton? You drove all the way from Atlanta with Randy Orton?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Why?"

"Well long story short, the annoying old man at the rental agency told me he had no rental cars left, of course later I found out he was lying because he didn't like me, so the only option I had left was catching a ride with him, which didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought. We argued, discussed what happened between us, got into a bar fight, and now here I am ready to go right to sleep," I plastered on an innocent smile and headed towards the bathroom.

I turned around and John was still standing in the same spot with a confused look on his face, "Bar fight?" he said to himself and then looked up at me, "You got into a bar fight? You?"

"Well they were angry people, and well I kicked ass. Oh and for the record they totally started it. It was amazing, it was like eight of them against the two of us, it definitely goes down in my book of memorable moments," John still looked confused.

I rolled my eyes and knew I had to explain now. I recounted the events of the experience I went through getting here, and John laughed a lot. I even told him about the discussion Randy and I had had about what went wrong and that he said he was sorry. John was happy that I finally got my closure, and came to the conclusion that Randy isn't as much of a dick as he thought he was.

"Maybe all Randy needed was you Micks," he told me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well all the while you were gone he became this impenetrable wall. He became, well not very nice to put it mildly. Now you tell me this story that sounds like a completely different person, maybe he has changed," he offered.

"No, I wouldn't expect that if I were you John. Guaranteed tomorrow he will be exactly the same as he is every other day – annoying as hell. This is the new him, and the sooner we, _I_ accept that the better off _I_ will be," I said to him and I knew it was true.

We were both different people and I knew Randy had been right when he said things could never be the same between us, but that didn't mean he couldn't be in my life in a different role.

Look how well we managed stuck in a car together, I look at that as a test, a test that we aced. I'm looking forward to the future, to tomorrow, and seeing how things are going to be from this moment on – whether it be bad or good.

**A/N: As usual let me know what you think. I appreciate the reviews :)**

**Did anybody add Randy Orton on twitter? :) He has like 30 000 followers already and that's in less than 2 days!**


	16. number one contender

I woke up and glanced at my alarm clock. Eleven am. Phew, the signing is in an hour I didn't oversleep. I looked over to find John's bed empty and he didn't appear to be in the bathroom either. Pulling myself out of bed while ignoring my exhaustion I managed to shower myself in record timing. I wrapped a towel around my body and walked back into the room as John entered through the door.

"Hey sleeping beauty, I was afraid if I didn't wake you up you would sleep right through the signing," he said with a chuckle.

"Well I don't know how I managed to wake up, but I did and I cannot wait to sleep again later," I said while digging through my suitcase.

"I should warn you, Kelly and Melina-" but before he could finish there was a knock on the door, "Well I raced them up here to warn you," and he opened the door to let my two best friends and Dave in the door.

"Mickie!" Kelly squealed and threw her arms around me.

"Hey Kel," I said reciprocating the hug and then putting my arms around Melina.

"So what's the story?" Melina asked after pulling away.

"Well my dear friend Melina, I, _we_ have a signing to get to which by the looks of that clock over there, I am going to be late for. So if you will excuse me," I turned towards the bathroom, "I feel naked standing in a towel in front of all of our friends, so I would like to put some clothes on," I said with a smirk and then closed the door behind me.

After dressing I opened the door and stepped out, to find my friends standing exactly where I had left them immersed in conversation.

"Yeah it's a big signing today, it's me," Cena was saying, "You, and you," he added while pointing to Melina and Dave, "Mickie, Randy, Ted, Cody, Evan Bourne, Maryse, and The Miz."

"Wow that is so many people for just one signing," I spoke up and everyone turned to look at me.

"Yeah it's a big signing with everyone but me," Kelly whined.

I giggled, "Awe Kels it is the perfect time to get some "you" time in," I offered knowing that Kelly didn't enjoy time for herself, she enjoyed being around people because she was a very outgoing person, "You could go shopping, you could read, do some exercising, maybe even sleep – like I would really enjoy doing right now!" I even threw the yawn in there for added effect.

John strolled up to Kelly and put his arms around her waist, "It's only for a few hours babe."

Kelly wrapped her arms around John's neck, "Well how about you stay and I'll make it a few hours you will never forgot," she said coyly.

Oh god did she find that necessary with the rest of us in the room? I heard Melina giggle and we exchanged looks while rolling our eyes.

"Aw damn this is the first time I have ever wished I wasn't the champ," Cena whined.

Dave chuckled, "I'll gladly take it from ya. Of course I would like nothing more than to beat your ass first," he said with a smirk.

"Bring it on you big freak," John said and took a step towards Dave.

Laughing to myself I made my way towards them, "Hey," I called, "If anyone is going to kick Cena's ass and be WWE champ it's me big guy," and I reached up and put them both in headlocks. Dave grabbed me around the waist and threw me over his shoulder and he and John pretended to double team me. John faked a pin while Dave counted 1-2-3.

"THE CHAMP IS HERE!" he shouted to the room.

"Okay, okay we're going to be late children," Melina called over to us with a laugh.

"Hey who you calling a child, I'm a man baby," Dave said to her.

"Yeah sure, _baby_," she said mocking him. Dave lunged at her and threw her over his shoulder. She let out a giggle as they headed towards the door.

"Meet you downstairs," Melina called out and then they disappeared into the hallway.

"Well I should finish getting ready," I announced while on my way to the bathroom before turning around and pointing at Kelly and John who were now standing by each other again, "And hey no funny business with you, this is a door not a cement wall," and I did the 'I'm watching you' motion.

I didn't have time to do anything special with my hair, so I ended up drying and straightening and then after applying my make-up I checked my appearance and headed for the door.

"Hey," I called to the other side, "Is it safe to come out?"

I heard Kelly laugh, "Yes Mickie, don't be so dramatic!"

I smiled to myself and headed out to meet my friends.

"Ready to go champ?"

"Hell yes, I have to go represent you know being the leader of the CeNation and all," he said seriously.

I smiled, "Hey can you get me a shirt?"

"Don't be so cheap, you can pay for it!" he laughed.

"Baby, you wouldn't get a t-shirt for my friend for free?" Kelly called out.

"Thanks Kels, you are a much better friend than this freak over here," I said motioning to John, "But wait I have a better idea! How about you insist they put a picture of me on the front of your shirt!" this is a great idea; he will sell double the amount of shirts!

"Yee-ahh that would scare little children," Cena responded. "Okay I can make fun of you later; we're going to be late." After giving Kelly a kiss on the cheek he held the door open and after giving Kelly a hug I entered into the hallway with John following.

He slung his arm around my shoulder, "So Micks, you ready to watch me beat you at the amount of autographs I give?"

"Bring it on champ, bring it on," I said putting my arm around his waist. Of course Cena would win, hello its John Cena, the champ, but I loved our silly conversations.

_Randy's POV_

"Hey we have to go eat soon, I'm starving," Ted was complaining to Cody and me.

I definitely could go for something to eat right now, the signing felt like it dragged on forever, although I had to admit I did have a great time.

"Yeah me too, I could totally go for pizza. After all it's basically the weekend, so why not give in to my guilty pleasure?" just like Cody, always making excuses for himself.

"It's only Thursday," I stated and Ted put a hand up to stop me.

"Cody," he put an arm over Cody's shoulder, "I like the way you think. Randy, you in?" they both looked at me.

"Yeah sure whatever," and then glancing over their shoulders I took in Mickie making her way towards us. I hadn't talked with her since we said good bye this morning, which has felt really weird considering we basically spent two entire days together. However, that was then and this is now, Mickie doesn't play any role in my life apart from someone who happens to pop up every now and then.

"Hey boys," she said smiling at Ted and Cody and then she looked to me, "Randy," and then she looked away.

"Mickie," I simply stated and then turned away as well.

"Hey James, long time no see," Ted said and gave her a hug, "So I do believe you owe me a very detailed story," he said and nodded his head in my direction.

Wow, he sure was subtle. Why did he think he had any right to know what happened on mine and Mickie's little road trip; not that there was anything to know anyways. I wonder if Mickie's friends were expecting a story from her. Well considering its Kelly and Melina, no doubt they haven't left Mickie alone yet.

Mickie let out a chuckle, "Yeah well get in line, apparently everyone believes I owe them a story. It's like I'm some new celebrity."

I scoffed, "Yeah and what planet might that be on, because it sure isn't this one," did I have to say that? Oh well I can't take it back now.

I turned to walk away only to hear Mickie mutter, "Some things never change."

Sure it was a dick move, but we both had agreed nothing was going to change, and I wasn't going to change for nothing or no one.

I was walking towards the bathroom when I felt my pocket vibrate, _what the?_ Oh yeah my cell phone. I fished the phone out of my pocket and checked the caller ID – this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Hey Mom, sorry I didn't call . . ."

"So Mickie did tell you to call me," she stated after cutting me off.

I sighed, "Yeah she told me, I have just been so busy. I just got finished with a signing," I hoped this was a good enough excuse, last thing I wanted was to get into it with my mother.

"Well would it kill you to call your family once in awhile?"

"Sorry, I just . . . yeah I'm sorry. Hey you're talking to me now right?" I attempted a joke, "How's Dad?"

"He's good, we missed you for dinner on Tuesday. He's itching to discuss your match," she let out a laugh.

"Well we can talk about last week's and this week's next Tuesday. How's everyone else? Nathan, Becky . . . Laura?"

"Everyone is good; it's been a busy week around here. I've been running around planning this year's reunion. Laura was by today, she's eager to see you."

"Yeah it's been awhile, actually almost a month since I seen her," I felt guilty about not calling her or keeping in touch over the last month, truth is I haven't really thought about it much.

"Speaking of . . ." I had a feeling I knew what she was going to bring up, "Since you and Mickie are you know . . . okay now, why don't you invite-" I had to cut her off right there.

"Mom, it's not like that," I needed to get the story straight before she went around telling everyone something that wasn't true, "She was in a bad place and I offered her some help, nothing more, nothing less. I was actually timing how long it would be before you brought that up – a whole three minutes, which must be a record."

"Hey it's your business, I'm just saying . . ."

"Well things between Mickie and I are, and will always be the same. That ship has sailed so to speak. And hey I'm your son, don't you think you should take my side?" sure I was being immature, but I was justified, wasn't I?

"Randy this isn't about sides. You know how I feel about Mickie, how we all do. Anyways I won't bring it up anymore if it bothers you."

I scoffed, "Yeah how many times have I heard that?" I brushed my hand down my face and sighed, "Okay I gotta go, I will see you all on Tuesday. Say hi to everyone."

"Okay son, take care."

"Bye," I said and then hit the end button after I heard the dial tone.

I sighed again and after stuffing my phone back in my pocket, I made a quick stop in the bathroom and when I came out Ted and Cody were approaching me.

Cody was eating a hot dog, where the hell did he get a hot dog? He must have realized what I was wondering because he lifted his arm and pointed outside to a hot dog cart that had a pretty big line up.

"Couldn't drag him away fast enough, you know how Cody gets with food," Ted rolled his eyes.

I shook my head, Cody is obsessed with food. He is so lucky that he actually enjoys working out.

"So who was that," Ted asked.

"None of your business," since when did I have to tell them who my phone calls were from?

"Ooh it was the mother," Cody shouted out with a mouthful of food and they both chuckled.

"Did you tell her I said hi?" Ted questioned.

"Me too!" Cody said before taking another bite of his hot dog.

"Shut up, both of you. Let's get to the bus, I'm starving," I said after realizing how hungry I was. The thought of pizza sounded amazing at this point.

"Yeah . . . about that–" Ted started to say.

"Ted invited Mickie," Cody shouted out.

Ted rolled his eyes again and turned to glare at Cody, "I do believe I heard a 'yeah Mickie come, we're going to an awesome pizza place'" Ted mimicked in a girly tone. I let out a chuckle; when I was in a good mood they were very good entertainment.

Cody got an insulted look on his face and then narrowed his eyes, "Yeah well I'm not the one who told her Randy wouldn't mind. She clearly had no problem with staying behind because she expected Randy wouldn't want her around, but Ted just had to insist."

Ted took a step forward so he was right in Cody's face, "Yeah well I'm not the one who told her Randy gets really angry when the superstars objectify her," Cody's eyes widened and Ted crossed his arms and smiled, clearly knowing he had won the argument.

"I cannot be held responsible–"

"You guys would you," wait a second what did Ted just say? I whirled to face Cody directly, "You told Mickie what?" I raised my voice, "What the hell is wrong with . . . ugh," I walked past them after throwing my hands in the air and then turned back around to face them, "You two are morons!" I turned and almost ran into Mickie and upon realizing I had nothing to say I stomped my way to the doors to board the bus.

Ted and Cody really had big mouths. Honestly, half the time they were busy telling everyone's secrets and the other half of the time they were arguing with each other. I honestly didn't mind them inviting Mickie to come and eat with us, because I knew she was friends with both of them. However, Cody opening his big mouth about me defensively getting mad when others so much as insult Mickie or treat her like a piece of meat was so uncalled for. I had poured my soul out enough to Mickie over the last couple days, and the last thing I needed was her knowing that I actually cared enough to try and protect her from other males. I need to learn to keep things to myself.

_Mickie's POV_

I had spent the last five minutes looking for Ted and Cody so that we could board the bus together and go get something to eat right away. I was hesitant to accept Ted's invitation, but he insisted Randy wouldn't care so I had agreed.

I found them standing near the restrooms and upon heading over to the three of them I noticed Randy making his way towards me when he turned around and I heard him say, "You two are morons!"

He turned around and I could tell he was surprised by my sudden appearance; he stared at me for a total of three seconds and then stormed off towards the doors.

I shook my head, "Hey . . ." but neither of them heard me.

"Good job moron," Cody said glaring at Ted. What the heck just happened?

Ted had his back facing me, "Oh copying the insult of the Viper, very cool Cody!" he hissed sarcastically and then turned around and ran into me. Man, was I like invisible today or something?

I took a step back, "Whoa, hey so . . ." but before I could even finish he walked right by me and followed after Randy.

I was confused so I turned to stare at Cody, "What's with him . . . them?"

"Just leave it," and he started walking away but then turned to face me, "You coming?" he questioned me.

I laughed and followed, "Awe did you three boys have a spousal argument?" I said in a baby voice.

Cody glared, "I change my mind, I'm uninviting you," and he walked away from me.

I was surprised, "Hey wait, I was kidding . . . come on, you can't do that!" and I ran after him.

We ended up at a pizza place a few blocks from the hotel after begging Cody to invite me again. Randy had sat himself at the back of the bus and away from the three of us, but I seen him shoot looks at us every now and then. After continuously asking Ted and Cody about what they had been fighting about, Cody finally invited me only to shut me up. My plan was successful!

Melina had encouraged me to go out for something to eat with the usual group as well as Eve and Maria, but I had declined. I felt more eager to spend time with Ted and Cody and also a tiny, TINY part of me wanted to spend time with Randy again.

"So what was the argument about?" I winked at Cody. I was actually curious now at this point because neither Ted nor Cody would tell me anything.

It was the Viper who spoke up, "How about you mind your own business and I won't tell you."

"Wow, because that's a deal I would eagerly take. It doesn't benefit me!"

"Exactly my point, so why don't you just shut your –"

"Here we go again," Ted said while rolling his eyes.

I glared at Randy and then turned my attention to Ted, "Don't worry DiBiase, I'm not playing Randy's game today," I decided I was going to be mature, although that never really seemed to work for me when I was around Randy. Honestly I am a level-headed, mature adult, but when I'm around him all of that goes right out the window! How is that fair?

"And what game might that be," Randy asked and then took a sip of his water.

"You seem to get some sort of, uh pleasure? Yeah pleasure from fighting with me. You should really get that looked at," I said with a wink.

He chuckled at me, "Think all you want Mickie, the fact of the matter is that you seem to have it in your head that a) I care enough about you to actually spend my time arguing with you and b) that I even actually care about you at all. The truth is," he said leaning towards me, "is that neither of those have any truth to them whatsoever. Therefore Mickie–"

"Hey! I am trying to enjoy a very good piece of pizza. Now I am going to say this as nice as I can, SHUT UP AND EAT YOUR DAMN PIZZA" Cody shouted at both me and Randy.

Ted grinned, "Nice man," he said and lifted his hand up for a high five, "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Cody glared at Ted and didn't even give the high five back, "It was your idea to invite her!"

Ted lowered his hand slowly, "Yeah because she's my friend! And why does she have to be the problem! Why did we have to invite Randy? There wouldn't be any fighting if he wasn't here either!"

I looked at Randy who looked just as surprised as I did that Ted was defending me over him.

"Because Randy is a member of Legacy Ted! Me, you, and Randy, last time I checked Mickie wasn't a part of that group, and therefore Randy is here by default!"

Randy smiled and nodded his head in agreement and then the smile faded and stared at Cody like he was insulted. Obviously Randy was expecting to be there because hwa s wanted, not just by default. I bit back a laugh. Honestly I had no part in this conversation! These three men were way too hormonal!

"That's not really fair. Besides I just made Mickie an honorary member of Legacy," Ted said indignantly causing me to smile.

"You can't do that without asking me and Randy first!" Cody shouted out.

"Why do you even care? You told me you like Mickie!"

"I do like her!" Cody admitted.

I looked around to realize the entire restaurant was now watching our table, as I turned to face Randy and I think he realized the same thing.

"So then why are you being so annoying about it!" Ted responded.

"Because I think you are–"

Randy and I exchanged looks and at the same time, "SHUT UP!"

I felt a bit self conscious now, even though I know I perform for like thousands upon thousands of people every week and millions of people watching from home. This wasn't exactly a reason I wanted to get stared at for. I looked up to see a woman approaching our table so we all turned to stare at her.

"Hi, um I'm the manager here, and well you are disrupting our other customers. I'm going to have to ask you to leave . . ." she trailed off.

"Are you serious?" Randy said in disbelief.

"See what you all did," Cody pouted and then threw his pizza down.

"Us? You started it," Ted said in an accusatory tone, "No wait, they started it," Ted said pointing to me and Randy. I rolled my eyes; it was like being out with a bunch of children.

"Yeah now I don't get to enjoy my–"

"You guys, let's just go," I insisted.

"I will get you some take out boxes," the manager said with a smile.

"It's really not worth my time," Randy said and he stood up and stormed out of the place. He hadn't touched his second piece of pizza, so it was kind of a waste.

I looked at the woman and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry about that, he's kind of a drama queen. Take out boxes would be great."

She came back with the boxes seconds later and Cody, obviously trying to be cool walked away without taking his pizza. I shrugged my shoulders, but he came running back to the table and picked up his pizza.

"I'm sorry pizza, I would never leave you!" He picked up his pizza and started eating it on the way out, and then he turned around and grabbed Randy's uneaten piece before smiling and then exiting.

This caused me to laugh. Ted grabbed a box and threw his pizza inside and I watched as he exited after the other two.

I neatly packed my pizza into the box and then looked up only to realize everyone was still staring at me.

I smiled nervously, "Right, uh yeah . . . sorry about that, go ahead and finish your meals . . . uh sorry again . . ." and then I turned and bolted out of the pizzeria. That was incredibly awkward; I will never be able to show my face there again.

I ran until I caught up with the other three, "Hey! You all just left me alone back there! How awkward."

Randy turned to face me, "You should've stayed."

Oh man he was really letting me have it lately, how could someone who had been so sweet on our road trip here, become someone like this?

"Oh ha ha ha you are so funny Randy! Hey Ted, give me a piggy back ride, I'm tired!" I whined. I think that distracting myself is the best way to deal with Randy's attitude.

"Do I have to?" Ted asked.

"Did you really just ask that?" Randy said shaking his head.

I glared at him, "Yes DiBiase. I would do it for you. If you don't Cody will have to," I said with a smile.

"Do it Ted PLEASE!" Cody said dramatically.

"Hey is that a fat joke?" I sent a glare in Cody's direction.

"Of course not Mickie, you are like the opposite. Now Ted here, that's a different story."

I laughed and Ted looked insulted, "You are the one who eats like a cow."

"Okay, okay we are not starting up another argument. Now who's giving me the ride?"

"I don't feel like it, besides someone has to carry your pizza," Cody said with a devious grin.

"You better not think about eating my pizza boy or else," Ted said before we handed our boxes to Cody.

Ted stopped and I climbed onto his back, and then we continued walking.

"You two, no wait all three of you have issues," Randy said while shaking his head – he has done that a lot today.

"And you're an asshole, guess who is worse?" I said with a fake smile.

He rolled his eyes – something else he does a lot of and then muttered the word 'immature' which was clearly directed at me.

"Ted DiBiase, why is your friend such a mean, mean man?"

"You're preaching to the wrong choir James!"

"Yeah it's called Legacy – the team Randy Orton happened to have founded. _My_ friends Mickie," he said pointing at himself.

"Hey they are my friends too," I informed him.

"She's got you there buddy," Ted said with a shrug – well at least that's what it felt like.

Once again Randy rolled his eyes and then picked up his pace. I really loved mine and Randy's little arguments. Even when he is mean to me I enjoy it, because I think a part of me knows that he doesn't mean it, and that it's just a cover for him. I think he has the same issue as me – we both hate vulnerability. I think that maybe one day he and I might actually be able to be friends.

"Here is the winner of this match and now the number one contender for the Divas championship – Mickie James!" Lillian Garcia announced as I struggled to my feet.

The referee grabbed my hand and raised it above my head, as my theme was blaring over the speakers, while the crowd was screaming. I looked down at Jillian and smiled. She had definitely gotten what she deserved, and now I was going to Night of Champions – to face Maryse for her Divas Title.

I smiled at the crowd that had filled Madison Square Garden and then crawled out of the ring and made my way to the backstage area. A few of the crew members were shouting compliments my way, as well as a few of the superstars. I muttered thank you's then pushed my way towards the locker room.

"Mickie!" I heard Kelly shout as I pushed open the heavy door, and I felt two pairs of arms wrap around me. I had to smile.

"Okay you two, I can't breathe!" I exclaimed, but I was still grinning.

"Congrats girly," Melina said excitedly.

"Yes, Mickie you were awesome. You totally showed her!" Kelly shouted with enthusiasm.

"And now you get to challenge Maryse for the divas title!" Melina smiled, "Which you are _so_ going to win, and then of course I am going to take it from you." She grinned at me which caused me to roll my eyes.

"Bring all you got, because that title is coming right back to where it belongs," I said and she laughed at me while I hugged her again, "But until then, I am going to go and take a shower ladies."

I couldn't believe _I_ was number on contender, and this Sunday I was going to defeat Maryse and take _my_ proper spot at the top of the women's division.

Night of Champions – it is going to be _my_ night, and _no one_ is going to take that away from me!

**A/N: As usual please take the time to review :) It gives me the motivation to keep updating.**

**Hope you enjoyed it :) Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter!**

**Also the Randy on twitter thing, like **_**Grits0205**_** said, it is super strange. I like reading his replies, but at the same time I think I just want to remember him as the guy on TV. Although he seems so sweet and nice!**


	17. catching up

I was completely late for my lunch date, which seemed to be a recurring thing for me these days – being late. I rushed down the sidewalk hidden from the rain under my newly acquired umbrella and made my way towards the very familiar café. Pushing my way in the door and letting it slam behind me, I scanned the area looking for my companion. _I really hope she hasn't given up on me and left_, I thought to myself.

"Mickie," I heard my name called and looked to my left to see Elaine Orton with a big smile on her face, waving me over to the table she had claimed for us. When I was near enough she jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around me in a motherly embrace. I hugged her back all the while thinking how long it has been since I had seen the mother of my ex-boyfriend.

"It's so good to see you," she exclaimed and then pulled out of the hug and motioned for me to sit in the chair opposite of hers.

I smiled, "You too! Honestly it feels like forever since I saw you last. Has to be at least six months right?"

"Yes, I believe it was around the holidays. Thank goodness we have kept in touch over the phone," she said with a chuckle, "so how have you been?"

"Oh I've been good. I've been keeping busy and now I'm number one contender, so hopefully I will be Divas Champion soon!" I smiled and reminisced on my sweet victory that had taken place only last night.

"I saw that, the whole house was rooting for you! Congratulations sweetie! We will definitely be cheering for you when you have your title shot on Sunday."

"Thanks," I beamed. It was nice to hear the Orton family had been cheering me on. I picked up my menu as the waitress came by and took our drink orders. I ordered a coffee so I could at least get a little bit warm from the rain and the cold.

"The weather has been like this for a few days. I honestly don't mind the rain, helps the environment, but I wish it didn't come down all at once," Elaine spoke after the waitress had brought both of us our coffee.

"Well mother nature can't be reasoned with," I replied and then took a sip. I had decided what I wanted to eat, and when the waitress came back five minutes later, we both placed our orders and surrendered our menus.

"It really is great to see you Mickie, but you should have just come by the house. I know the rest of the family would love to see you," she said.

I smiled, "I would love to see them too, it's just things with Randy aren't exactly that easy. Me showing up at the house might – no would be a little weird for him, and for me as well."

"Randy's out this afternoon with . . ." she stopped abruptly and then met my gaze.

"Its fine, he's out with Laura. It is a free country," I managed a chuckle which I hope sounded convincing enough.

Truth? I was kind of jealous, okay really jealous! I hate Laura! She is the last person I would want Randy to hang out with, but that's not my decision and I definitely wouldn't admit that out loud. I know he and Laura are really close, and that's not something I would want to ruin – especially considering he and I aren't dating anymore.

"Besides," I continued, "I think finding out that we still talk on the phone was enough for him, let alone we get together once in awhile to catch up."

It was her turn to chuckle as I took another sip of coffee – so warm!

"Yeah, he definitely wasn't pleased after finding out we were still in touch," she said and then lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip, "I think it terrified him." She laughed again.

I guess I could understand what it would be like if I found out that my mom was still on good terms with one of my ex-boyfriends – that would just be weird. Of course my family had absolutely loved Randy, but I don't think they would ever call each other up on the telephone especially now that we weren't even dating.

There was silence for a moment, "So how have things been between you . . . now that you are back on Raw?" she said sounding genuinely curious.

"Well they have been . . . interesting to say the least," I attempted a smile.

"You two fighting again?"

"Yes, and no," I said with a sigh, "We seem to be very immature when we are around each other. You know how it is; annoy everyone out of the room."

"Yes, you two _were_ quite good at that," she chuckled again and I smiled – it did happen to be one of our many gifts.

"And when we are alone, it seems easier for us to be civil to on another, yet still engage in the petty, useless arguments," I smirked this time just thinking how entertaining I knew we could be.

"I remember those few days you two came to stay, when was it . . .? End of 2005 I believe?"

I was trying to remember which time she was referring to and then I laughed to myself when I finally did. It had been around the holidays, and since Randy had spent Christmas 2004 with my family, it was our year to spend in St. Louis.

"Oh yes I definitely remember that. We spent the majority of the four days arguing like an old married couple," I shook my head and giggled and then took another swig of my now warm coffee.

"It was the only time I was ever happy to see the both of you leave," Elaine admitted and then took a bite of her meal that the waitress had brought mere seconds ago.

_Flashback_

**On the plane**

"_Why is it that people always have to go to the bathroom at the same time? I hate standing in line," Randy complained while slumping back into his seat next to mine._

"_Because the world is out to get you babe," I answered and then looked up from my magazine to smile at him_

"_Has anyone ever told you that you are hilarious?" he said sarcastically and I leaned toward him, "All the time," I replied and pressed my lips against his. He placed his hand against my face, but then pulled away abruptly._

"_You know Micks, we could always move this into the bathroom and become two of the elite members of that club," he whispered in my ear, "Wait what's it called?" he asked me with a confused look on his face._

"_The mile high club?" I said seductively._

_His face lit up, "Yeah that's it, you want to?"_

_I faked an excited look on my face and then said, "No," and turned back to my magazine._

"_That is so not nice," he whined._

"_And who was the one who told you I as nice?" I said flirtatiously then turned to smile at him._

"_Now that's the attitude I like."_

"_Hey Randy," I spoke quietly and leaned in so my mouth was inches from his._

"_Y-yeah?" he stammered._

"_In . . . your . . . dreams," I whispered slowly and then giggled._

"_You are a very cruel person. I will have to teach you a lesson," he started tickling me and I couldn't keep myself from laughing._

"_Excuse me," I heard a female voice speak._

_I looked up to see a flight attendant staring at us. Wow she was something. I wonder how she got away with her uniform. She was wearing fishnet stockings and her cleavage was right in your face._

"_Yes?" I questioned her because her eyes seemed to be glued to the man on my left that just so happened to be my boyfriend._

"_I was just wondering if you needed anything . . . nuts, a pillow, blanket?" she said all this without taking her eyes off Randy._

"_No we are . . ." _

"_I would like some . . ." I looked over to see Randy pointing at what appeared to be the cleavage and I slapped his hand down and turned back to the attendant._

_I rolled my eyes, "We're good thanks."_

_After a few seconds she must have finally processed what I had said and she turned to leave as I turned back to Randy, "You have a little . . ." I said pointing to his face._

"_What?" he looked concerned._

"_Drool! Everywhere! God could you be more obvious?" and I turned back to the magazine I had previously been absorbed in._

_About a half an hour later – all of which I had ignored Randy any time he had attempted conversation, I informed him that I had to use the washroom and after shooting him a dirty look when he tried to follow me, I made my way to the bathroom – alone. _

_After I was finished doing my business, I was making my way back to my seat when I realized that the other attendants happened to look similar to the flight attendant that had interrupted Randy and I, and upon closer inspection I noticed that the majority – about ninety percent – of the passengers were business men over the age of fifty. I rolled my eyes and smirked and continued on towards my seat._

_I stopped a little ways away because I seen the same flight attendant who had annoyed me earlier was standing in the aisle next to our seat, giggling to herself while clearly immersed in a conversation with Randy. What is with this chick? She is embarking on dangerous territories. I made my way closer to survey that Randy had taken my seat – which was the aisle seat and rolling my eyes yet again I cleared my throat._

_The woman looked up and gave me what appeared to be a dirty look, "Yes?" she questioned. Once again, dangerous territories. _

"_Am I interrupting something?" I asked in the most innocent voice I could manage._

"_Well ye-"_

"_Of course not babe," Randy said quickly while jumping to his feet and motioning for me to sit down. The attendant, now with a surprised look on her face, was clearly just realizing that I was his girlfriend. Is she stupid? She saw me a half hour ago sitting with him, of course she had her eyes glued to him so can she be blamed? Hmm YES!_

_I didn't take the seat that Randy was offering, however I continued to stare at the lady who, she's got some guts I'll giver her that, continued to stare back at me as if she was challenging me. I looked down at her nametag which read 'Scarlett'._

_I smiled, "Scarlett is it? Scar, can I call you Scar?" she shook her head, "Now I am only going to say this once, and keep in mind that I happen to be a very nice person, tons of people have told me that. So I am going to say this as politely as I can, stay away from our seats. We won't need any of you attendants to help us the rest of the flight, so just pretend we don't exist, and we won't be lodging any formal complaints." I really hope she can follow the rules, obviously I would never complain anyways because I am not much for drama, but hey she doesn't know that._

_She nodded her head and made to walk away but I called her back, "Hey Scar?" she turned around and I closed the distance between us, "Just a little bit of advice, flirting with a girls boyfriend is bad enough but when you do it when she's around to witness it, kind of makes you come off a little sleazy," and with another forced smile I turned and walked back to my seat._

"_Jealous Micks? I always thought of it as one of your sexy –"_

_I put my hand up to stop him and then grabbed my magazine to continue reading._

_I could hear him chuckle to himself and I scowled, "Well, while you are stewing in your jealousy, I'm going to use the washroom," he stood up and then leaned back down and whispered, "I'll be hoping you decide to join me," and then he kissed my cheek and made his way towards the washroom._

_No, to the immense disappointment of Randy who was still pouting as we were tugging our suitcases down the airport heading for the exit, we did not end up joining the mile high club._

"_Oh a water machine, I'm like parched. Do you have a dollar babe?" I asked him and held my hand out for some money while walking towards the machine._

"_Yeah sure," he thrust his hand into his pocket, "I honestly don't know why you were being so stubborn," and he dropped a few pieces of paper that I bent down to pick up for him, "Oh thanks babe, anyways you could have just asked the attendants for water," he finished and then stuck the dollar in the machine and grabbed the water for me._

_I was still looking at the bills that he had dropped, "First of all that would have taken away from my whole speech and second of all I didn't want to risk her spitting in it or- Randy what's this?" I stared at the scrap piece of paper that had a woman's name written on it followed by a number. Scarlett . . . wasn't that . . .? I looked up and narrowed my eyes at him._

"_What?" he said innocently clearly surprised at the way I was now glaring at him._

"_She gave you her number?" I said holding the paper up for him to see._

"_Oh yeah," and he flashed a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of his head, "she did," he managed to add on before going silent._

"_When?" I demanded._

"_When I went to the bathroom . . ."_

"_And you kept it?" I responded not letting him finish. I knew I was being silly, I wasn't usually this jealous, well at least not so outspoken about it, but for some reason this really did bother me._

"_Considering she knew you had a girlfriend I would expect you to have given the paper right back to her!"_

"_That would've been rude . . ."_

_My eyes widened even further and without another word I stormed off into the nearest bathroom._

_Randy's POV_

_After struggling with all three suitcases, I found myself in a perfect position outside the bathroom that Mickie had just stormed into. The airport was jam packed this time of the season so trying to manoeuvre three suitcases around – not easy._

"_Mickie come on, it didn't mean anything . . . I'm sorry!" I added for good measure._

_A blonde woman came walking out, gave me a dirty look and shoved past me; I heard her mutter 'perv' under her breath. Oh great! Apparently the entire female population has a problem with me . . . except Scarlett! Oh shut up Randy, she's the reason you're in this mess in the first place! She was kind of ditzy anyways. She is no competition for Mickie in my eyes, and isn't even in her league. She didn't do the cute snort Mick pulls off every once in awhile; in fact Scarlett's laugh had been high-pitched and piercing –not good for the ears._

_Women! I turned and went to sit on one of the suitcases. I will just wait for her to come to me – give her time to cool off and such._

_I put my head in my hands, looked up, and that's when I saw a tiny brunette strolling away from me clearly having come from the washroom._

_I jumped up, "Hey Mickie!" I dashed after her, grabbed her arm gently and spun her around to face me. The brunette let out a harsh scream – turns out it wasn't Mickie after all. I didn't have time to explain the situation before her hand collided with my face._

"_Ow," I yelled and the girl stalked off. What are the odds that there was another brunette in there that looked like Mickie!_

_I turned around still holding the cheek that was now in pain, to look into the glaring eyes of the real Mickie James._

_I attempted a smile, but that only caused her to narrow her eyes. She turned to grab her suitcase and then continued on her way without looking back. I ran after her tugging the two suitcases behind me (my own and one of Mickie's)._

"_Hey wait up. I don't want you to feel jealous–"_

_Mickie came to an abrupt stop, "I am __**not**__ jealous! It would be a waste of time if I was. It's only a phone number and I overreacted."_

_"Yeah you did," slipped out before I could process what I was saying. Clearly not the right words! Gah, can anything go right today!_

"_Ugh, don't you talk to me for the rest of the night Orton!" and she stormed off down the airport towards the exit._

"_We are using last names now?" I held her water out for her in a sort of peace offering but she stared at it and I was honestly surprised she didn't take it and throw it at me – not that I believe I deserved it or anything._

"_NO! I am! YOU are not talking to ME!"_

"_Come on Mickie," I said again as I watched her stomp off._

"_Hey Mom," I greeted her as she opened the door for Mickie and I to enter._

"_It's so good to see you both! I expected you forty five minutes ago, we've waited to eat dinner," Elaine Orton replied with a huge smile on her face. She opened her arms to embrace Mickie._

_Mickie pulled out of the hug seconds later, "Sorry Elaine, Randy was really busy making new friends," she said with a huge smile that I knew wasn't genuine_

_My mom looked confused, "For what?" she asked as I sent a glare towards Mickie. She had been making wise-cracks the entire way to my house from the airport, and then all the way from my house to my parents house. Honestly I would have preferred if she had kept her word and stayed silent! I do one little thing and all of a sudden she's at my throat!_

"_It smells great Elaine. I'm gonna head in there and say hi to everyone," and with a final glare in my direction Mickie went to join the rest of my family._

"_What's she talking about?" my mom questioned me._

"_Nothing, its all fine. I noticed my house was a little cleaner than how I left it," I said with a smile._

"_You know me, went to pick up the mail and noticed how dirty it was. I couldn't resist," she said with a shrug of her shoulder. I smiled at her, put my arm around her and led us into the kitchen._

_All of us were sitting in the living room during our visit to my parent's house on day two. Two more days and we get to leave. I think this is one of the few times I have been excited to leave my parents house – and I have a feeling they feel the same way about Mickie and I._

_Mickie was reading a magazine as well as Becky, Nathan was out with his friends, and my parents were fully absorbed in the TV. I was playing on my cell phone – trying to find a new game to occupy my time. Pathetic yes, but also necessary when your girlfriend wont talk to you._

"_Oh Randy look I found you a picture," she turned the magazine around to show me a picture of two female flight attendants._

_I rolled my eyes and glared at her, "Oh ha-ha-ha," I said sarcastically, "Seriously you really need to get over it!"_

"_Get over what? There's nothing to get over. I was merely telling a joke," oh yeah because she is so innocent!_

"_Well then you are very terrible at telling jokes," I retorted._

"_Yeah? Well you are terrible at being understanding!"_

"_Understanding what? She gave me her number, what was I supposed to do? Throw it back in her face!"_

"_Yeah that's exactly what you should have done!" she shouted back. I noticed my sister roll her eyes, but at this point I didn't care._

"_Well sor-ry, but I'm not a jerk! And I thought you agreed that nothing happened! Didn't you just say 'there's nothing to get over'?"_

"_There isn't," she said simply._

"_Oh yeah," I said jumping to my feet, "Well then how come you keep bringing it up every chance you get and annoying the hell out of me!"_

_She jumped to her feet too and dropped the magazine on the table, "Oh yeah, I'm annoying hey? Well maybe I wouldn't be annoying if you didn't flirt with every girl on the planet!"_

"_I don't flirt with every girl on the planet, you are crazy!"_

_Her eyes widened, "Oh yeah? Well maybe I am, but you cannot deny your flirting habits! You are just as bad as almost all the guys on the roster!"_

"_Mickie! One flight attendant and now you are paranoid? You've never acted like this before!"_

"_Yeah well you've never been this much of a jerk before!" and she turned on her heel and stormed out of the living room._

_I shook my head and wiped my hand across my face and looked around. Whoa, when did my family leave the room? I sighed. I really didn't blame them; Mickie and I have been crazy these last couple days. I don't know what's up this time. Mickie has never acted this way about any other girl before, not that there had really been other girls. I didn't need to waste my time flirting and paying a lot of attention to other women when I had the most wonderful girlfriend possible._

_Hopefully being back on the road will get everything back on track, because I really can't take this fighting and I don't like seeing her upset._

I started laughing, "Oh my gosh I feel so terrible! I cannot believe we acted that way around all of you! How embarrassing!" I was only glad that we had managed to work everything out after the first two days, and especially because it was Christmas time and I would have died had I ruined it for the rest of the family. It had been a silly reason to fight anyways, but after awhile I figured out the reason for my actions . . .

"You two always worked out your issues like a team. I had always expected . . . oh never mind. I'm sorry, I just don't understand. I think it was less than a year or so after that, that it had ended wasn't it?"

I bit my lip and averted my eyes. Elaine had never known what it was that had been the root of the break up. Sure she knew about the change between us, the constant fighting, but she never had known the reason behind that – nor did very many people for that matter. I am not going to cry. I can't. It has just been so long since I had thought of . . . Don't do this to yourself Mickie.

I cleared my throat, "Uh, yeah like eight or nine months I believe," I took a sip of my coffee to clear my throat that felt like it was blocked.

I think she sensed how I as feeling, so thankfully she changed the subject. The rest of our lunch went by smoothly, but I couldn't shake the horrible sensation I had in the pit of my stomach, and the ache in my heart.

I was relieved, and a little guilty, when we were saying our goodbyes. It was nothing against Elaine. I just needed to lie down. I had a major headache now and I just wanted to be back in my hotel room.

"Are you sure you don't want to come by for dinner? You're more than welcome," she offered again and I managed a smile.

"No it's fine; I really just need some rest. Thanks though."

"Well if you change your mind, dinner is at seven," she said with a smile and then with one last hug and a final good-bye she headed out of the diner.

I was putting on my jacket after coming out of the bathroom and upon turning to face the exit I let out a gasp. Out of all the places, in the entire city, Randy and Laura had to enter this diner. I turned around quickly to face my table again which proved to be a mistake. The waitress had been carrying a tray of drinks, and when I turned around; well let's just say having soda all over me wasn't exactly a new feeling. The best part? I slipped in the liquids and was now sitting on the floor. I hope they didn't see that . . . who are you kidding Mickie? Of course they saw that! The people across the street probably saw it. Please let them walk by me please, please, please!

"Mickie?" Oh shit. I looked up to see both of them staring at me.

"Oh Randy, Laura, hi," I said while jumping to my feet. Laura smirked at me – of course she was enjoying this sight. Looking at Randy I could tell that he was amused.

"Mickie, I wish I could say how great it is to see you, but unfortunately I hate lying," she said with her voice that makes me want to vomit.

"Oh you do? Last I checked you were pretty good at being a manipulative little liar," I said in an innocent tone while trying to wipe away some of the liquid from my clothes with some napkins.

She let out a sarcastic laugh, "I do believe you have me confused with someone who cares. Last time I checked, you didn't exactly live up to everything you were preaching," she said and nodded her head in Randy's direction.

"It didn't have anything to do with you, so wipe that smug look off your face. Trust me, it's anything but attractive, but I guess you are pretty used to that aren't you, you know not having any qualities or features that are attractive at all," I finished with a grin. Oh yeah, I'm on a roll!

"Okay, let's not start," Randy intervened while Laura was glaring at me, "Mickie, I believe you were leaving. Unless of course you would like to continue fighting over me," he actually said that and he actually smirked; now why am I so surprised?

"Boy Randy, does your ego ever take a break?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but I stuck my hand in his face to stop him.

"Save your breath, I have more important things to attend to," and I pushed between the two of them, careful to push Laura extra hard, and walked out of the diner.

Ugh I hate her! She is worse than Randy on ALL levels. I just wish I could put her in her place, but how? I hardly have the time to visit my family let alone plot revenge against that – for lack of a better worse – bitch! Well that and the fact that I am trying to get rid of my immature tendencies that have been flaring up lately.

Maybe . . . no Mickie your family is expecting you. Yeah I know, but I mean I could promise them next week . . .


	18. i'm not the one who is pathetic

I had spent the entire afternoon trying to talk myself out of this but considering where I am I obviously failed severely; I knew my mind had been made up the instant I left the diner. With the anger pulsing through me, my headache had subsided because I was somewhat excited. But now as I made my way up the familiar pathway the excitement was gone and replaced with unease and a huge amount of uncertainty. I severely wished I wasn't so damn stubborn. Sure this wasn't the ultimate way for revenge, nor was I ever going to stoop lower than this, but it was the most mature way to go about it. I had promised my family I would be visiting next week, and although my mom had been disappointed – which I was feeling guilty about – she was thrilled that I would be able to spend three days as opposed to regular two. I hadn't told her the reason, but thankfully my Mom was neither nosy nor pushy.

I stopped just before climbing the steps and looked down to make sure my appearance was okay. I had settle on a pair of dark Baby Phat skinny jeans, a grey tank top with thick straps and lace along the neckline, a pair of black Chanel flats and a black cropped jacket. My hair was thrown effortlessly into a ponytail. It was casual but cute because going all out for this reason, would have been far too obvious to everyone else.

Taking a deep breath, I continued forwards, made my way up the steps and rang the door bell after hesitating for a few seconds.

It was a few more seconds, which I spent deciding on whether or not I should turn and run, when I heard footsteps and the door opened. I was hoping it would be Elaine or at least Becky, but just my luck it was Randy.

He hadn't seen me yet, he was still talking over his shoulder, "Yeah maybe its–" he finally noticed it was me and the smile faded, "Mickie?"

"Are you gonna invite me in?" yes play it cool Mickie.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, but not in a rude way, he was surprised.

"Obviously not . . ." I pushed past him and then turned to face him again, "Your mom invited me to dinner." I took off my jacket and threw it into his arms.

He quickly shut the door before responding, "And you accepted?"

"Course I did, I haven't been here in ages. What a perfect opportunity to catch up with the family." I smiled and peered into the dining room. Laura was there, just as I had expected. Perfect.

"Meet you in there," I winked at him and made my way into the kitchen.

_Randy's POV_

It was moments before I was able to move again. Did that just happen? I can't even remember the last time Mickie was in this house, and I couldn't believe my mom had invited her to dinner. She was here in St. Louis, at my parent's house, about to have dinner with us. I heard shrieks from the kitchen and I threw Mickie's jacket on the coffee table and hurried into the kitchen.

My mother and Becky were both taking turns with hugging Mickie, and even my father stood up to embrace her quickly. Traitors! I looked to see Laura who looked, well pissed. Mickie noticed this too and I seen her stifle a smirk.

So that's the reason she's here.

"Hi Laura," I heard her acknowledge after she had exchanged a greeting with Nathan.

Laura looked up and I could tell the smile on her face was far from genuine, "Mickie, how are you?"

"Just peachy," Mickie responded and then took the chair between Becky and my mother.

Oh boy, this is definitely going to be an interesting night. Mickie, Laura, both hate each other, both my exes, both here for dinner with my family . . . great.

Dinner went by – surprisingly – smoothly. Laura was quite silent except for the few times Mickie had asked her questions. I could tell Laura wasn't happy about it, and I knew Mickie was only doing it to get under her skin. I had to admit, I admired her nerve!

Mickie had volunteered to do the dishes, but my mother declined saying that I would do them. She pulled the 'Mickie and Laura are guests card' and I tried saying technically I was too, but my mom wouldn't go for it.

I glanced out the window at everyone sitting around the camp fire enjoying conversation and joking around. They looked like they were having a great time. Mickie was immersed in a conversation with Nathan, if you could call it that – neither of them could stop laughing. I could really tell how much she loved my family; she was at such ease around them – as if she belonged. If I was an outsider, I probably would assume she did, but I'm not and I know the truth.

"Hey bro," Becky said entering the kitchen carrying more dishes I had obviously missed.

"Hey,"

"More dishes," she said waving them at me.

"Oh great just what I asked for!" I smirked at her.

She grabbed a towel and started drying the dishes I had just washed by hand – the ones that didn't have a place in the dishwasher.

There was silence for a few minutes until Becky ended it, "Soo must be an awkward night for you eh?"

"Whatever would make you say that?" I said sarcastically.

She let out a small laugh, "All honesty? It's great having Mickie around again . . . Are you sure . . ."

"Yes Mickie and I are . . . friends barely. We haven't really reached that stage yet. If we ever do . . ." I trailed off wishing I wasn't having this conversation.

"Look, I've never put my nose in your love life but if I could just say something . . ." she paused and when I didn't say anything she took it as an invitation to continue, "Randy you know how much I love Laura, she's been a part of our family for ages. And I know a part of you loves her too, but I have never seen you look at her the way you did and still do look at Mickie. That's it, make of it what you will," and she set her towel down on the counter and made her way out of the kitchen.

"Yeah thanks for that! So helpful!" I said with sarcasm in my voice. I knew there were strings attached to her helping me with dishes! Not that she really did anything! I knew she was right though, she had never stuck her nose in any aspect of my life. But regardless of how I look at Mickie, it's not always about feelings. Its other parts of the relationship combined that make a strong relationship – like being able to stand in the same room and not be at each others throats in seconds.

Mickie and I seem to have tremendous skill at getting under each others skin – I would blame it on the fact that we used to be best friends and lovers. Despite the both of us changing tremendously over the years, I think Mickie will always know and understand me more than the average person – but there are many things about me that even she doesn't know. I prefer it that way, because I would rather not be vulnerable to others. I am my own person, and I function well on my own.

_Mickie's POV_

I had the desired effect that I had been hoping for since I left the diner earlier today. I could tell that Laura, despite hiding it rather well, was pissed that I had shown up for dinner. I was sure that no one else could really tell how uncomfortable she was, but I believe that was only because I was actually looking and hoping for it. I however did notice that Randy kept shooting nervous glances back and forth between us as if scared we might jump across the table and attack each other at a moments notice. I mean please, I have totally grown up since then . . .? If any of the rest of the family was worried that this might happen, they didn't show it, and as a result dinner had been rather pleasant.

While Randy was busy doing the dishes, more members of his extended family had shown up and we were all gathered in the backyard enjoying a fire while some of them roasted marshmallows and had a few drinks. I was welcomed very pleasantly by the relatives, as was Laura, although not so much for the latter because she was used to seeing them more often than I was. It had been a surprise to me that I was remembered so easily and upon making this comment out loud they all told me to 'stop being silly, of course we remember you' and 'it has been far too long since we last seen each other Mickie, you should come around more often'.

I was wondering whether or not they knew Randy and I weren't dating anymore, which of course they did, but I mean I'm not going to hang out constantly at my former boyfriends parents house. Sure I wouldn't mind it as long as Randy and Laura weren't around. And really, when would that ever happen?

"So what was the real reason for coming around for dinner?" a familiar voice spoke startling me. I was sitting on the chair swing on the patio just watching everyone else laugh and enjoy themselves around the fire.

I looked up to see Randy staring down at me, "Finally finished the dishes hey," I said with a smirk.

"Are you going to answer the question?" he asked and then looked over his shoulder to make sure we weren't going to be interrupted.

"I told you why I came, if you don't want to believe me that's your issue," and I took a sip of the beer I had been offered earlier. I glanced up at him after there was silence and he looked away when he noticed I had caught him staring.

I smirked and he narrowed his eyes at me, "Something funny?"

"Well I was just thinking about how you seemed so nervous at dinnertime."

"What are you talking about?" he said clearly confused.

"I had told myself it was because you were scared Laura and I might end up attacking each other at any moment, but please things are a lot different than they were back then. So then I got to thinking, Randy Orton is nervous because he has two ex-girlfriends over for dinner with his family – I gotta hand it to you, you did take it pretty well," I gave him a smile and continued floating back and forth on the swing.

"You must think you're pretty smart don't you," he held his hand up when he realized I was about to make a 'I do think I'm pretty smart' sort of remark, "Yeah sure, it was awkward, I mean how many times have you had two of your ex-boyfriends over for dinner?" when I remained silent he just continued, "Yeah that's what I thought. And you know it's not even about having **two** ex girlfriends over to my parent's house, it's about having a **particular **ex over to my house," then he pointed at me.

I let the smile fade off my face – never does he pass up a chance to toss an insult my way.

"After all, Laura is quite welcome around here; in fact she's got more of a place around here than you ever have. Of course you knew that, and that's the only reason you accepted the dinner invitation in the first place. What kind of person agrees to come for dinner just to spite another person?" he was smirking at me now, "I guess you aren't the person that my entire family thinks you are."

I opened my mouth to respond and tell him how wrong he was but he cut me off, "But me, well I know you Mickie James, I know more about you than probably anyone else including Melina and Kelly and definitely more than Cena."

"You know what Randy? You're wrong. I am not the same person that I was back then, most prominently the fact that I have better choice in the people that I associate myself with," I said nodding in his direction.

"Well then why were you so eager to jump at a dinner invitation that included me. It seems to me Micks that you just can't stay away from me," and he smirked, he actually smirked. I was about ready to knock him out. Oh if we were on the road and away from his family, I would have slapped him by now.

"You know you say that, over and over, probably almost every time we happen to come across each other, but the fact of the matter is, is I can't stand you ninety-nine percent of the time. And since I never see you during that other one percent, you may as well be repulsive one hundred percent of the time in my opinion."

"Say what you want Mickie. Your pathetic enough that I can see right through you," he crossed his arms and leaned against the patio table behind him, "You can't lie to me, so why bother?"

I glared at him again and there was silence for a few moments while we just exchanged looks – his triumphant and mine angry. I got to my feet slowly not taking my eyes away from his and moved towards him until we were a few inches apart. I could tell he wasn't expecting this reaction, and he unfolded his arms and just stood there, not knowing what to expect.

_Pathetic?_ I couldn't believe he had used that word to describe me.

I leaned forwards and then placed my beer bottle on the table behind him before turning my head back to face him. I stared back into his eyes and the only reason it wasn't uncomfortable was because I was enjoying the anxious look that had taken residence in his blue eyes.

"You think **you're** smart don't you?" I spoke, taking a page out of his book, "That you can see through everybody, but no one can see through that shield that you have surrounding you. Well I can, and what I see is someone who has lost the ability to truly let anyone in. And for that I feel sorry for you," I stopped speaking but not long enough for him to reply.

I put my face right in front of his and angled my mouth so it was inches from his ears, "It's not me who is pathetic Randy," I whispered.

Now I just wanted to get away from him.

I could tell he didn't know what to say so I turned to leave but then turned back to face him, "And yeah maybe I did come to spite Laura a little but, but is it so hard to believe that I genuinely care about your family? I think you can understand considering I know how much you respect your father, adore your mother, and dote on your younger siblings. They are great people Randy, and once upon a time I used to think of you in that group, but this new Randy, it really is someone that I don't know – someone that I don't really want to know."

He just continued to stare at me, clearly at a loss for words, "Don't worry I'm leaving now, you can jump for joy."

So I turned and made my way towards his family. When I got to Elaine I leaned over her shoulder, "I'm going to be heading out now. I have an early flight to catch, so I should probably get some sleep," it was a lie, my flight wasn't until late afternoon, but I didn't want to tell her that I was leaving because of her son.

"Oh are you sure you can't stay?"

"Yeah, I'm really tired," I gave a small smile – at least that was the truth. I _was_ sick and tired of putting up with Randy's mood swings.

"Oh alright," and she reached up to give me a hug, "Come back soon," she said quietly in my ear, "You are always welcome."

"I know," I said and pulled away and offered her another smile.

"Mickie's leaving?" I heard the voice of Becky ask.

"Yeah, I have an early flight," I shrugged my shoulders and then opened my arms as Becky walked forwards and pulled me into a hug.

"You have to promise to visit soon," she said after pulling away.

"I can't promise anything, but I will promise this won't be my last visit," I hoped that that would be enough.

She smiled, "Of course. Well I'll miss you, we all will," she leaned in, "Even Randy," I had to chuckle.

"Somehow I don't think that's the case."

Becky shrugged her shoulders and gave me a final hug. After receiving hugs from various other friends and family, and refusing the offers to walk me to the door, I turned away and without looking at the swing where I knew Randy was now sitting, I went into the house to collect my jacket and my purse.

I left with mixed feelings. I felt great about the wonderful farewells from his family, but I was angry and a little bit hurt at the choice of words that Randy had used. _Pathetic?_ He had never used that one on me before, and I will admit I was a little surprised. Was I really pathetic? I mean I was still hung up on his family, and maybe that meant that I was still hung up on him despite trying to convince myself otherwise. Was I just desperately hanging onto the last memories of the relationship that I once held with the Viper?

It couldn't be . . . right? I loved his family, and they seemed to like me. It wasn't as if I was forcing my company upon them, and they weren't happy to get rid of me when I was leaving. They had invited me back, and wished that I would come around more often.

I realize now that it isn't helping me with my Randy's situation, if anything it's making me long for what once was even more than ever.

It's funny how life is sometimes, how it works out in ways that you never really would have expected.

I can admit that when Randy and I had broken up, that I hadn't seen it coming. Sure with all the fighting and everything that went wrong, anyone could claim that they knew the end hadn't been far off, but I didn't. And looking back now I guess I can say that I had been foolish enough to believe that we would have lasted any longer. We were broken, and no matter how hard we tried to repair the broken pieces, there was always going to be the cracks to remind us of what went wrong. Maybe that's what a true relationship is, where the couple views the cracks as a reminder of what went wrong and uses them to prove that yes things had gone wrong, but they were able to overlook them and mend the relationship into, not one that was perfect, but one that they were able to live and be happy with.

If that was the case, Randy and I hadn't been strong enough, and clearly our relationship hadn't been built to last.

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, once again I really appreciate them! I hope you liked this chapter, let me know :)**_

_**So do you think Team WWE or Team Nexus is going to win at Summerslam?**_

_**And can I just say, thank GOD that Melina is back in the Divas division. Maybe now we can have at least a few decent matches between the divas if Melina becomes the Divas champion again.**_


	19. Night of Champions

I rested my head against the back of the car seat and closed my eyes – I was anxious about the title match that I would be engaging in tonight at the Pay-Per-View, Night of Champions. I hadn't mentioned my serious lack in judgement that took place last week when I had succumbed to Laura's bitchy ways and decided to attend dinner at the Orton household. I figured it was a low moment for me, and one that needed to be forgotten. My friends knew about my lunch date with Elaine, and I had also told them of the run-in with Laura and Randy at the diner, but anything beyond that I had left out and thankfully they never asked me outright if anything else happened.

"So Micks, you ready for your match?" the voice of my blonde best friend floated up from the back seat over the sound of the radio.

"Ask me later," I muttered.

Melina – who was driving – let out a giggle and turned down the radio.

"Mickie, you totally have this! The Divas championship is as good as yours," Melina remarked as she hit the gas after temporarily stopping for a red light.

"So why don't _I_ feel that confident?" I replied, keeping my eyes closed and my head back.

"You are under pressure, hello huge Pay-Per-View, and you _are_ in the Divas championship match," Kelly pointed out, not really making me feel much better.

"Thanks for pointing that out, I honestly had no idea," I said turning to face her and narrowing my eyes.

Kelly shrugged her shoulders and continued playing on her cell phone, a huge smile coming to her face.

"Let me guess, you are texting John _despite_ the fact you will be seeing him in like five minutes!"

"Oh don't be miss grumpy pants," Melina mocked me in a baby voice.

"Easy for you to say, all you and Kelly have is a divas tag team match!"

"Hey I would gladly switch you spots. Just be lucky you have a title opportunity Mickie, I would kill for one." She always had a knack for making me feel guilty, and I was sure sometimes she did it on purpose.

I let a sigh escape my lips, "You're right, I'm sorry. You know me, when I get nervous, I get bitchy."

"Don't worry, Kels and I prepared ourselves already. We aren't taking anything personally, however you can repay us later when we go out to celebrate your win by buying us a round of drinks."

I grinned, "Hey if I win, I will buy all of our friends a round of drinks. Hell I will buy Maryse a drink, although she might not want to come out after I kick her ass and take her title."

"There's the confident Mickie we all know and love," Kelly shouted from the backseat and leaned forward to give me as much as a hug as she could despite the seperation by the seat. She gave me a kiss on the cheek causing me to laugh.

"You are going to win Micks, I can feel it," Melina glanced over and offered me a smile while turning into the superstar parking lot.

When the car came to a stop my two friends exited instantly and I followed muttering to myself 'I'm going to win, I'm going to win, I'm going to win.'

"Yes you are," the easily recognizable voice of John Cena called out to me.

I looked over and of course the champ was standing there with his arms already around Kelly. I smiled at him and he came and pulled me into a quick hug.

"So does that mean you're going to win too?"

"Hell yes I'm going to win, the champ is here!" he said with a smile causing me offer one of my own, "Whoa hey let me get those," he said to Kelly and Melina who were pulling their bags from the trunk.

He grabbed Melina's and Kelly's bags and flung them over his shoulder. I walked around to grab mine and before he could insist on taking mine too I quickly pulled it out.

"I quite enjoy doing things for myself," I said turning to face him, "But thank you for being a gentleman."

He smiled at me and gave me a playful mean look and then put his one free hand up in defeat, "Okay Mickie James, the independent woman."

I punched him playfully in the shoulder, and the four of us continued on our way to the arena.

Walking through the hallways we were immersed in light and playful chitchat until I heard my name being called from somewhere behind me.

I twisted around to glimpse Ted and Cody making their way down the hall still in their street clothes clearly having just arrived as well.

I looked back to Kelly, Melina and John, "I will catch up with you guys in a bit," and after sending farewells in my direction, they continued towards the locker rooms while I waited for the other two to catch up.

Smiling as he strolled up to me, Ted wrapped me in a hug that I gladly reciprocated. After he let go I looked at Cody and threw my arms open, which he ignored and gave me a weird look.

"Fine be that way!" I said pretending to be angry and then I punched him in the shoulder. I positioned myself between the two and threw an arm around each of them, guiding us forward.

"I can honestly say that I missed you both without feeling embarrassed. I am so glad that we have that kind of relationship!" I said dramatically.

Cody shrugged out of my embrace while Ted put one of his arms around my waist, "I knew you missed me James, all the ladies do."

I punched Ted playfully in the stomach and then turned to face Cody, "And who pissed in your cornflakes, you can't even give your BFF a hug?" I placed my hands on my hips.

He rolled his eyes at me, "Don't roll your eyes at me, at least not when I'm looking directly at you!"

"Sorry," he said and then turned away and rolled his eyes.

I laughed, "We will have to work on that," and then I motioned them forward and we continued along at a steady pace.

"So you have a divas match tonight hey?" Ted asked me, "Are you going to win?"

"No DiBiase, I am setting off to lose this match!" I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes.

"Didn't you just tell Cody to be more subtle . . . never mind. Man, it was an innocent question."

I laughed, "I know, I'm just kidding. But speaking of title matches, don't you two have a tag team match tonight? For the unified tag titles?"

"Why yes we do, and guess what? We _are_going to win those!" Cody spoke up and I saw a smile creep onto his face.

"The Big Show and Chris Jericho?" I reminded him causing the smile to disappear just as quickly as it had come.

"Do you doubt our mad skills?" Ted asked clearly offended. I had complete faith in Rhodes and DiBiase, although bugging Ted is too much fun.

I giggled, "Of course not DiBiase. Oh here we are, my locker room," I turned back to face the two Legacy members, "I will see you two later, good luck on your match, I have complete faith!"

Ted turned to face me, "Give Maryse hell for us okay?"

I gave him a scrutinizing look, "Let me guess, she rejected you once or twice and now you are using me to get your revenge?"

Cody laughed in amusement at my attempt of a joke and started walking away while Ted glared at me, "What? No of course– You know what? I hope you lose your match!"

I inhaled and faked insult but Ted just pointed at me as he was walking backwards while following Cody, "Yeah that's right!" then he turned and ran to catch up with his team member.

I shook my head and entered the divas locker room to get prepared, mentally and physically, for my match tonight.

"**Here is your winner of this match and new WWE Divas Champion – Mickie James!"**

Cheers erupted through the Wachovia stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I had done it! I defeated Maryse and became the new Divas champion! I grasped the title in my hand and raised it in the air while simultaneously the ref did the same with my other hand. I hugged the belt and made my way to the corner as my music continued playing. I climbed to the second rope and held the title over my head with a huge grin on my face.

The crowd erupted in cheers again and I glanced down to see Jillian lying on her back outside the ring. _That'll teach her for trying to get involved in my match! _I honestly don't know what her issue was with me, but I am glad that it is now over.

After sending another smile out to the beloved fans, I jumped off the turn buckle and exited the ring throwing the title over my shoulder.

I pushed myself through the curtain where Kelly and Melina were waiting along with John, to congratulate me. After accepting a bone crushing hug from John, I mumbled thank you's and leaving them to prepare for their matches respectively I continued on my way to the locker room to get showered and changed. Today was shaping out to be an even better day than I had expected it to be! Not only did I become the Divas champion, but I was lucky enough to not have run into the Viper! This day couldn't get any better!

A wide smile grew on my face as Ted, followed by Cody, approached me with a huge grin of his own.

He picked me up in a victory stance as Cody muttered congratulations and I just couldn't help feeling happiness seep through every inch of my body. All the bumps and bruises along the way, it's all worth it when you get to declare yourself the top of your own division. Having won the title times before this, well it doesn't prepare you for winning it again. Each time feels as if it is the first time you have won it – it's a feeling that never gets old.

After Ted put me down he looked at me, "The real reason we actually came over here was because Cody wanted to issue a challenge against you for the title!"

"What? Whoa . . . hey, no come on!" Cody said clearly surprised that Ted had turned on him so easily.

I placed my hands on my hips, "Hey any day you want Cody, I will take you on," I winked at him.

Ted positioned himself so we were side to side and he put his left hand in the air, "Just picture it . . . Cody the new WWE Divas Champion!"

I placed my hand on my chin, "Welll, it does have a nice ring to it . . ."

Cody glared at both of us, "You guys suck!" and he stormed off with us laughing after him.

"Is that the best you could come up with?" I yelled after him as I continued laughing.

"Divas champ and you've only been here for less than two months. That's awesome James!"

"Yeah well I'm awesome, so naturally it fits together!"

"Have you been hanging out with the Miz?" he asked with a stern look.

"He's not in my awesome league!"

"I'm really not surprised about that one," and he craned his neck in the direction that Cody had stormed off, "But for now I must go and find my tag team partner because I really don't want to have to face Big Show and Jericho alone!"

"Good luck Ted. Tell Cody I said good luck as well," I shouted after him.

I jumped to my feet and did a victory dance while the rest of the divas in the locker room sent me mixtures of looks – some were looking at me in annoyance, some were clearly amused, and others were looking at me in confusion.

Ted and Cody had just defeated the Unified Tag Champions after Ted hit 'Dream Street' on Jericho and pinned him for a 1, 2, 3!

"What are you so happy about?" Gail Kim called over to me from across the room, "DiBiase and Rhodes winning isn't exactly something to get excited about."

I looked over to Melina and Kelly who both laughed, "Didn't you hear, Mickie is tight with the Legacy boys," Melina shouted out.

"Excuse me, I believe I am close with Ted DiBiase, and Cody hasn't really warmed up to me yet. As far as the _other _Legacy membergoes, he doesn't deserve my friendship!"

"You are friends with the Legacy?" Eve called out in surprise from her spot on the bench beside Gail.

"Well yeah I guess, why?"

"Cody Rhodes is really weird. One time he kept following me around asking me to go out with him, regardless of the fact that I had already declined about ten times," a few of the divas laughed which surprisingly made me feel a bit offended.

"Cody takes a while to get used to, but doesn't mean you can judge him without even knowing him." With a farewell to Kelly and Melina whose match was up next, and ignoring the looks the other divas sent me, I left the room in search of the new Unified Tag Champs with my Divas belt firmly placed on my shoulder.

I ended up outside the Legacy locker room, and after wishing that Randy Orton was elsewhere I went to knock on the door, but before I could fully do so it was wrenched open and I felt a body collide with my own. I braced myself for the fall, but I felt two arms grasp me around the waist and catch me before I hit the floor.

I had a feeling I knew who it was and after cursing the person that is supposed to grant wishes, I looked up into the eyes of the Viper.

He smirked at me as I quickly distanced myself from him by taking a few steps back.

"What no thank you?"

"Wait a second, let me think about- nope no thank you comes to mind," I said while narrowing my eyes at him.

"I see you're still mad at me?" he leaned against the door frame.

"Me? Mad? At you? No, that would be a waste of time. As you can tell I just became the new Divas champion, so I'm having such a good night that not even someone so skilled at ruining people's nights as you are, could put a damper on it," I craned my neck to try and see into the room, which given my height disadvantage didn't have the desired outcome.

I crossed my arms and unwillingly looked into the eyes of the Viper, "Ted and Cody here?"

"Maybe? But don't play games, we both know you came here to see me," he did have the most adorable smirk . . . wait snap out of it Mickie he's the _enemy_.

I rolled my eyes making sure he could see, "Yes, okay fine I came here to see you, now can you continue on your way so that I can go in and see Ted in peace?"

He pushed himself off the frame of the door and continued past me letting the door close behind him, "I **am** leaving, but don't think it's because you 'asked me to'. I have a match to prepare for. One that's much more important than that pathetic little match you had tonight, if you could even call it that."

Before I could reply he turned and strolled off in the opposite direction that I had just come from. Grumbling to myself I turned around and entered the Legacy locker room. Ted and Cody were both sitting on the couch with their legs propped up staring at their newly acquired titles and making jokes about their opponents.

"Mickie! I thought I heard your voice," Ted yelled out.

"Look at you two, the gold looks good on you!"

"You didn't need to tell us, we already knew that," Cody replied with a smirk.

"Congratulations is in order _but_ I have to say my belt is prettier than all four of yours."

"That's because yours is pink. I wish ours were-" and with one look at Cody he stopped mid-sentence, ". . . manlier . . ."

I laughed at him, "Seriously you guys did great! Not going to lie though, some of the Divas thought I was pretty crazy when I was doing a victory dance after Ted got the pin!"

"Getting the disturbing mental image out of my mind of you doing a victory dance . . . which Divas?" Cody asked.

"Well Gail Kim, Eve, which by the way, may I please ask about the time you apparently followed her around the arena begging her to go on a date with you?"

A stunned expression grew on Ted's face as he turned to stare at his partner, "What? When was this?"

Cody looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here, "Begging? I was not begging anybody! I merely asked her if she wanted to go out, and when she declined I left her alone."

Ted was silent for a moment and then he burst out in laughter, "Cody got rejected by Eve," he taunted until Cody punched him.

"She said you wouldn't leave her alone," I reminded him. I was rather curious now, because this didn't seem like the Cody I had been associated with over the last few weeks.

"Well that's a little drastic," he mumbled.

I stared at him for a few seconds and then my eyes widened, "You like her!" I accused.

Cody's eyes flew to mine, "WHAT?"

"You like her! That has to be it; oh you would be such a cute couple!"

I looked to Ted expecting him to agree but he looked confused, "Cody? Have a crush on a diva? No way," he said in disbelief.

"You know that's what I thought at first, but Cody, who by the way is an obvious ladies man and isn't exactly into long term relationships, he wouldn't really know how to go about asking a diva out on a date! That's why he freaked out Eve . . . no offence," I added so I didn't hurt his feelings.

"You're crazy," he accused.

I shrugged my shoulders, "It's been said, but I know I'm right. So why don't you just admit it?"

"Because I'm not going to admit what isn't the truth! Now if you will _excuse_ me, I'm going to take a shower!" He stumbled to his feet and disappeared into the bathroom muttering a mixture of words like 'crazy', 'nosy', 'me liking someone? That's ridiculous'!

"You know, I think you are onto something. Cody _has_ been weird lately. He hasn't hooked up with any girls for the past couple months, which yes might not seem like a long time to you, but for Cody that's like an eternity!"

I took a seat next to Ted and placed my title on top of the already big pile of tag team titles before smiling, "You know what that means?"

"What?"

"We have to find a way to get them together!" I said clapping my hands together in excitement as I heard the shower turn on in the bathroom.

"Whoa, Cody hates when people interfere in his business."

"Not if we get him exactly what he wants!" I said with a devious grin forming on my face.

"Well we have to be clever about it, because if Cody finds out, he won't be too happy."

"Don't worry, I've watched enough spy movies to know how to be subtle," I spoke not fully knowing what I was trying to achieve.

Ted sent me a weird look, "Ri-ight, well as long as you're here we may as well tune into the rest of the Pay-Per-View, or more particularly the Divas match!"

"Good idea, but for me . . . I can't wait to see Randy lose!"

I looked up to see Ted staring at me with disbelief etched into every inch of his face.

"What?" I asked.

"This," he said motioning around the room, "Is a sacred Legacy locker room!" he whispered, "You can't say stuff like that, or you aren't welcome."

"Please, I could understand if maybe we were in the same arena all the time, but you guys have a different locker room like every week, that doesn't even make sense."

"You see that Legacy poster there?"

"Yeah . . ."

"That symbolizes the home of Legacy, and in this room we fully support each other – which means no talking bad about the other members!"

"But I'm not a member, so I can say what I feel," I pointed out as if it was obvious.

"Did you not here what I just said? Sacred room, sacred walls!"

"Fine! I will play by your stupid . . . I mean your rules. But only because I don't want to be kicked out."

He nodded his approval and then turned the TV on and we watched the ending of Melina and Kelly's match against Alicia Fox and Jillian Hall. I did another victory dance when Melina got the pin on Alicia causing Ted to laugh at me. Boy was I wrong when I claimed the night couldn't get any better!

Half an hour later though I was stuck in the room alone because Ted and Cody had gone down to ringside to help Randy despite me telling them they should stay out of it. John and Triple H had momentarily teamed up to fight off the Legacy, but the odds just weren't in their favour. I watched in disbelief as Randy caught Cena with an RKO and picked up the win. Randy Orton was the new WWE Champion.

Somewhere deep down I felt happiness, and then guilt. John had just lost the WWE title – unfairly I might add – and I was feeling happy for Randy? Triple H and John Cena had both been cheated out of the coveted title, but you have to remember that everything isn't always fair in the world of wrestling.

I turned off the TV, not caring to watch the results of the World Heavyweight Title match, and waited in silence for the members of Legacy to come back to their locker room.

The door was pushed open and in walked Randy with what appeared to be as much of a smile as he was capable of these days. He looked directly at me and raised his eyebrows before patting his new WWE championship.

I had to smile, "Congratulations," I said softly, "You did pretty good, with help from the others of course."

"You know, I don't even care, because guess who is the new WWE champion?"

I shook my head but it wasn't in an angry way, I was truly happy for him. Sure Randy was an arrogant jackass, but he has worked his ass off for the last eight years, it's not like he doesn't deserve to be the champion.

"Where are Ted and Cody?"

"Off getting something to eat, although they didn't tell me you were still here," he said after closing the door behind him.

"Well I was just about to leave," I said picking up my title and heading towards the door.

Randy shifted over so he was blocking the door, "Scared to be alone with me in a room?"

"Sure, but not for the reasons you are thinking."

"Don't lie to me; I know you aren't scared of me like the others are. What's the matter Micks? You afraid you will give into your innermost desires if there's no one around to stop you?"

"And what desires might you be referring to?" I said crossing my arms to wait expectantly for an answer.

"The desire you have to get with me just one more time," the smirk played across his features again.

"I see winning the WWE title has only boosted your ego . . ."

He stepped out of my way, "Anytime you want to have another round with the Viper, just let me know. I can make an exception for you anytime," he winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and with a smile I opened the door. I hesitated for a moment and then turned back to face him.

He was about to open his mouth but I cut him off, "No, I'm not thinking about engaging in another 'round' with you. And I think it must be the fact that it's been such a good night, and I'm on some kind of high, but a group of us are going out tonight to a club that is about a block away from the hotel, did you want to come?"

It was surprise this time that was imminent on his face but was gone in an instant, "Yeah sure why not, I have to celebrate my win don't I?"

I shrugged my shoulders and then made my exit into the corridor. How was it that Randy and I could just pretend that certain things didn't happen? Why did I invite him to come out with us when I was clearly still upset that he had called me pathetic? It had been an in the moment kind of thing, and I guess I wanted to be nice. Only the Viper would be able to insult me one moment, and act pleasant to me the next. Of course I'm referring to the sexual references he keeps offering as him being 'nice'. I said I was sick of his mood swings, and it was the truth, but are the insults worth the moments when he and I can actually get along? If so, then he and I really had a messed up relationship.

**Mickie is the new Divas champion!**

**And all the Legacy members hold gold as well.**

**Night of Champions was a good night for the group.**

**Thanks for the reviews from last chapter!**

**I can understand both sides… the Nexus winning at SS to continue a storyline that is actually exciting and fresh. But I want Team WWE to teach these punks a lesson!**

**I can't wait to see who is going to be the remaining member of Team WWE now that it appears that Edge and Jericho have rejoined the team.**

**Also, who thinks Melina is going to win the Divas title?**

**Once again I appreciate the reviews… let me know what you think!**


	20. a night to remember or forget

CHAPTER 20

"Now this is how we should party every time we go out!" my very drunk friend Ted was yelling into my ear while we were on the dance floor surrounded by a group full of strangers.

We were partying to celebrate the end of yet another Pay Per View, and we were now on the road to the official party of the summer – Summerslam! There were a ton of familiar faces here tonight, but even more unfamiliar ones, and yet they all seemed to know exactly who I was. The stares and the compliments thrown my way by both sober, and those under the influence were even more common than any other night.

"I guess in order to do that, we would have to win titles everyday of the week," I shouted back to him before glancing down at my Divas title that was positioned safely on my shoulder.

"Nonsense, we shouldn't need an excuse to have this much fun. Hey, let's go get another drink!"

"Whoa no way, you have had _way_ too much to drink Ted!" I said with a laugh.

"Are you kidding me? I've barely even started!" he said while pulling me off the dance floor and towards the bar.

"Oh boy, where's Cody?" I muttered, more to myself than to Ted, who was now flirting with the bartender.

I was watching Ted make friends with the girl behind the counter until I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned around to face my blonde best friend.

"Hey Micks, having a good time?" she leaned in to shout in my ear over the music.

"Oh I'm having a great time with drunken Ted over here," I said pointing behind me. Truth was, I wanted to leave an hour ago, it was already one and I was tired.

Kelly smiled, "Well as much as I hate to say it, I'm going to head back to the hotel. I'm sorry girly, but John is kind of down right now and could use some cheering up."

I offered a smile, "Its fine, I'm going to head back soon anyways. It's nice to have my own hotel room this time around so I can rest in peace!"

"I know you miss me! Anyways if you see Mel, tell her I said good night alright. I couldn't find her, so well you know. I'm sorry again, and congratulations on your big win!" she said after pulling out of the hug she had offered.

"Thanks Kels. Now tell Cena I told him not to pout too much. He should be happy I _gained_ a title," I laughed and she nodded before sending another smile my way and pushing her way to the exit.

I scanned the club to make sure I hadn't missed anything and was disappointed to report back to myself that the Viper was still a no-show.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around me in an embrace, "Mickie, you're soooo prettyyyy!" Ted shouted in my ear causing me to roll my eyes, but let out a chuckle.

"Ted I am so happy you are a nice drunk," I said while freeing myself from his grip, only to lunge forward so as to catch him before he hit to the ground.

"Oh man, this is the bad part about my size disadvantage," I grunted as I staggered under the weight forced upon me by the son of the Million Dollar man.

"Mickie," Ted whispered and when I gave him a questioning look he continued, "I totally got the number of that bartender, but don't look, I SAID don't look. Be cool, be cool!"

"Oh Ted, I really have to get you into bed."

"Whoa Micks, I mean sure you're hot, but I don't think people would be too happy if we went to bed together," he yelled out, "Randy in particular!" he whispered in a loud voice.

"No Ted I didn't mean-" I sighed, "Never mind, I am _not_ touching _that_ comment with a ten foot pole!"

I tried pulling him forward but without the help from him, the result was both of us tumbling to the floor. How embarrassing! Just as I was about to stumble to my feet, someone grasped my arm and did the job for me.

"CODY! Oh thank god you are here!" I said and motioned to Ted on the floor.

Cody shook his head, "I would have never expected you to say _that_ before. He turned his attention upon Ted, "Trust me, this is _nothing_ compared to what I have had to deal with."

"You mean he's acted worse than this?" I shouted in disbelief as I bent over to retrieve my championship belt from the floor.

"You don't even want to know," was all he said and then he leaned down and managed to pull Ted to a standing position – somewhat.

We both took one of Ted's arms and slung them over our shoulders – for the first time tonight I wished I had left my title at the hotel - and were in the process of leading him to the exit when I heard my name being shouted.

Melina was walking towards me, "Hey are you leaving?"

"Yeah I'm helping to get Ted back to the hotel safe and sound, and I really want to get some rest."

"Okay, well have you seen Kelly? I haven't talked to her since we arrived," she questioned me.

"Yeah she just left to go and check on John. She wanted me to tell you good night, because she couldn't find you," I was struggling under the weight of Ted again and despite the fact that Cody was there, Ted seemed to be leaning more on me.

"Mickie, can we . . . .?" Cody shouted over Ted's singing.

I laughed and nodded, "Just one sec. So I better get going, but I will see you tomorrow bright and early alright. Tell Dave I said bye, oh and when you get breakfast, don't forget to get me a coffee," I said with a smile.

"I'm getting breakfast?"

"Yes, because you are the best friend in the world!" I replied enthusiastically.

She smiled, "Fine, but I'm waking you up bright and early! Anyways, I would give you a hug, but you look like you have your hands full. See you in the morning Micks."

Hauling Ted back to his and Cody's room was _not _easy. He kept stopping every two minutes to shake hands with everyone we met on the way back to the hotel. I didn't know it was possible to be _too_ nice of a drunk.

After Ted was safely in the room Cody turned back to face me, "Please switch me rooms! I'm begging you!"

I laughed and positioned my title on my shoulder, "No way! I would not trade you rooms right now for all the money in the world!" and with one last 'ha-ha you're stuck in a room with drunk Ted' look I was on the elevator.

I couldn't believe how much tonight sucked, despite how happy I had been mere hours earlier. Ever since realizing Randy wasn't showing up, I felt oddly disappointed even regardless of my best efforts to not think of him.

The doors were about to close when someone stuck out a hand to stop them. Honestly it was as if every time I thought about him he appeared. Although considering lately that has been most of the time, I was really glad I didn't have to see him more often.

"Well how was your night out?" Randy said with a smirk as he stepped onto the elevator.

"You _don't_ want to know," I mumbled.

"Oh come on it couldn't have been that bad," he stated.

"Oh yeah? You ever have to haul drunken Ted back to his hotel room?" I challenged him.

To my surprise he laughed, "Many times actually. Ted - despite being a pretty happy guy when he's under the influence - happens to be the most annoying drunk."

"You think you could have warned me?"

He let out another more enthusiastic chuckle, "Sorry I couldn't make it," he said.

I just shrugged, "Don't worry about it, I didn't miss you," I lied.

He raised his eyebrows and was silent for a moment before looking towards the opening doors, "Your floor?"

"Oh right," I had momentarily forgotten that we were on an elevator.

I had just stepped off when he called my name. I twirled around to face him again and he put his hand out to stop the doors from closing.

"You want to go get a drink in the hotel lounge?"

I was confused, "Are you serious?" I said more rudely than I had intended.

"Well if you don't want to that's fine too."

I hesitated for a second and then I offered a small smile, "Why not? The night couldn't get any worse could it?"

He rolled his eyes at me and stepped back so I could rejoin him. We entered the Lounge and immediately took two seats at the bar. Apart from two different tables that had a group of three each, we were the only other patrons in the bar. I placed my Divas title on the counter in front of us, and Randy ordered us drinks.

"You beat Maryse eh?" he said glancing at my shining title.

"Yeah, well she definitely deserved a good ass-kicking," I announced and took a sip of my drink and patted my title with my free hand.

"Oh yeah?"

I chuckled, "No not really. Maryse is actually pretty cool. Jillian's the one I have a problem with."

"The only problem I have with Jillian is her singing, which oddly enough is reason enough to avoid her altogether," he admitted causing me to laugh again.

"So I can honestly say that I'm not fully happy you won the belt," I declared.

He turned to look at me, "And why is that?"

"Because John is a good friend," I retorted. Poor John, I know how important the WWE title is to him. I hope Kelly was successful in cheering him up.

"Yet there's a silver lining for me."

"And what is that," I raised my eyebrows and waited expectantly for an answer.

"You said you're not _fully _happy which implies the fact that you are somewhat happy for me," he finished with one of his signature smirks.

"I guess you do have a point. Maybe it's because at this very moment, you aren't being such a total douche bag."

"Well-" he started but I cut him off.

"But that could change at any moment couldn't it?" I stated the obvious.

"I'm not really in control of my outbursts. When I'm mad, I'm mad, and I _will_ let people know," he stated simply. Man, if only I was that confident in myself.

"So in other words it's 'your time of the month' except, well all the time?"

"Well no because I'm a man." He paused for a moment, "Look I tell it as it is. I don't waste my time sugar coating it for people. If you can't take it that really isn't my problem," he took a swig of his beer and then turned to face me awaiting a reply.

"And the result is fear! Everyone is scared of you!"

"Everyone except you," he stated and searched my face as if he could find answers just by looking.

"I will admit you intimidate me at times, but I know the real you . . . not very many others do."

"How do you know I'm still the same person?" he challenged me.

"Well I would be stupid not to realize that you have changed a lot, but not all of you."

"And you feel sorry for me?" he said bringing up our altercation in St. Louis last week.

I thought about what I had said, and how I had implied that it wasn't me who was pathetic, that it was him who was.

"Yes I do," I said meeting his eyes and not looking away, "In spite of this wall you have built up around you _and_ your bitchy attitude, I know you still care about me."

"Oh do you now, well please enlighten me."

"I know that you defend me when other superstars insult or degrade me," I said matter-of-factly.

"I thought you might bring that up. I still have to kill Ted and Cody for that one."

"Oh don't blame them. I would have found out eventually."

He stared at me for a few moments clearly thinking of what to say next. I knew I was getting somewhere, and I also knew that I was right.

"Well that's one reason, not very much to build up your case," he said simply and turned to stare at the flat screen that was showing replays on the sports channel.

"You almost kissed me, like countless times!" I cried out.

"I do believe that you were doing the exact same to me. Besides I'm a guy . . . I wouldn't be opposed to getting action from an ex-girlfriend."

I narrowed my eyes, "Oh you are such a liar! I know when we were at the mall, the volunteer work thing, the reason you were so close to giving that guy a beating was because he was saying nasty things about me!" I crossed my arms and nodded my head. I knew I had him on this one.

His face was that of shock, "How did you . . .?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I have my sources. So just admit it, you still care about me!"

"So I like to keep an eye out for your best interests, doesn't mean anything!" and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Of course not, because you're Randy Orton - the Viper . . . and the Viper doesn't show emotion. He just does whatever he wants without thinking. Well it's funny that your first instinct is either to fight or threaten anyone who may harm me," I smiled. I definitely had this won.

"Think what you want Mickie," was all he could say.

I started doing a victory dance on my stool, "I won, I won, I won," I kept singing.

He laughed at me and then jumped off his chair to pick me up, "You think so hey?" and he started tickling me, until our faces were inches apart for what felt like the hundredth time in the past little while.

"We really have got to stop having moments like these!" I laughed.

"And you ruined it again!" he stated and let me go. He cleared his throat and then sat back down on his chair. I could tell he thought he had a moment of weakness and it looked like he was trying to regroup or something.

"Ruined what huh?" trying to avoid another awkward moment.

"A perfect opportunity for us to relieve some of this sexual tension!" he offered another smirk.

I gave another eye roll, "Dream on!"

There was silence for a few moments while I pondered how much better the night had gotten. Hauling Ted back to his room seemed like ages ago.

The smile eventually faded from my face and I was playing with the label on my beer bottle, "Not gonna lie, I'm pretty sick of your mood swings Orton."

I could tell he was looking at me but I didn't meet his gaze, "You do seem to be on the brunt end of my anger."

Is that all he could say?

"Remind me why that is again," I said finally forcing myself to meet his gaze.

He looked away and took another drink and didn't say anything for awhile.

"You seem to always have an insult for me too, I mean you aren't exactly innocent in all of this," okay ignore my question why don't you!

"Yeah well I have to defend myself somehow," I muttered and there was an even longer silence this time.

"So how come you didn't come out tonight?" was all that came to mind. It was safe.

"Why do you care?" I glared at him and his face softened, "Sorry, habit. You know me; I had things to do and people to see."

"Soo in other words you had a girl in your room and you were far too busy to get away?"

He lifted his beer up and tipped it towards me confirming my theory.

"Is she still in your room?" I asked curiously.

"Why?" he said obviously confused.

"I want to shake her hand."

The confusion was deeper this time and then he smirked, "Oh let me guess, you are about to make a joke about her being easy?"

I fake pouted, "You just ruined my joke!"

"No need to be jealous, she wasn't anything particularly special and she definitely had nothing on you," he winked at me.

"Oh please-"

"Randy?" I heard a soft voice speak from behind us.

Randy and I both turned to look at what had been the cause of interruption and Randy let out a sigh. Standing in front of us was obviously Randy's latest blonde hook-up. Poor girl really didn't know what she had gotten into.

He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off, "Is this her?" I leaned over and whispered.

He nodded his head and then turned back to the girl, "Look Christy-"

"It's Kristen," she pouted.

He stared at her for a second which I could tell made her uncomfortable before continuing, "Look I've been through this many times. It's called a one night stand, or in your case a one hour stand. The girl always thinks it's the start of some special relationship, when well they usually aren't even worth my time in the first place," he said calmly as if explaining something to a two year old.

"Ouch Randy, way to be gentle," I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

He turned his head to me and shrugged, "I told you I don't sugar coat things."

He looked back at the girl who surprisingly was still holding it together and still standing in front of us.

"But you said you could tell we had like chemistry," she said with a hint of defiance.

"And you believed him?" I said before I could stop myself. She glared at me but I continued anyways, "This is Randy Orton, well known 'Lady Thriller'. He prides himself on getting women into bed."

"Well said," Randy stated and took another drink of his beer before setting it down on the counter behind us.

"And who are you? His next victim?" obviously the girl doesn't watch the WWE.

"I'm-"

"She's my girlfriend," Randy blurted out and he placed his hand on my knee.

"What?" the girl shouted.

"Yeah what?" my head whipped to the side to stare at him.

"Uh yeah, we were broken up," he scratched the back of his head, "but you made me realize how much I missed her, so here we are reconciled."

"But what about that Lady Thriller stuff?"

Randy looked at me for help, "Oh, uh well I helped him get over his habits, but well you know old habits die hard and all . . ." I finished with a nervous chuckle. Now I'm involved in Randy's games with women . . . just great. Where the hell is my feminist pride?

"I don't believe you . . ." she whispered but I could tell she wasn't really sure.

I didn't know what to say but apparently the Viper had an idea that didn't involve talking. He stood up, pulled me to my feet, leaned me back and pressed his lips onto mine. This lasted for at least fifteen seconds before he finally pulled away and made sure I was steady on my feet before he let me go.

What the hell-? I took a deep breath and turned to face the girl and forced a smile.

"So, uh any doubts now?" Randy spoke.

"You are such a jerk!"

"It's been said," he replied simply and shrugged his shoulders again.

The girl turned and ran out of the Lounge. She shouldn't get involved with men like Randy Orton – things very rarely turn out for the better.

I waited until she was out of sight before rounding on Randy, "What the hell was that?"

"We needed to be believable," he shrugged his shoulders again.

"So now you have me involved in your crusade of treating women like crap?" he didn't say anything so I dropped into the stool beside him with a sigh.

"I can't believe she actually fell for it. You sure know how to pick em!"

He raised his eyebrows, "Hey Micks, you wanna-"

"No I don't want to go to your room with you! Gross! The sheets haven't even been changed. Do you actually think I would accept?"

"Honestly no, but you can't blame a guy for trying. I like the chase with you, it's so unlike a lot of other women," he admitted.

The chase? We had history, it's not like I was some stranger who was unwilling to jump in bed with him. We had already been together in that sense before – many times actually.

"Oh good to know you enjoy harassing me," was all I could manage to say. "You probably still smell like her anyways . . . trust me, that isn't a turn on," I murmured.

"If you must know, I showered. I always do when I'm finished with them."

"Ugh I can't believe women allow you to treat them like that, as if they are nothing more than your playthings," I rolled my eyes.

"Well realistically they are," and he sent a smirk my way, "Hey, I don't put a gun to their head and force them. They are _always_ more than willing." When I didn't respond he continued, "You want to know a secret?" I looked at him with interest, "She and I hooked up last night . . . we met in the gym. She's here for . . . well I wouldn't be me if I could remember anything she said right?"

I was surprised, was he telling the truth? "But you let me believe that's why you didn't come . . ."

He stood up ignoring my last comment, "I'll walk you to your room," and after putting some bills on the counter for the drinks he headed towards the exit.

I didn't move for a couple seconds but then I jumped off the stool grabbing my Divas title and ran after him, "Hey wait! What were you doing then? Why didn't you come?"

I finally caught up to him. "Is it important? It's not like I made you a promise or anything."

"Well is it such a big deal that you can't tell me?" I asked as we stepped on the elevator and he hit the button for my floor.

The elevator was filled with silence, "Randy?" I asked quietly.

He let out a sigh, "I _was_ there Mickie," he answered without looking at me.

My face was screwed up in confusion as I tried to think back to two hours ago, "No you weren't," I replied after coming to the conclusion that I had not seen him once.

"Yes I was . . . I left the hotel at midnight, so I imagine I arrived at around the same time."

"But I didn't see you . . ."

"Because I left pretty soon after that," he said as the elevator doors slid open.

"But why?" I questioned him as we stepped off the elevator together.

He was silent again, "Randy?" I repeated, but even quieter than the time before.

"I saw you dancing with Ted," he admitted and at this point I had my card in the door and I pushed the door open before I fully realized what he had just said, "I didn't want to interrupt, so I just left."

"Randy . . . there is nothing going on between me and-"

"I know, trust me even if there was I wouldn't care. I just didn't feel like hanging out," he said and realizing I wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, "Anyways, good night."

_He had been jealous when he saw Ted and me. _I had been right and even though he wouldn't admit it . . . deep down Randy still had feelings for me. I don't know why I felt it – perhaps I was just happy that he had actually been jealous over me, or maybe it was because the kiss we had shared in the hotel Lounge had sent shivers through every inch of my body – but I needed him.

"Randy," I said in a voice that barely passed for a whisper.

Before he had fully turned around to face me, I flung my arms around his neck and smashed my lips onto his. I guided him back into my room not caring about anything other than now and how _right_ this felt. I didn't consider the consequences that I knew tomorrow would bring, or what my friends were going to think.

To my satisfaction he reciprocated the kiss and lifted me up while placing me on the bed He continued to plant soft kisses along my neck, which sent chills coursing through my body again. How was the man who treated women like dirt, capable of making my body feel like this? As if I was the most important person in the world.

He stopped and looked at me, "Are you sure? Mickie you know what this is right?"

I had a moment where I was curious as to whether or not he asked all the other girls this question.

I hesitated for a brief moment, _oh fuck it_, "I don't care," I whispered and I pulled his lips onto mine again.

I knew I would regret it tomorrow, but I really didn't care, all that mattered in this moment was here and now. And in the now I was getting what I have been craving for years.

**A/N: So Summerslam came and went and I quite enjoyed the PPV.**

**Melina is the new Divas champion, and this could be something good for the division. Bring life back to it finally!**

**Randy captured the win but not the title! However this could also be a good thing because it continues the feud with Sheamus and Randy will win it eventually. It will be nice to see a longer feud and to not have the WWE title passed back and forth every month.**

**I am curious to see how the Nexus storyline will continue seeing as how they lost thus losing a lot of momentum. I am proud of Team WWE, and even felt a tad bit bad for the Miz, but Daniel Bryan did a great job.**

**Is anyone else sick and tired of Michael Cole? I wish they would bring back JR, I hate Michael, he gives me a headache!**

**Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) We will have to wait and see what's in store for Randy and Mickie next. Looks like Mickie wasn't strong enough to stay away from Randy… can we blame her? ;)**

**Once again thanks for the reviews and sorry about the long a/n… I had a lot to say !**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	21. keep him out of my life or not

I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face and feeling oddly peaceful. Images of last night floated to mind . . . winning the Divas title, partying with my friends, talking with Randy, throwing myself at Randy . . . my eyes flew open and I sat up so quickly I gave myself a head rush. My hand flew to my head and I winced in pain. _Did I dream it?_ Nope, I was definitely unclothed under this sheet. _Oh boy._

That was when I first became aware of movement at the end of the bed – Randy was in the process of pulling his pants on. I don't think he realized I was awake, but as if he had read my mind he turned to face me and a second later a smirk grew on his face.

"So that uh, that actually happened then. I wasn't dreaming?" I stammered. _What a stupid thing to say!_

He finished pulling on his shoes and then stood up to face me, "Oh it happened and might I say Mickie, you are much, _much_ better than what I remembered."

I felt so vulnerable sitting here with nothing but a sheet posing as a wall between us.

I narrowed my eyes, "Can't say the same for you," was all I managed to say.

He smirked, "Whoa, I just gave you a compliment, no need to get nasty." I couldn't help but notice his perfect abs that were directly in front of me as if on display.

I averted my eyes, "Really? You tricked me into bed with you!"

"Hey, hey, hey I asked you if you wanted it and you said yes. So don't put the blame on me. If I do remember correctly you _weren't_ objecting when you were yelling out my name, _well_ it wasn't so much _yelling_ as it was moaning."

I bit my lip, "Call it what you will Randy," I just wish he would leave so I could get out of this bed and cleanse myself of everything that happened last night.

"You're just mad because you wanted more than this. It's a shame really, because I thought you'd be different than the others. I informed you Mickie, I told you what it was, and you were more than willing to continue."

"Looks like I made a mistake," I whispered as he continued to stare at me.

At that moment the door opened and in walked Kelly and Melina with smiles and a tray filled with coffees.

"Mickie we brought-" Kelly started but was instantly silenced when she became aware of the fact that I wasn't alone. She stopped dead in her tracks causing Melina to run into her and spill the coffee all over herself, which resulted in her dropping the entire tray.

Why the hell did I give them a key?

"Kelly what the hell-?" Melina yelled in pain before noticing the Viper still standing at the foot of my bed without a shirt on.

Randy bent down to retrieve his t-shirt and holding it in his hand he turned to face me, "That really isn't my problem is it?" he said replying to the comment I had made before my friends had barged in.

He walked towards the doors, stepped over the coffee mess, "Morning Ladies," and was gone in the next second.

Kelly was the first one to recover from shock and after picking up the coffees she pulled the stunned Melina into the room before closing the door. There was silence from both of them, which was the surprise of the century.

I sighed and stood up, careful to keep the sheet around me, and walked past them both on my way to the bathroom.

Before passing them completely I managed to lift a finger, point it in their direction and mutter, "Not a word!" before stumbling into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

What had I been thinking? _Oh yeah _I _hadn't_ been thinking. I had gotten involved with Randy Orton again, and it came back to bite me in the ass. Typical! Apparently I lose my brain when I'm around him too.

I knew I would regret it, I knew I would feel this way, and yet I let it continue. A momentary lapse in judgement and it cost me my dignity.

I hadn't even been under the influence of alcohol so I had no one to blame but myself.

After pulling on a hotel robe I sighed and opened the door to see Kelly and Melina with their heads together whispering back and forth.

"Morning," Kelly greeted in a voice that was much higher than usual.

Melina sent her a dirty look and then turned to face me, "We brought you breakfast to make-up for ditching you last night . . ."

". . . Although it looks like you had more than enough company," Kelly added.

Melina punched Kelly in the arm.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of the coffees that was now half empty, "I knew _that_ was coming," I muttered and then took a sip.

"We didn't imagine it did we?" Melina asked half hopeful.

"Yeah, it wasn't like something that was totally innocent but could have been misjudged for something else?" Kelly offered.

"No it wasn't. I spent the night with Randy Orton and trust me, there wasn't much sleeping," I grumbled just reminiscing on just _how_ good of a night it had been. I mentally kicked myself.

Melina raised her eyebrows and grinned, "Released all those years of sexual tension hey?" and she nudged me in the arm.

"Melina!" Kelly cried out.

"What? . . . Yeah right . . . so well how? I mean you said you were coming back to get some rest."

"Yeah well I ran into him after dropping off Ted-"

"Were you drunk?" Kelly inquired.

"Do you really think I would need to be drunk to do that with him?" I scoffed, "I wish I would've been!"

"Was it that bad?" Melina asked – the sympathy evident in her voice.

"Are you kidding me?" I almost shouted, "He isn't known as the Lady Thriller because it sounds cute!"

"Oh right, well come on I wouldn't know. So he's better than before?"

"Melina . . ." Kelly exclaimed again.

"What?" my raven haired friend shrugged her shoulders, "I'm genuinely curious!"

"Oh he's much better, try like the best I have ever-" I stopped myself, "I guess all the women were good for something. It's like the age old saying 'Practice makes Perfect'," I shivered with disgust.

"So did he like trick you into it somehow?" Kelly suggested.

I sighed again, "I _wish_. No I knew what I was doing and I ignored my conscience. In fact, I was the one who initiated it."

"Well he should have known better." Bless Kelly for always making me seem like a better person.

I was silent for a few moments and then responded, "He asked me if I was sure. He even made the rules clear, but I told him I didn't care."

I looked up to face my friends and Kelly opened her arms obviously expecting me to break down at any moment.

Jumping to my feet I shouted, "No way! I am _not_ getting upset over Randy Orton!"

"Oh Micks," Melina said shaking her head.

"Yeah I know I screwed up, but as far as I'm concerned I am _done_ with having him in my life!"

They both looked towards each other to exchange looks of scepticism.

"Oh come on you two, have a little faith in me!" I cried out.

"Of course we do, but its, well its Randy Orton Micks. It's not some random stranger!"

I was silent for a moment while I allowed her words to sink in; clearly I was fighting a losing battle with these two.

"I need a shower," and after grabbing a set of clothes I stomped off towards the bathroom.

Whether or not they were right, we would have to wait to find out. But I was determined to keep him out of my life.

And once again life has royally screwed me over!

"Say that again, I must have heard you wrong."

I had been summoned for what was deemed a quick meeting at noon, with one of the members of the Creative Team. Obviously it wasn't anything huge; otherwise I would be meeting with someone a bit higher up.

Now here I was sitting across from Joe (the creative writer dude) having clearly heard something other than what had actually been said.

He looked a bit annoyed but he repeated himself anyway, "I said that the WWE creative team has come up with a new storyline that involves you. We are going to incorporate you into the group known as The Legacy."

So I definitely had heard right the first time.

"But why?" I said bluntly.

"It will give everything a new spin," he stated simply clearly not aware that he was ruining my life more and more every time he opened his mouth to speak. "It will actually be somewhat similar to the Evolution storyline of 2004."

I racked my brain to come up with some excuse to get out of this, "But Legacy is about, well about carrying on the Legacy of their fathers . . . I mean I definitely don't belong!" I hoped this was reason enough to give up on the idea.

"Well you will be defending your title and you will also have a huge managerial role. We feel as if you did such a great job with what we gave you in 2004 we think this could be a huge hit. Not only that, but you and Randy were a huge power couple."

"Wait what? Randy and I . . . reunite . . . as a couple?" I gasped.

"Precisely, I mean it's basically your only tie with the group anyways. It's not going to be an Edge and Lita relationship – Randy's character is too important and hanging off the hip of a woman will ruin that," _his 'character' eh, that isn't a character! That is actually him!_

"So then what sort of relationship will we be having?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well you have to be portrayed as someone who will do what he wants, when he wants. Someone who will give him what he wants, when he wants. Randy has all the power in this; I mean you aren't going to be his puppet-"

"Really? Because that's what I was _sure_ Ted and Cody were," I snapped.

"Well everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"So basically I have to be a brainless diva who does what she is told?"

"Not in the least, because you aren't going to be like the other ladies that Randy has been with and then kicked to the curb. He is going to trust you, trust you enough to accept you into his life and his group. And you aren't going to be brainless either; as a matter of fact your new character will be cunning and a mastermind. Like I said, it's really quite similar to 2004. Except in this case, instead of Triple H being the boss, it's your former boyfriend," he said lazily.

"Think . . ." he paused for a moment clearly in deep thought. He snapped his fingers and turned to me, "Think Melina back in her days as the manager of MNM, and maybe a little bit of Stephanie McMahon. But we want you to do your own spin on it, make it unique, different."

"We are quite confident that you four will take this tiny idea and just bring life to it," he gave me what I'm sure he intended to be a smile, but came out as a grimace and before I could say anything else he grasped my hand in a farewell and exited the room.

I wish I wouldn't have woken up this morning! I looked down at my title on my lap . . . _stupid title, you have already ruined my life and I haven't even had you for a full day! _

I wondered if the rest of the Legacy boys knew about this and cursed myself for not asking this Joe guy when I had the chance. I guess it's my best bet to go and find the three (hopefully the Viper isn't there) and get their thoughts on this whole situation.

_Randy's POV_

"Ted we are going to do this over and over again until you get it right!" I shouted.

"Oh why don't you shut up for five seconds," he shouted back and I was a little surprised when he did. I was starting to admire the kid more and more.

I heard Cody laugh from the top turnbuckle in the corner, "Hangovers are a pain in the ass aren't they Teddy boy?"

Ted sent Cody a glare, "Shut your mouth before I push you off that turnbuckle and kick your ass!"

I rolled my eyes, "I would love to see that, but until that is needed on live television it's a waste of my time."

"Seriously I get it alright now can I just take a rest my head is pounding!" Ted complained.

"No! We are not-" but I was cut off by Cody.

"Well look who graced us with her presence. Is that thing glued to your shoulder?" I was confused until I turned to see whom he was referring to, and noticed Mickie making her way towards the ring.

"I'm quite proud to be the new champion. Besides I wouldn't want to miss a chance to be able to rub it in Jillian Halls face if I happen to run into her," Mickie responded with a smirk, but I observed she was careful to avoid looking at me.

"Well DiBiase this isn't the usual welcome you give. What's up with you? Hitler over here being even more of an ass than usual?" she said gesturing to me.

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the ropes. Mickie seemed pretty . . . hostile I guess would be a good word. More than usual which wasn't a total surprise I guess considering what took place this morning.

I looked over to receive a glare from Ted, and surprisingly he sent one her way as well.

Cody laughed again after Mickie sent him a questioning look, "Don't bother Ted over here; he's got a major hangover. Not so fun the next day is it Ted?" Ted turned to Cody and stuck his middle finger in the air.

Cody just chuckled again and turned to face Mickie, "I like to think of it as payback after the hell he put me through last night."

Mickie laughed quietly, "Oh poor Teddy, don't worry it gets better as the day goes on!"

"I can tell you this much, it won't get better if I am surrounded by a bunch of annoying morons like you three," he grumbled and collapsed in the corner of the ring.

This training session was going absolutely nowhere. And why does Mickie think she can just come in waste my time? I'm willing to bet that she probably just came to see me.

"I am offended Ted especially after I was the one who was trying to stop you from tipping back all those drinks last night!" she said.

"Well you did a very good job at that," Ted said sarcastically.

I pushed myself off the ropes and took a few steps to the center of the ring, "Okay enough wasting my time here, is there a reason you came down here and interrupted us?" I said glaring at Mickie.

She finally turned to look at me and she narrowed her eyes, "Well it just so happens I have something to tell the three of you, unless you've already been called in for a meeting . . ." she said defiantly.

"What could you possibly tell us that will be of any importance at _this_ moment?" I challenged her.

"Well first of all I wanted to say that you are such an arrogant asshole, but wait a minute you already knew that so I guess, darn I _am_ just wasting your time," she said boldly.

I was about to tell her to get the hell out of my sight when Ted shouted, "Would you just cut to the damn chase! Listening to you guys bicker on a normal day is torturous enough, but having to listen to you two when I have a hangover, well I may as well just put a gun to my head to ease the pain!" and then he seized his head and winced in pain as his hangover headache obviously got the better of him.

Mickie didn't know how to respond to that so there was silence for a few moments where hesitation and anger both crossed her face. Finally she settled on serious, "Fine, _anyways_ I was just summoned to a meeting with a member of the creative team. They informed me that I would be involved in a new storyline that had 'lots of potential'."

I waited for her to continue but apparently she needed assurance. I am far too impatient for this shit, "So why are you wasting my time with pointless information?" I said probably a little more rudely than I should have. I just didn't feel the need or have the time to deal with Mickie's crap right now.

She jumped onto the apron and got in the ring, "Oh Randy because the storyline involves you," she said in mock innocence.

I gave a small smirk, "Let me guess, I break your heart? I've already got some practice with that so it should be easy."

She narrowed her eyes until they were nothing more than slits; I assumed she had an urge to attack me right now.

"Actually you big-headed, egotistical moron _I_ am being incorporated into Legacy!"

I was momentarily stunned, had I heard that right? Mickie . . . in Legacy? No that can't be right; the writers would be stupid to do something like that.

"You can't be serious?" Cody spoke from right beside me, having abandoned his place on the turnbuckle to come and get answers.

"Dead serious," Mickie replied without a hint of amusement noticeable on her face.

"But it doesn't make sense," Ted clarified now struggling to get to his feet while determining which would be the least painful day to do so.

Not only does it not make sense, it's downright stupid!

"Yeah, I mean you don't exactly fit in with us. Legacy is founded upon the basis we are carrying on the 'Legacy' of our fathers and in their cases grandfathers," Cody pointed to Ted and me.

"You don't think I mentioned that? Trust me, this is a big deal to them. I'm only wondering why they didn't discuss it with you three first."

Everyone was silent for a moment while we all pondered our own thoughts.

"But it's got to be a joke right?" Ted said and I scoffed.

"Yeah genius they called her in for a meeting, to describe to her an entire storyline only to say 'just joking'!" I rolled my eyes. This entire day had been ridiculous ever since . . . ever since I left Mickie's room. Yesterday had been the most fun I have had in awhile which, seeing as how most girls just don't live up to my standards in the bedroom is a huge compliment in Mickie's direction. Somehow I think that would make her want to slap me even more.

"God could you talk any louder?" Ted whispered sarcastically and I fought the urge to punch him. I was talking normally and it wasn't my fucking fault that he got pissed drunk last night.

"How do they think this is going to work? Last time I checked this wasn't 2004, and this wasn't _Evolution_. I mean I understood back then, Evolution was about past present and future. You, Dave and I were the future, but Legacy – the concept behind the group is that we are all multi-generational wrestlers. The name The Legacy is a reference to our extensive family histories in wrestling."

"Yeah Randy, I _get_ that alright! What am I supposed to do about it! Do you think I _want_ to be the Diva who pisses on the history of your families? I know I don't belong in the same group as you guys!" I could tell she was getting angry with me and I could also tell she felt guilty. Usually this is where I would feel guilty, and a part of me does, but this whole situation is far too ridiculous.

I just couldn't hold in my anger anymore. "This is fucking ridiculous, this is going to ruin everything," I turned to face her, "_You_ are going to ruin everything!"

"You know what Randy, I am just as _thrilled _about this as you are! So for once would you stop blaming _me_ for everything that goes wrong in _your_ life?"

Cody spoke up for the first time in the last five minutes, "Seriously what is up with you two?"

When Mickie and I both turned our glares from each other to him he continued, "I mean it's not exactly weird for you two to be at each others throats, but you have reached an all new level this time. I'm getting a migraine. Did something happen that Ted and I aren't aware of?"

"No nothing-" Mickie started saying but I interrupted.

"Well nothing unless you classify Mickie here not knowing the definition of a hook-up as something," I stated simply.

Surprised played across Cody's face and I watched as Ted's head whipped to face Mickie as if hoping she was going to deny this, but the only thing it resulted in was Ted swearing and muttering about 'pointless pain relievers'.

Mickie looked about ready to kill me so I allowed a smirk to develop on my face.

"Ugh my life is a living hell every time I get near you, and now I have to be stuck in a storyline with you that could last god knows how many months! It would be better for my sanity if I just QUIT!"

"Please do, it will save me a lot of wasted time," I sneered.

Without saying good bye to any of us (not that I expected one myself) Mickie dropped to the canvas and rolled out of the ring and stormed away without looking back. Good, maybe now she will learn her place. If she is going to be in this group she will recognize me as the leader, and will do as I say.

"You think maybe you were a little harsh on her?" Cody asked. I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"When I want advice from you I'll ask," I snarled and then turned to face Ted.

"Again," I ordered, but before we could even start anything a crew member called us in for a meeting.

After wasting half an hour in a meeting that had been unnecessary because of Mickie's prior visit we left the room with the creative writer visibly more shaken up than he had been before. I hadn't been able to control my anger, so I told him exactly what I had been thinking, and he got to know the side of the Viper that most people are scared to death of.

"I'm still not sure about this," Cody admitted as we were walking back to our locker room.

"Yeah because it's going to put all of our careers in the ground," I muttered.

"I think we are judging this a little too soon," Ted spoke up, "I mean it's not like they are forcing one of the Bella's on us or forgive me Kelly Kelly, but they _are_ giving us Mickie. Sure you can argue that I'm only saying it because Mickie and I are pretty close, but the fact of the matter is Mickie is the top Diva in the WWE right now."

As much as I didn't want to, I had to agree with Ted. Mickie was arguably at the top of the Women's division and I don't think I would trust anyone other than Mickie with the fate of the Legacy.

"That's true; I mean Mickie knows how to hold her own. She appeals to the WWE universe and the girl has skill. Plus if you piss her off enough, she's the perfect bitch," Cody said with a smile.

"And putting all that aside, she's in the same boat as us. Randy as much as you would like to put all this blame on her, it's not like she chose this. She doesn't want to be involved with you– uh us either," Ted said.

"Yeah, okay I get it. But the moment this turns bad, I am going to one of the McMahon's and I will _force_ them to do something about it," I threatened and then leaving Ted and Cody to talk amongst themselves I went for a walk to clear my head.

Today had not gone how I had expected it at all. We barely got anything accomplished in the ring, there was now a female member of Legacy, and I woke up feeling happy about Mickie being in my arms. I sighed. I had to admit the real reason as to why I was so unhappy about Mickie being in Legacy. Mickie in Legacy = more time spent with her.

And that means more mistakes made on my part. I knew I should have left last night the moment she and I had finished our business, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead I woke up this morning with my arms wrapped around her. I hadn't made a stupid mistake like that in years. Thankfully though Mickie had been sleeping and wasn't aware of the situation we had gotten ourselves in. When she woke up to me pulling my clothes on, I knew I needed to put my game face on and that from then on there could be no doubts.

I knew that the best way to deal with all of this was by resorting to my old ways and treating Mickie as if it hadn't happened in the first place. I hated seeing her hurting, especially considering I try and protect her from other men doing the same thing. I thought – how do I protect her from myself? The thought had come so easily – I put distance between us. Now look how that plan backfired. Now Mickie and I have a storyline together where we will need to be intimate.

I had a bad feeling about this – that it was all heading to a place that I didn't want it to. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I just had the feeling.

_Mickie's POV_

I was driving back to the hotel after the whole confrontation with Randy and the other two. Honestly I shouldn't have gone looking for them; I should have just let them find out on their own. I wiped a tear off my face as I pulled into the parking lot of our hotel.

The whole altercation had made me feel even worse than I did before, to the point that I just wanted to run upstairs, crawl under the blankets and never come out. I had expected Randy to be a jerk, I mean he always was, but the way he had treated me was unbelievable. I wish that I had declined last night when he asked me to get a drink with him because then I wouldn't be feeling the way that I was right now.

The whole 'having sex with Randy' business had just made everything worse. And on top of all that, now I am going to be involved in a storyline with him. I don't know how much more abuse I can take – my shield was wearing thin and soon he would be in control of my every emotion.

What I couldn't believe was how Ted had just watched as Randy said the things that he did. I mean sure he's feeling sick, and Randy's a pretty scary guy, but a friend isn't supposed to stand by and watch their friend get treated in such a horrible way. And not only that, but Ted had been pretty nasty to me as well. It made me angry because of how I looked after him last night, and how I dragged him back to his damn hotel room and put up with his shit and that was how he repaid me!

I forced the card key into the slot and sighed with relief when I realized that Melina and Kelly were no longer hanging around in here anymore. I needed some time to myself, to regain my composure before I told them the reason behind the meeting.

I took an extra long shower and lounged around for a few hours before starting to get ready for tonight's episode of Raw. I had finished my make-up and was halfway done my hair when there was a knock on my door. If it was Kelly and Melina they wouldn't have needed to knock because they had a key. So who was it?

I wrenched open the door to find Ted standing on the other side with a sheepish look on his face.

I shot him a dirty look, "What do you want?" I hissed but didn't wait for his answer before I turned and went back to the bathroom to finish my hair.

He followed me, "Okay I probably deserve," I sent another glare in his direction, "Okay I definitely deserve that, but that's why I'm here. I came to apologize! I'm sorry for how I acted today, and I would apologize on behalf of Randy if I wasn't scared you might have the urge to hit me."

"Ted today hasn't been a very good day, and it would have been nice if you would have at least tried to be civil to me," I muttered.

"I know, I know. I'm a total jerk, trust me I hated myself since the moment you left the ring. I was so out of it today, and Randy was being an ass before you showed up which put me in an even worse mood."

"Is this something new you're just noticing?" I asked.

"No of course not, but everything was like amplified by the fact that I was hung-over. So once again I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me!" he was begging now, how could I resist?

I gave him a small smile, "Fine, but only because I know the real you."

"Thank you, and might I say you look ravishing."

_Ravishing?_

I chuckled, "Ted it's not necessary to suck up, I've forgiven you already," I said while switching off my curling iron and unplugging it from the wall.

"Oh good because ravishing is a terrible word. Although you look beautiful still," he added quickly.

I rolled my eyes and stared at him for a few seconds, "What?" he asked.

"Uh I have to change so can you . . ."

"Oh yeah of course," and he exited the washroom closing the door behind him.

"Hey Mickie, you wanna drive to the arena together?" Ted called from behind the door as I threw my tank top over my head and pulled it down.

"Yeah sure, that would be awesome. We can like totally get in character," I said with mock peppiness while pulling on a pair of jeans.

I opened the door and walked over to my suitcase to select a pair of shoes.

"So what do you really think of our new storyline?" he questioned me.

"Well I like the idea of turning heel again and I get to work with three of the top guys in the industry, one of them happens to be my best friend," I said pointing and smiling at him, "But I have to work with Randy, so that **one** con outweighs all of the pros."

Ted laughed, "Yeah Randy sure is something alright. So uh, did you guys really . . .?"

I let out a small sigh, "Yeah, last night."

"How did that happen? I don't remember seeing him at the club, although I don't remember a lot of things like whose phone number this is," and he pulled out the cocktail napkin that had the number of the bartender written on it, "I thought you might be able to help me out with it because Cody had no idea."

"Oh that? Hot bartender," I informed him.

"Really? Score! Maybe I will call her tonight," he said more to himself than to me, "So back to you and Randy . . ."

"Well I knew that I was going to regret it, but I went through with it anyway. I don't know why I expected the next morning to be different than any of the other mornings he has no doubt spent with other women, but a part of me did and I think that is the reason that I hate him so much right now. I'm so disappointed and now I'm stuck in a stupid storyline with him."

"You're also stuck in one with me Micks, and trust me I am going to try and make it as fun as possible for you. I promise," he stated and walked over to pull me into a hug.

I smiled, "Thanks Ted, I appreciate it."

There was silence as I packed my belongings into my duffel bag, "Trust me I definitely didn't expect Randy and me to start up a relationship again, I'm not naïve and it's not what I wanted. I don't feel that way about him anymore. It's just that I wanted him to treat me as if I was a little bit different than the rest of them, that I was even a little more special you know?"

"I can understand I guess, but Micks Randy is, he functions different than all of us. His mindset is different, and I think he wants to believe that he really doesn't care about others feelings, which is how he can do that to women without worry. Seriously it either makes him the smartest person in the world – because it's bound to make him more successful – or it makes him the most terrible person for reasons that are obvious. But Randy is a friend of mine, and I know deep down that he has some good underneath that thick shield of his."

I just nodded because I didn't know what to say. I wasn't the only one who believed there to be some good in Randy which was a little encouraging.

"So you ready to go?" he questioned me.

"Yes sir," and I slung my bag over my shoulder denying the offers to carry my bag that Ted was presenting and we exited my room.

"I just have to stop by my room and get my things before we go," he announced and when I gave him the hesitant look he added, "Don't worry, Randy already left."

**A/N: Same old Randy! Poor Mickie! But don't worry that's not the end of it of course!**

**Let me know what you thought about this chapter. And I will be sure to update in the next day or two.**

**Thanks for the reviews, you are all awesome!**


	22. you want me so bad it hurts

"Home, sweet, home," Ted joked as we came to a halt outside the Legacy locker room. We had stopped briefly at the women's locker room so that I could let Kelly and Melina know what was up. They were both sympathetic but Melina had also pointed out that this could be huge for my career – and I had to admit she had a point. I was going to try and use this to my advantage. Hey if I have to be stuck in a storyline with WWE's biggest jerk, I was going to get as much out of this storyline as I can in terms of helping my career.

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh before turning my direction to Ted, "I don't want to go in." I was acting immature, but I honestly didn't care at this point.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad. Cody and I are going to protect you from, what did you say today, oh yeah . . . we're going to protect you from Hitler," he laughed at his own joke.

"Cody? Cody doesn't even like me."

"Cody does so like you, he was actually sticking up for you when you left the ring today," he informed me.

Well this is a surprise, "How so?"

"Well he told Randy he had been too harsh to you," Ted admitted hesitantly. I knew how much he hated telling anything that might be giving away too much about his Legacy team mates. I had to admire all three guy's Loyalty.

"This really is a surprising day! At least _someone _stuck up for me."

"Mickie I told you-" was all he could manage to get out before the door was wrenched open and the Viper made his appearance known.

"What the hell are you two doing standing outside the door?" he snarled.

"Easy man we were just exchanging a few words," Ted informed him before entering the room and giving him a manly smack on the shoulder.

Without looking at the intense blue eyes that I could feel gazing directly at me, I hurried after Ted and put my bag on the bench.

"Welcome to Legacy . . . officially," Cody said with a smirk and I offered him a smile in return. I took the seat on the sofa next to Ted and waited for someone to speak first. That person happened to be Randy.

"So obviously we want to do this properly. And in order to do that we have to do it slowly, not painfully slow like a damn soap opera, but just enough so that we have the full effect and people have a chance to get into it. If not, well then there goes our spots at the top," he paused for a moment giving us all a chance to imagine what it would be like if we were to be de-pushed by WWE management. After regaining his train of thought he only spoke one more word, "Ted."

Ted sat up straighter and cleared his throat before beginning, "Well I have a few ideas for the next few weeks that we think will work. Mickie we will set up some interview time before your 6-Diva tag match. . ." and like that we branched into a discussion on what was going to take place over the next few weeks and on a larger scale the next few months.

We figured this storyline would continue as long as people were to remain interested in it. We could have just as easily made it a terrible storyline so as to get it dropped sooner than later, but none of us wanted to risk it. So the decision had been made that we would give everything we had to make this work, and knew that if we did it properly, then we would be rewarded eventually.

I checked my appearance in the mirror – a pair of skinny blue jeans, my black boots I had bought for in ring and a black halter bikini top. My hair had been pinned behind my ear on the left side – I was ready for my interview and my match.

I stood in position going over in my head what we had discussed earlier, while the camera guy prepared himself and Josh Matthews did some mouth exercises to 'loosen his jaw'? Weird kid I tell you.

"Okay we are on in 5-4-3-2-1," the director counted down until he hit '3' then it became silent counting.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I am joined here tonight by the new WWE Divas champion Mickie James," there was a huge roar from the crowd before Josh continued, "Mickie how do you feel now that after less than two months being back here on Raw you have ascended to the top so rapidly and become the new Divas Champion by defeating Maryse just last night at the WWE Pay-Per-View – Night of Champions?"

I smiled at him and tightened my grip on my title, "Josh, it feels so good to know that I finally managed to shut Maryse up last night, and it feels even better to have championship gold over my shoulder once again. Like you mentioned earlier, I _have_ only been back for two months so I am incredibly grateful that I got the title opportunity when I did-" I stopped abruptly because Ted stepped into the camera having come up behind Josh.

Feeling movement behind me, I slowly turned to look and sure enough Cody Rhodes was standing behind me with a frown on his face.

"You can leave now," Ted sneered at Josh and gave him a push.

Josh sent a sympathetic look in my direction and I just nodded letting him know it was alright.

"GO!" Ted shouted and Josh hurried off, not needing to be told a third time.

"So _Mickie_, Cody and I were listening to your little interview and he asked me a very interesting question. Do you happen to know what that might be?"

All I did was shake my head, knowing that I had to look a little bit intimidated. I hoped I was playing my part convincingly.

Ted looked up to exchange a glance with Cody.

"I was curious to know why someone who is as unimportant as you are deserves an interview over the likes of Ted over there and me. Last night we defeated those two has-beens Jericho and the Big Show and in the process became the _new_ unified tag champions," Cody finished with a smirk that was replaced with a scowl when he positioned his eyes on me again.

"Why some pathetic little championship like yours would take precedence over ours is beyond me-" but before Ted could speak another word I stuck my hand in his face to stop him, annoyed with every word that was coming out of his mouth.

"Shouldn't you two be off running Randy's errands or something and not harassing me?" I snarled.

"Big words for such a small Diva," Ted remarked but he couldn't stop the surprise from showing through. He took a menacing step towards me and I had to admit Ted was a pretty convincing heel.

I gave them a smirk of my own, "You Legacy boys think _you're_ pretty tough don't you? Running around here acting like you call the shots, when the only thing _you've_ done thus far is live off the Legacy of your fathers. You're learning from Randy? Well I _can_ understand why you'd choose him as your teacher, what I _can't_ understand is how he finds the time to teach you two amateurs in between adding to his ever growing ego and the classes he no doubt takes on how to cheat in order to win his matches. Now you'll have to _excuse_ me, I have a match next." And without waiting for a response I pushed past Ted and walked out of the camera, leaving Ted and Cody to exchange looks of surprise and irritation.

"_Well I don't know if it was in Mickie's best interest to put herself on the bad side of the boys of Legacy, but I'm glad someone had the courage to voice the popular opinion," King spoke._

All in all I think Ted, Cody and I did a pretty decent job with our interview segment. We all seemed to get into our characters pretty easily, and I made it believable that I hated the Legacy. The WWE universe will never see it coming!

Although my character would hate the Legacy, I didn't. I quite enjoyed being friends with them – well two out of the three. I could understand why everyone is so intimidated by them; they are very good at playing their characters. What I didn't understand is how everyone seems to think that Ted and Cody are the same as their on-screen characters, or at least why no one has discovered the real them. Is it because they are all too afraid of the Viper, and if he is the same as his on screen character than the other two must be as well? That's pre-judgement and it was unfair on Ted and Cody's behalf, although I honestly don't think they minded – they weren't completely without arrogance.

If Ted and I hadn't run into each other at that club two months ago, would he and I be friends right now? It's hard to know for sure, but I'm glad that we are. Ted is a genuinely good guy, and I have a good feeling that Cody is the same as well – he just may not be as open about it as his fellow Legacy member is.

I didn't have time to stick around and discuss our on-air time with the two, because my match was up next. The commercial break must have gone by because as I was making my way to the gorilla position, I heard Jillian's godforsaken theme hit the speakers. By the time I finally made it to Kelly and Melina, Maryse had just disappeared to the top of the ramp after Alicia Fox's music had subsided.

"How did the interview go?" Melina asked quickly.

"Pretty decent, I think we did a good job."

"Ready to kick some butt?" Kelly interjected with a smile on her face. It was easy for Kelly to get into character, because she was just as happy in real life as she was on screen. She was the same bubbly diva that the WWE universe knew as well.

"What kind of question is that?" I said offering a smile as well, "Except I think Ted and Cody are planning something. They wouldn't tell me because they wanted it to be a surprise so we can create the 'full effect'," I shrugged my shoulders. All they had told me was to continue playing my part on hating Legacy.

They both nodded at me in understanding as Kelly's theme hit the speakers and after whispering that she'll see us out there, she pushed her way through the curtain. Not a full minute later Melina's theme hit and with a wave she was gone too. I pictured Kelly entering the ring now that she had some form of backup while Melina performed her signature split entrance.

I clutched my title more firmly, and threw it over my shoulder again. I took a deep breath trying to ready myself. Finally after what felt like forever, my music hit too and I made my way out to a huge ovation from the fans. I slapped a few hands on the way down and joined my team members in the ring.

I started the match for my team facing off with Jillian. After hitting a clothesline, I tagged in Melina and she took over control, taking out her anger on Jillian. If she wasn't such a bitch, I would feel sorry for her, but she's getting what she deserves. Melina brought Kelly in, who connected a blow to the ribs and hit a beautiful dropkick. But she took her attention off Jillian for a second, and the enemy took advantage of that. Jillian got a devastating blow on Kelly and was able to finally make it to her corner to get a tag on Alicia.

"Come on Kelly!" Melina yelled and clapped her hands.

Alicia was vicious – I'll give her that much. She definitely had more technical wrestling ability than Kelly, but that was the common problem among a lot of the divas. Just because Kelly doesn't have the widest move set, that doesn't mean it is wise to undermine her. Kelly has a lot of heart, and to disregard her would be a mistake. Well Alicia was just like every other diva. She took her attention off Kelly to do a victory dance for the crowd, and when she turned around she received a kick to the midsection and a swinging neck breaker.

This left both Divas down and Alicia, being the less battered one, crawled to her corner first and got a tag on Maryse. But Kelly was persistent and seconds later she got a hot tag on me. I hurried into the ring and hit a clothesline on Maryse, for her to scramble up and me to repeat it again. I yelled at her to get up and she came running but I hit her with an elbow to the face. I executed a DDT and went for the pin, but it was broken up by a kick to my back.

I couldn't tell who it had been, but the next thing I knew Melina and Kelly had come hurtling into the ring, and I presume they were taking care of Maryse's team mates.

This was it; I stumbled to my feet and pulled her up by the hair. I was about to connect the roundhouse kick when I heard the crowd erupt into boos.

What the . . .? Oh of course Ted and Cody. The two Legacy boys made their way down the ramp, ignoring the boos, and each carrying two of their titles. I had to fight an urge to smile, because I had been expecting them at any moment. I pushed Maryse to the ground and walked over to the ropes.

"_We know why these Legacy boys are gracing us with their presence. If you will remember, Mickie - in shorts words - basically said they haven't done anything useful thus far and are only around to run Randy Orton's errands." _

I pointed at them, "You guys get the hell out of here. You have no right-" there was a blow to the back of my head and I dropped to the canvas. I clutched my head in pain as Maryse hauled me up. I knew she was getting ready for her own finisher, so I elbowed her in the stomach and not paying attention to what was going on outside the ring I Irish whipped myself to the ropes which turned out to be a mistake. I felt a hand snake around my ankle and pull, causing my face to connect with the mat.

"_Now come on, I don't care what Mickie did to anger them, they have absolutely no right interfering in this match!" _

Someone grabbed a handful of my hair and tugged and seconds later my head connected with the mat. I knew Maryse had hit her finisher, and sure enough her entrance music hit the speakers moments later.

I don't know how long I had been lying there. I felt movement around me, but I didn't have the energy to sit up. My head was still throbbing and I wish they would just leave me here.

Then I felt someone pulling me up. _Oh god will they just leave me alone! _But the hands felt gentler and when I opened my eyes, it had been Kelly who had managed to pull me to a sitting position. I mustered enough energy to pull myself to my feet and looked to my right to see Melina slide into the ring clutching her midsection in pain.

I looked at the top of the ramp to see Ted and Cody standing there with smirks on their faces. I wonder who was to blame for my throbbing nose. Probably Cody, I'm sure he wouldn't miss an opportunity to punish me somehow. I resisted another urge to smile.

A hand grabbed my shoulder, and the ref presented me with my title - loser of the match, but still the Divas champion. I turned back to see Ted and Cody had disappeared but Maryse and her team were still laughing and celebrating in the middle of the ramp.

I lifted my title and pointed at her – to show her the title was still mine. She smirked and yelled that it was going to be hers again soon enough.

When they were gone, the three of us exited the ring – Kelly had her arm around my waist supporting me, and we made it to the backstage area where Ted and Cody were waiting for me, as I knew that they would be. I told Kelly and Melina I would meet them in the locker room, and after giving me a hug and making sure I was okay sauntered off discussing every aspect of the match.

I glared at them, "So who's responsible?"

Ted smiled, "Realistically both of us. But if you're wondering who cost you the match that would be Cody."

"Chicken," Cody muttered.

I punched him in the arm, "I knew it was you. I didn't need Ted to tell me."

He just laughed as Ted put an arm around my shoulder and guided me along the hallway. All I wanted to do right now was take a long shower and then drop onto my bed and rest for a year!

"So I missed a lot of it, explain what happened please," I asked them knowing I still had quite a walk back to the locker rooms.

"Well, as Kelly and Melina were brawling with Alicia and Jillian on the outside, Ted here distracted the ref while I took care of you. Maryse sent me a smile and then pulled you to your feet, and I'm sure you remember what happened next _pretty_ clearly," he sent me a smirk and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What?" He exclaimed, "We told you it was going to be a surprise." He let out chuckle and shook his head.

"So what does the jackass have going on tonight," I asked Ted, deciding that I was now ignoring Cody.

"Segment in the ring, he will address the WWE universe as new champion. Something will probably happen with Cena to set up a championship match for the coming Pay-Per-View."

"And you two?"

"Jericho and Show invoked their rematch clause, so that's what we have tonight. Don't worry we are going to kick some ass," he assured me.

After dropping me off at the women's locker room, I showered and changed and then turned on the TV in time to catch the end of the Tag Team Title match. While the ref was distracted by Big Show, who was trying to inform him that Ted and Cody were doing illegal moves, the Legacy boys double teamed Jericho. It was easy for Cody to hit the Cross Rhodes after that, while Ted pulled Big Show off the apron. There was a three count and their music hit.

"And here are your winners and _still _the Unified Tag Team Champions – Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase!"

They both celebrated as I shook my head and smiled.

"Hey babe, we're heading back now. Are you coming with us?" Kelly asked upon exiting the change rooms.

"Actually I think I'm going to stick around and hang out with Cody and Ted until they are ready to go, so we can discuss next week and stuff," I informed her. I felt guilty because we haven't spent much time together, but I knew both of them were just going to head to their rooms and wait for their boyfriends.

"Okay, well text me in the morning then. We will have breakfast together. I miss you!" she exclaimed before enveloping me in a hug.

"Miss you too," I responded, "And you too!" I said pulling Melina into our hug as she walked into the room.

"I'm sorry it seems like we're always ditching you," Melina said.

"Yeah, I feel horrible about it," Kelly admitted.

I smiled at them, "Don't apologize to me! Seriously I am not as pathetic as you think I am. I enjoy alone time, and I _do_ have other friends. Ted and Cody for instance, who I've become so close with in such a short time. I miss you both, but I want you to be able to hang out with your boyfriends and not worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" I insisted.

"Mickie anytime you want to hang out just ask and we will be there," Kelly told me and despite how much I knew she wanted it to be true, I knew different.

Kelly and Melina were just at that stage where they wanted to spend time with their boyfriends (especially Kelly) and I respected that. Truth was, I quite enjoyed my time spent with Ted, and Cody for the most part. Not only that, but this new storyline is going to take up a lot of my time. Kelly, Melina, and I would always be friends, no doubt about that. It's just right now is not really the time for us to do so. When things settle down, there will be time for that. But realistically the only people I have room in my life for are Ted, Cody and . . . unfortunately Randy.

"I bet you just loved being able to insult me tonight," Randy pointed out.

Can't he just not talk!

"Actually I quite enjoyed it. Although I was disappointed that there was a lot of stuff I couldn't say!"

Ted and I had decided to get a bite to eat on the drive home, but Cody had called and invited himself along. Of course he was with Randy, because the world is out to get me.

"Like what?" he asked through a mouthful of food.

"Like how repulsive you are, and the fact that-"

"You want me so much it hurts?" he offered with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. Hell will have frozen over and reformed itself by the time Randy got over himself.

"I've already had you Randy, and let me tell you, it wasn't anything memorable," what a huge lie!

"Oh whatever Mickie, like I said, you couldn't help screaming my name! Randy, yes, Randy," he mocked me.

I looked over at Ted and Cody, who had managed to tune us out and strike up their own conversation. I felt my cheeks grow hot and was thankful that neither of them looked up – even though there was no way they couldn't have heard that.

"It's funny, I don't remember anything," I said simply and focused my attention on a couple who was having a very heated argument.

_Poor bastards, they should just give up now. They will never live happily ever after. _Oh great, now I'm the queen of pessimism. I sighed; Randy does seem to have that effect on people.

Randy was still staring at me, "What?" I snapped.

He shook his head and smirked, "Nothing," he replied before turning his attention back to his food.

"What?" I said this time more forcefully than before.

He was silent for a moment before responding, "I just find it funny that's all."

I had no idea what he was talking about, "Find what funny?" I said impatiently.

"The effect I have on you," did he know what I had been thinking? This was weird.

"What effect?" I decided playing dumb was the way to go.

"You get flustered. You blush, and you get angry so quickly. I have never seen you act that way with anyone else," he said with a smirk still etched onto his face.

"Well you're special," I offered, "No one else is as pompous and as aggravating as you. I get a headache every time I'm around you. I _wonder_ why that is?"

"I believe the term I used was 'You want me so bad it _hurts_'," the smirk returned to his face.

Well he had gotten me on that one. I chose to ignore his comment, and focused on my own food.

"What are you two talking about?" I turned to Ted and Cody dying for any kind of distraction.

"We have an idea for the storyline," Ted announced. Well there's my distraction, I would sigh with relief if I wasn't afraid Randy would hear it and know he had gotten to me.

"What is it?" Randy demanded. Would it kill him to be a little nicer?

Neither Cody nor Ted seemed bothered by it. I guess it would be me getting used to it then.

"Well Mickie's tie to the group is you because of your history, which is odd because that's how it was in real life too . . ." looking at glares from both of us Ted continued quickly, "Anyways we are thinking you can hook-up with a diva on-screen, creating a feud between Mickie and said Diva."

"Mickie can start showing her true colors as time goes on, you know jealousy-"

"That sounds like real life to me," Randy said with a smirk which I chose to ignore and focused my attention instead on Ted who mouthed the word 'sorry' to me.

"Anyways, that should lead Micks into her full fledge heel turn if we do it right," Ted finished.

I was thinking about which Diva we could ask, "Which Diva? Someone like Eve maybe?"

Cody whipped his head in my direction, "We need one that's a little more vulnerable," he answered stiffly. Jeesh it was just on-screen, Randy wasn't _really_ hooking up with her.

"Maybe one of the Bella's then," Ted offered.

We all turned to Randy who was now smirking.

"What?" I was pleased my tone managed to sound rude.

"Kelly," he said simply all the while staring directly at me.

I was caught off guard, "No way," I said sternly.

"Why not? She's sweet, cute, and innocent. The fans just love her. She's a total babyface. Trust me, the fans would care a lot more if you turned on her than if you turned on one of the Bella's or even both for that matter," Cody explained. I knew he was right, but I didn't want to get Kelly involved with Randy even if it was only a storyline.

"Just ask her Micks, there's no harm in that is there?" Ted was trying to be comforting but wasn't exactly succeeding.

"Come on! They gave us free reign with this storyline, which means we make the decisions. This will work and you are on screen friends with her too, so it will have even more effect," Cody had a knack for explaining things.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes again, "I think she will agree, if only to help me, in spite of the fact that she finds him repulsive."

"That's what she tells you but that's what they all say Mickie. Their curiosity always gets the better of them. My reputation precedes me, they all want to see what the fuss is about. " I just wanted to smack that smirk right off his face.

Everyone else was already finished so I gave up on eating.

"Oh trust me they know first hand of the damage you inflict upon your victims," I said calmly trying to ignore the anger that was building inside me.

"That's if they stick around long enough for me to cause the damage. Someone like Kelly isn't as mentally strong as you are Mickie. She's the kind you fuck and then get rid of before she hits that clingy state and _then_ you regret even paying attention to her in the first place."

"Fuck you," I shouted jumping to me feet, "Ted, we're leaving."

Ted stood up and I walked away from the table, but I was far too pissed off just to let him get away with it.

I marched back to the table and he smirked again, "I knew you couldn't-" he started but didn't get a chance to finish before I threw the rest of my water – ice and all – in his face.

"You're damn lucky John wasn't around to hear you say that Orton, or he would kick your fucking ass," I knew my face was red now, which is why I didn't wait around for a reply and I stormed out of the restaurant with Ted following.

I couldn't believe the nerve he had. How could he say that about my friend? I don't care about the issues we had, that was a low blow. He doesn't even know Kelly so what gave him the right? God I'm so pissed I could just knock him on his ass. I should honestly go back in there and punch him in the face. _Breathe Mickie Breathe. _I need to learn to ignore that kind of stuff no matter how much it hurts.

**A/N: And Randy continues being a complete jerk. What did you think of the on-air segments? I'm not the best at coming up with promos or conversations between superstars, but I'm trying! :) **

**Please let me know what you think it is a huge help!**

**Thanks for the reviews once again.**


	23. get over the past, I have

CHAPTER 23

After the few house shows over the weekend, the appearances at fundraisers and the radio show that myself and John were guests on, it had been a blessing to finally relax for a few hours before Raw aired tonight. It's weird how exhausting it can be doing something that you love so much. And I do. I love performing in front of the WWE Universe, facing off with the other superstars, and just doing something I enjoy. At the end of the day, despite the usual exhaustion, I love what I do. Period.

I stretched out on the bed trying to enjoy my alone time while my roommate Ted was in the gym 'getting pumped' as he liked to put it. I had just gotten comfortable when a knock resounded on the door. _Oh you're kidding me! _I contemplated ignoring it, but there was another knock.

"Ugh! Yeah, yeah I'm coming!" I shouted out hoping whoever it was heard the annoyance in my voice.

I threw open the door to find a rather excited Ted standing on the other side of the door, "Jeesh talk about impatience! I was _trying_ to relax you jerk! Where's your key?" I exclaimed.

"I left my key here. No time for patience, I have _huge_ news!" he pushed his way into our room.

"You finally got a life?" I muttered while closing the door.

He glared at me for a second but couldn't hold it any longer, "No! Actually Cody and Eve are going on a date!"

Well that wasn't what I had been expecting him to say; actually I don't know what I had been expecting him to say to be honest. Not that that was unusual when it pertained to Ted.

"What? How? When? . . ." I was silent for a moment and then, "Why?"

"No idea," he said bluntly, "Must have been what you said to her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you said you were going to set them up . . . I thought maybe you talked to her?"

"Wha . . ? No I mean ha I meant to, but well this past week hasn't exactly been all that easy. I didn't get a chance, I was distracted . . ."

Ted's face fell and he looked dumbstruck, "You mean . . . Cody . . . got the date . . . by himself?" he looked so cute with the confusion etched into his face.

I let out a laugh, "Don't sound so surprised! Cody is cute . . . funny when he's not too busy being a pain in the ass. But you can tell the guy really likes her," I insisted.

"But it's Cody! I mean the guy doesn't 'like' girls. He lays em and leaves em. He and Randy are quite similar in that sense, the girls are always pathetic enough to fall for it . . ." there was silence and a guilty look crept onto his face, "sorry that was rude of me. No offence . . ." he finished and shifted his position awkwardly waiting for my reaction.

"Yeah, yeah I've learned my lesson. Randy's an arrogant jerk. I just added what happened to my list of reasons to hate him. What he said about Kelly last week is definitely on it."

"You have a list?"

"Oh yeah! And it's a long one too. Orton definitely doesn't disappoint . . . the jerk gods," I shook my head realizing how stupid I sounded.

"The jerk gods?" He questioned me.

"Oh shut up. I never claimed to be funny or whatever," I paused because Ted had started laughing, ". . . you know what? _You_ are leaving. You're disrupting my relaxation time!"

I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door to push him forcefully into the hallway.

"But . . . this is my room and I didn't have a chance to grab my key!"

"Goodbye!" I said slamming the door in his face. I reopened it, "Don't forget to come and get me before you leave!"

"This is my room too Mickie, I have to come back and you _better_ let me in!"

"Says who?" I threatened

"It's your turn to drive anyway," he informed me.

"Oh that's right, well in that case," and I slammed the door again. I smiled before striding over to the bed and crashing down onto it.

Minutes later there was another knock on the door. I am so going to kill Ted; he's probably doing this on purpose! There wasn't another knock, so I contemplated ignoring it but I felt guilty. What if this was important?

"Ted I told you come back later I'm tired and – oh," it definitely wasn't Ted.

"Is this a bad time?" the Viper spoke looking over my shoulder and surveying my room, "Not that I would care."

All the anger from last week came flooding back, "What do you want?" I asked harshly before crossing my arms.

He smirked at me, "I guess I deserve that."

"What would give you that idea?" I said sarcastically, "What do you want Orton?"

He chuckled and I was about to ask him what was so damn funny when he started talking once more, "I came by to . . . to apologize for what I said last week," he said hesitantly but with a hint of arrogance. I guess he had to maintain his ego _somehow_.

I was surprised though. I let my arms drop to my side and the anger momentarily fall off my face.

I shook my head, "What?"

"I'm not repeating myself. You heard the first time; I think that's more than enough as it is." Seriously as lame and overused as what I'm about to say is, if you looked up arrogant in the dictionary, you would totally see his picture.

"I'm sorry I'm just going over in my mind on whether or not this is a daydream or if it's reality," I said.

"You daydream about me?" he said with a smirk.

I chose to ignore his comment and I contemplated slamming the door, "Or maybe you should apologize to Kelly," I said with a smile.

"Get real, if you told her that's your issue."

"I didn't tell her. Why would I tell her something that is so unnecessary? Something," I glared at him, "that shouldn't have been said in the first place."

"I apologized, that's more than enough. What do you expect?"

"Nothing considering an apology wasn't even something I ever _would have_ expected," I leaned against the door frame.

"People just like to make me seem worse than I am," he replied.

"Oh yeah that's it. Because you're such a saint right?"

"Well I wouldn't go _that_ far. I told you I tell it as it is. What do people gain from others lying to them?" he questioned me.

"I will admit being truthful is good – for the most part, but you take 'honesty' to a whole new level. It's almost as if you set out to offend and hurt people."

"I like seeing how people react to certain situations. Some people can take it – like you, and others just . . . can't," he admitted.

I scoffed, "Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?"

"Don't get me wrong, I mean you're just like everyone else, and I probably am worse to you than most other people but I can't help myself. It's like I'm trying to prove you wrong or something," he said almost hesitantly as if he was already saying too much.

"What do you mean?" I was confused now.

"You have always seen the good in me. Even right now you have forgiven me so easily after what happened last week-"

"What makes you think I have forgiven you?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Who are you trying to fool here Mickie? Seriously though, you look past all the insults and the 'scariness'," he even did the quotation with his fingers, "It's appealing to me."

"Oh wow I sure feel special!" I said sarcastically, "I'm being punished for trying to see the good in every person. You know it's not even every person – I'm so far from being a saint – it's just you. You can be such a terrible person at times, and yet I won't let myself believe it. I have a sickness."

He chuckled, "If you call having a good heart a sickness."

I surveyed his face for a few moments, "Have you gained like a multiple personality disorder over the years? You can be so different. Like right now you're, well I wouldn't go so far as to say nice, but almost pleasant. Yet probably later tonight you will probably turn back into the arrogant asshole we are all accustomed to. It's like hitting a switch."

"That's just me," he smirked. I wish I could take a picture of it and tape it to my wall. Does that sound psycho? He's just so . . . alluring when he doesn't have his guard up.

"Anyways, I've got things to do. Now that I've apologized, it's time to get out of dodge before you try coaxing me into your room for round two," he smirked.

"In your dreams," I crossed my arms.

"No, in yours," he turned and started walking towards the elevator.

"I'm not the only one you know," I called out – not knowing why I did.

"What are you talking about?"

"Uh, Ted and Cody. Even though they would _never_ admit it, they know that deep down you aren't the guy you are on the surface."

All he could do was nod and then he continued on his way. Hopefully he doesn't mention this to Ted. I'm not exactly sure if Cody felt the same way, but he has to. I mean him and Ted spend more time with Randy than anyone else.

On-Air

"No one in the back could believe how Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase cost you your match last week," Eve complained to me while the camera was positioned on us.

"Me either, but I'm not surprised. I mean Legacy thinks they run the show and with an arrogant leader like Randy, should we expect any different?"

Eve cleared her throat and looked terrified as the crowd in the arena erupted into boos.

"He's uh, right behind me isn't he?" I said to her.

Eve was far too scared to say anything – I couldn't tell if it was for effect, or if she was actually scared of the Viper. I think it's pretty bad on his part that I couldn't tell.

I slowly turned around and backed into Eve who put her hand on my waist.

"Leave," Randy hissed quietly at her who turned and hurried away. He watched her for a few seconds before turning his attention back to me, "If you have such a problem with the way Legacy does things, why don't you let me know?" he sneered.

I avoided eye contact for a few moments and then forced myself to stare into the cold blue eyes of the Viper. I straightened my posture and appeared to act stronger than I felt.

"As a matter of fact I'm quite a-annoyed with how the three of y-you treat the rest of the superstars," with every word I gained more confidence, "Yeah, uh and while I'm at it, your _sidekicks _cost me my match last week."

"If only I cared what a _pathetic_ Diva thought. Now," his eyes travelled down my body, "if you wanted to come back to my locker room, I might care what you have to say then."

I took a step back and hesitated letting the fear leak onto my face, "Now there's an idea, one that will only happen in your dreams," I muttered and then I walked out of the view of the camera leaving Randy to stare after me.

Off-Air

Moments later I felt someone step in stride with me and I glanced over to see Randy had caught up with me.

"The offer still stands if you want to-"

"Save it Randy. It was the truth when I said I wasn't going to make that mistake again."

"And I thought we were getting along so well," he said smugly.

I laughed, "You're going to have to do a lot better than an apology I already deserved to be able to classify us as getting along."

I walked away smiling to myself. Honestly Randy Orton was the weirdest person I have ever known. He is quite similar to his character on TV. I think that's why he portrays the personality of the Viper so well. The only difference is his ability to be nice when he wants to. He can be a totally different person if he's in the right mood.

"_Wait a minute, what's this? King that's Randy Orton! What's Orton doing down here?"_

"_I don't know, but whatever reason he's out here I don't think it's going to bode well for Mickie James."_

I was watching Kelly face off against Jillian Hall when I heard the boos. Sure enough when I turned around Randy Orton was slinking down the ramp in his Viper like stance – his eyes completely glued on me. I switched my position on the apron so that I could keep an eye on him and wait for the tag as well. He stopped in the middle of the ramp, hopefully he will stay there. I don't need any more distractions and I didn't know we had discussed Randy coming down to ringside.

"Come on Kel!" I shouted to my blonde friend and stamped my foot on the apron.

Moments later Kelly crawled to our corner and she got the tag on me. Knocking Maryse down (whom Jillian had tagged in) I was waiting for her to get up when I glanced towards the ramp and became aware that Randy had taken a few steps forward. I glared at him, but the moment cost me a lot. I received a kick to the midsection and the next moment my head collided with the ground for the second time within a week.

Gah this storyline is ruining my credibility as Divas champion! At least on the plus side I can put the blame of my losses on three other guys as opposed to myself or a crappy partner.

"I don't recall discussing you stalking me at ringside," I called out as I approached the man who was the reason for my loss.

"I had the urge," he replied with a smirk.

"Very funny! I'm sick of losing," I pouted.

"Don't always get what we want," he said and he examined my body before smirking and walking off.

I rolled my eyes and watched him walk away before heading to my locker room to get changed. Not waiting until the end of the show before leaving, I left the arena and headed back to the hotel early and alone. An hour later I exited the bathroom in my PJ's to find Ted DiBiase lounging on the bed absorbed in the TV.

"When did you get back?" I muttered.

"About twenty minutes ago, god you take way too long in the bathroom," he said sternly.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm a girl, what do you expect? Besides you could have just as easily taken a shower at the arena."

"And you could have too," he challenged me.

"Yeah well I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible," I mumbled.

"Oh," he sat up, "I'm sensing some kind of . . . Randy problem?" he finished with a grin.

"No, no problem," I said down on the bed in silence as Ted continued watching TV, "Have you ever experience Randy's mood swings?"

Ted turned his attention back to me, "Are you kidding?" he said in disbelief, "I've been travelling with the guy for the last year, I'm pretty sure I've experience every _one_ of his mood swings."

"I know that, it's just last week he was above and beyond the normal jerk he usually is, and all day today he's been . . . nice. It's weird, and a little puzzling."

"Uh Mickie I hate to break it to you, but Randy is both weird . . . and puzzling."

I went over to him and punched him on the shoulder, "Thanks for the help Captain Obvious."

He laughed, "I'm sorry but Randy is different Micks. We can have this conversation a hundred times, but I think you are still expecting him to be the same guy you used to date. I may not have known him back then, but I know that whatever happened changed him."

I looked down at my hands and sighed, "It's just confusing that's all," I looked back up at him, "You would have liked him a lot back then."

"As hard as this is to believe, I like the guy now. I mean after you get used to him, he's not that bad to be around. Over the last year, Cody, Randy and I have become really good friends. We understand each other."

"I'm glad he has you guys, I really am. Despite his bad attitude and the constant mistakes, he deserves some good friends."

Ted came and sat on the bed next to me, "Don't worry you just made our group a foursome, in case you haven't noticed, you fit right in with his," he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Now there's a scary thought," I teased.

"Oh admit it, you love being in the coolest group in the WWE."

I smiled, "It is kind of nice, and the best part is that I _do_ feel like I fit in." Over such a short time, the three Legacy men had become such an important and big part of my life. I had gotten to know Ted and Cody and the new Randy, and despite our down moments, I wouldn't have it any other way. Like everyone says, there is something to be learned from every moment in your life.

We were interrupted from our sentimental moment by a knock on the door. I glared over at Ted, "Fine, fine but this is the _last_ time," he shouted.

"If you say so," I muttered to myself with a grin.

"Look who it is," I called out when Cody appeared in the doorway.

"A pleasant surprise?" he smirked back.

"Not so much, but nice try," I said with a grin.

"Admit it Mickie, you want me."

I poked my tongue out at him, "What do you want?"

"So hostile," he remarked, "I'm hungry."

I was about to open my mouth but he cut me off, "And before you say what a surprise, I'm asking if you two want to go out and get something to eat."

"Considering I'm not dressed, or in any shape to go out I'm going to say no," I told him.

"Come on Micks, I'm hungry too, let's just go get something to eat," Ted begged me.

"Yeah we're used to seeing that hideous face of yours," Cody smirked. What a jerk!

I laughed, "And that's supposed to make me agree to coming?"

Ted elbowed Cody in the stomach, "What Cody meant was, that you always look beautiful Micks with or without make-up, now will you please come eat with us."

"Awe Ted I would totally date you," I said.

"Sorry Micks, you just aren't my type," he winked at me.

"You didn't let me finish, if I was into totally hopeless charity cases," I teased.

"Oh ha-ha-ha," he mocked me as Cody started to laugh.

I laughed as well, "Fine! I'm going to change into some more appropriate clothes."

After changing into some yoga pants and a tank top, I threw a jacket over my shoulders and we left our hotel room for the lobby. We were walking along, discussing what the perfect date would consist of when Randy walked through the sliding doors . . . and he wasn't alone.

When he saw us he stopped where he was standing and let go of the girl's hand, "Guys," he acknowledged us, "what's going on?"

"Oh Randy, what a pleasant surprise!" I said in a high pitched tone.

All three Legacy members turned to stare at me and I silently cursed myself but forced a fake smile onto my face, ". . . and by pleasant I mean . . . horrific?"

"Why are you talking?" Randy sneered and his 'date' let out a little giggle.

It may sound stupid on my behalf but I was actually taken aback by his rude tone and a little embarrassed. I had an urge to hit the girl, but that would probably result in me getting charged with something and maybe suspended.

I nodded my head in understanding (that he was a jerk) and pushed my way past him not forgetting to give him a little shove. I found my way onto the street and kicked an empty pop can before muttering a string of swear words. God he was such an asshole! How many times am I going to let him walk all over me! It's just hard because I never know when those times are going to be. One moment he was a pleasant guy to be around, and the next the complete opposite. Ugh! I hate him. I hate him. I hate him!

"Mickie?" Ted put an arm around my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Cody asked from my right.

I smiled, "Of course, I'm used to the jerk by now. I don't need comfort I need a punching bag to relieve my anger," I said through gritted teeth.

"Well Ted here is always up for helping out a friend, let him be your punching bag," Cody said with a smirk.

"Now Micks what he really means, is I am here for emotional support. That includes but is not limited to being a shoulder to cry on, getting you ice cream when you need it, holding your hand to help you cross the street but it does not include you inflicting pain upon me – emotional or physical." He didn't forget to punch Cody in the arm.

"Ow man, not cool!"

I smiled at both of them, "Let's get something to eat you big dorks!"

"Hey who you calling a dork?" Cody complained.

"Uhm, you!"

The three of us piled into Ted's rental car and we drove to the closest restaurant that was still open at this time of night. After a quick meal filled with laughter as well as arguing, we drove the short distance back to the hotel and we were up in our room in no time. Because of Randy's stupid get together with the tramp, Cody was forced to sleep on the pull out couch in mine and Ted's room.

An hour after I climbed into bed I was still awake as the darkness surrounded me. I told myself the reason I couldn't sleep was because of Ted's obnoxious snoring, but I knew the real reason was because of the altercation with Randy earlier. Why did it bother me so much?

After another hour went by and it was three in the morning I was getting frustrated with how much this was bothering me.

"Cody?" I whispered. After no response I sighed and threw the covers off me. I put on a pair of flats and tiptoed out into the hallway stuffing the card key into the pocket of my pyjama shorts. I crossed my arms and headed for the elevator pressing the button for the fourth floor.

I stepped off the elevator and headed for the door at the end of the hall. There was a moment's hesitation but I knew that if I expected a decent rest I needed to do this. I pounded heavily on the door. _Time to put your best game face on Mickie._

The door swung open and the Viper appeared in nothing more than a pair of boxers. _Ignore the perfect set of abs in front of you Mickie, be strong! _

I could tell he was surprised by my sudden appearance, "Mickie, what, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," I said rudely.

"At three in the morning, I think it can wait," he tried to close the door. The nerve!

I slammed my hand against the door stopping it from closing fully, "Mickie!"

"I _said_ I need to talk to you!"

"Baby what's going on out there," a female voice called and sure enough the brunette from before appeared in the doorway beside Randy. "Ugh you, what are you stalking us?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, "First of all I don't even know who you are, so why would I want to devote my life to following you? I'm trying to have an _adult_ conversation here."

"Like I haven't heard that before."

"That's nothing to brag about sweetie. So why don't you take a hike," I said as if I was explaining something to a child.

Randy looked down at me again as a second wave of surprise washed across his face. I was not going to waste my time arguing with a complete stranger. I had done enough of that over the last few months, and I was tired of making myself seem childish.

The girl narrowed her eyes at me, "What gives you the right-"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm getting sick of this. It's three am and I'm exhausted. Randy," I finally turned to face him, "Randy?" I repeated again. If I knew him as well as I thought I did, I knew what he was about to do.

The girl smirked and crossed her arms, "Yeah Randy what'll it be," she seemed so sure of herself.

Randy put his head in his hands and then looked up at me, "It looks like we're done here," I was a bit disappointed until he turned to face the other.

"What?" she exclaimed clearly surprised, "You're kidding right? You're not going to give into this psycho."

"Mickie may be a lot of things, but she's hardly a psycho."

"Oh so now you are defending her? Back in the lobby you were being a jerk to her," she said.

"That's what he does; but considering you've known him for a full night I would hardly expect you to know that."

"Why don't you-"

"Look just get your shit and get out. We're done here as far as I'm concerned, and Mickie, just shut your mouth for five seconds until this is finished. After she's gone you have five minutes to say what you have to say and then I'm getting some fucking rest. I'm sick of women being all emotional around me," he hissed.

I put my hands up in defence and pushed my way into the room to sit on the couch. I kind of felt a little bad about attacking her, but she called me a stalker. I mean come on. She doesn't even know me!

She didn't forget to send a few insults my way before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

"Great choice," I mocked him.

"What the hell do you want Mickie?" he snarled.

I stood up and glared at him, "What I want Randy, is a little bit of respect from you!"

"This is what you came here to talk to me about? Just leave," he pulled on a t-shirt.

"No, I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't tried to embarrass me in front of your latest fuck. I think I deserve a little bit more than that. What the hell is your problem?" I demanded.

"My problem is you, and your whiny habits. You're always trying to get me to respect you, well what makes you think you deserve that huh? Because we dated _three_ years ago? Get over it, I sure as hell have."

"Oh I am _way_ past over it . . . over our past. What I want is you to treat me as a friend. I don't exactly think that is asking too much!" I yelled.

He paced back and forth and I could see the frustration on his face. I haven't seen him let his guard down this much since our road trip. After a brief moment he whirled around to face me and his expression was undeniably scary. He exploded, "What do you want to hear exactly! That you were better than these girls . . . that you understood me? Yes of course you were, hands down! _Were_ Mickie, back then you _were_, but these days you are acting _just_ like them."

"Why are you constantly comparing yourself to all the girls I'm with!"

I was taken aback at this accusation but what was worse, is that he makes a valid point. Why did I care so much? Why was I comparing myself to them? This is Randy's life, and I'm not a part of it.

"I," I was at a loss for words, "I don't know."

"You aren't that person in my life anymore, you don't get special treatment. As far as I'm concerned the slate is clean with us, and that means you're just like everyone else. Who do you see me treating different than others? If you ask me, I've been pretty nice to you over the last couple months," it was if he had realized his sudden expression of emotion, so he changed back into his normal quiet but intimidating tone.

"Yeah, nice," I muttered. What could I possibly say? He was right, about all of it.

"Why don't you just let go of the past Mickie, it's done and over with." He had managed to calm himself down a bit.

I was surprised that his tone actually sounded a little sincere, at least for the Viper anyways.

"Have you?" I asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment, "Look I've gotta get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

"Typical Randy Orton answer, evading any question that might cause you to reveal a hint of emotion," I walked towards the door but stopped when I was standing next to him, "I'm so over it," I muttered before taking my exit into the hallway.

What a stupid reason to come halfway across the hotel for. That had gone absolutely nowhere. I wasn't that girl in his life anymore, and I think he had been right when he said I needed to let it go. In the end it was only hurting me, but I didn't believe that he had finally let the past go. I mean how could he have? Could something really mean nothing to one person when it meant so much to another?

Who knows really, but at least one thing was for sure, Randy Orton was an expert at avoiding questions.

**A/N: Here's chapter 23. I have had to change a lot of these chapters because I felt as if the story was progressing a little too quickly. So bear with me for a few chapters because I've had to move a lot of stuff around. I'll try and get it all sorted out as quickly as I can.**

**Thanks for reading my story; I appreciate all of the reviews.**


	24. she has that effect on him

On-Air

I was so tired of this sensation. My head was throbbing once again but this time it was all thanks to Jillian's foot colliding with the back of my head as opposed to Maryse's finisher. I couldn't tell you which one I preferred considering both had happened because of a distraction. Because Summerslam was coming up in about two weeks and me vs. Maryse was already booked, I had faced Jillian in a non-title match and lost.

I was lying on my back with my eyes closed. I sensed that Jillian had left, but I knew what was coming next. Rolling over onto my stomach and sitting up I opened my eyes to find a pair of men's legs standing directly in front of me. I would be able to recognize _those_ legs anywhere! I looked up and my eyes widened in horror. The Viper was towering over me glaring with an intense look on his face.

Using my hands to scoot myself back into the corner, I quickly rolled out of the ring. The ref followed me clutching my title and when he handed it over I ran around the ring to the ramp, even though Randy hadn't given chase. Keeping my eyes glued to him as he watched me from inside the ring, I slowly made my way up the ramp.

On the other side of the curtain I let out a sigh and a smile crept onto my face. I was confident that I sold that scene rather well. Giving my all to this storyline is my new dedication because I want to be remembered as someone who tried their best to make everything work out. I truly believe that if the four of us work together, help people enjoy this storyline, than this entire thing will be successful. In other words it's all in our own hands.

I picked up a bottle of water on my way back to the Women's locker room and I poked my head inside to find exactly who I was looking for.

"Hey Kel," I called out causing her to abandon folding her clothes and send a smile my way.

"Oh hey babe, I watched your match, you did a great job out there," she complimented and came to stand in front of me.

"If by great you mean I'm great at losing, then yes you are correct." I subconsciously placed my hand on the back of my head where it was still throbbing.

"Oh don't be silly, everyone knows you make a great Diva's champion. You have years of wrestling matches, and title reigns to back that up."

Offering her a smile I proceeded to let her know the reason I was here, "I need to ask you a favour, and feel free to say no considering exactly what I'm asking. But I need to ask for your help on my storyline with Legacy." I waited uneasily to see what she was going to say.

She was silent for a moment before smiling, "Of course I'll help you Mickie. That's what friends do."

"Thank you so much Kel, I . . . we appreciate it."

After she presented me with a hug, I explained to her how the storyline involving her was to play out and I told her I knew it was awkward, but necessary at this point, and that she was the perfect one to help us. She was hesitant about having to do any kind of segment with Randy but she agreed to it because she knew how important it was to me.

After discussing what was going to happen we made our way through the corridors to where the camera crew was set up and waiting for us.

On-Air

I was walking down the hall clutching my head and letting my belt dangle at my side in my other hand.

"Hey Mickie, wait up!" I heard a voice behind me call.

I turned around to see Kelly running to catch up.

"Hey are you alright? I saw what happened out there," she appeared in the view of the camera.

"God I'm so sick of losing my matches because the Legacy thinks they can manipulate me!"

"Well what are you going to do? Go to the GM?" she offered.

"No that won't accomplish anything. I don't know yet, but I know that I need to make a stand!"

And I walked off leaving Kelly to stare after me.

When the camera crew signalled the end of the scene I stopped walking and turned back to face Kelly.

I smiled at her, "You did a great job Kel."

"Thanks, now if you'll excuse me I should probably go and inform John that I will be 'hooking up' with Randy," she said with a sigh and then attempted a laugh with made her sound nervous.

I smiled after her when she walked away and I turned and headed back to the gorilla position. Just as I had expected Ted, Cody and Randy were waiting to head out to the ring.

"So did you watch my segments?" I asked.

Ted and Cody nodded but Randy wandered off a little ways. I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore him, "And? Did I sell it?"

"Perfectly!" Ted complimented and moments later 'Voices' blasted over the speakers and with a grin from Ted, they all disappeared onto the ramp with their belts slung over their shoulders.

Cody's date had been a success. I talked to Eve the day after and she admitted Cody had been sweet, and was a lot different than what she had been expecting. She also admitted that she only agreed to go out with him so he would leave her alone, but was thoroughly surprised at how different he turned out to be.

I was about to head back to the locker room when I noticed John approach. He was part of the six man tag along with Triple H and Shawn Michaels to face off against Legacy.

"Hey Champ!" I called out as he advanced towards me.

"Well not anymore, but I will be very soon," he winked at me.

"I have faith in you," I said with a smile.

"How are ya?" he asked as he pulled me in for a hug.

"Well I just got my ass kicked but otherwise good. And you? Have you got a chance to talk to Kelly yet?"

"Yeah I just saw her, so a Legacy storyline hey?"

"Yeah don't worry I'm sure you'll be involved in it somehow considering you _are_ feuding with 'our leader'," I teased.

"Let's hope, that _would_ make it more bearable. I really don't trust Orton," his face was without amusement.

"He's not all bad," he gave me a look of disbelief, "Yeah I may be biased but he has no interest in Kelly, believe me, as much as he would want to, I don't think he wants to mess with you right now. Although who really knows what the jerk is thinking?"

"What's going on with you and Orton Micks? I'm not pushing or judging, I just wanna know if I'm going to have to beat his ass," John threatened after a moment of silence.

"Nothing is going on with us; we have a storyline together and nothing more. Besides you get to kick his ass in the ring, that's good enough," I winked at him.

I wasn't going to go into detail about what our relationship was, or rather lack thereof. I wouldn't even classify us as friends at this point and to be honest I really don't know what is going to happen in the future.

John's signature music hit and he started moving away, "Take care alright?"

I nodded at him, "I know how to handle myself. Have fun hey?" I called to him.

"Oh I'll have fun kicking his pretty boy ass," he said with a grin and disappeared to the ramp area. I sent and received greetings to the passing Shawn Michaels and Triple H as they followed after John to the biggest pop of the night.

I found the TV screen that was near by and paid close attention to the match that was taking place out in the ring. A brawl had started fifteen minutes into the match when John executed the 'Attitude Adjustment' on Randy. Ted and Cody went to break up the pin resulting in Triple H storming the ring and sending Cody to the outside and following him out to continue the fight. This left Ted to carry out his signature 'Dream Street' on John before Shawn had fully recovered and taken him out as well.

I made a spur of the moment decision as I perceived Randy struggling to his feet. Placing my Diva's title onto the nearest storage compartment I managed to work my way onto the ramp I immediately observed Randy was coiled and ready to hit the RKO the moment John staggered to his feet. The crowd roared when they realized I had come out which resulted in Randy whipping around and setting his sights on me.

He pushed himself to his feet as I cautiously jumped to the apron to hold his gaze for a few seconds as he slowly approached me. Before he could reach me completely I lifted my arm and gestured behind him. When he turned himself around to see what I was referring to I jumped down off the apron, and he walked right into another attitude adjustment from Cena. With Ted and Cody busy on the outside, there was no one to break up the pin this time and moments later 'You can't see me' was blasting throughout the arena.

I was already half way up the ramp when John, Shawn, and Triple H caught up with me. Grabbing Cena's and Shawn's hands I raised them above our heads as Randy stared back at me with rage emanating from his eyes. I dropped their hands and blew Randy a kiss before turning back and heading into the backstage area.

To be completely honest I had no thought to how the boys were going to react to the sudden idea I came up with, but something told me that they weren't going to be too thrilled. They had been so excited about winning that they never even gave a thought to the idea that they might lose. Guess I will have to wait and find out. Realistically it's helping out the storyline. Next week will be the start of my heel turn.

The door was shoved open and Randy came hurtling into the room, he slammed it behind him and turned his eyes on me. I guess I got my answer – oh boy, where were Ted and Cody when you actually needed them?

"What the hell was that?" He yelled as he slammed his WWE title down on the table causing me to flinch.

"What?" I asked. Playing dumb seemed like a good idea in my head, but not so much when I execute it.

"Don't what me! You cost us the match back there!" he was really pissed.

I stood up straighter, "I do recall you costing me the last _three_ of my matches!" I said defiantly.

"That's different!"

"How is it any different than what I did? Huh? You just hate the idea of losing, and guess what? I. Hate. Losing. too!"

"So this is a game to you? You got your revenge then!" he shouted.

"No of course not. Look it was for the benefit of the storyline. At Summerslam I will have my match with Maryse and things will start to finally get going with my incorporation into Legacy. I think we're done with the games, all we need to do is retain on Sunday so the Monday after that we can get going with the storyline!" I hoped he would see what I was trying to get at, because I was angry from the shouting, and I think if he were to yell at me one more time I might hit him!

He was silent for a while. I breathed a sigh of relief, the anger dropped from his face – not all, but I could tell he was really pondering what I was thinking.

Finally he turned his attention back to me, "You better be right Mickie."

"You're welcome," I said sarcastically.

"I don't recall saying thank you," he snarled.

"Yeah well I imagined you saying it. That's about as close to the real thing as I'll get," I retorted.

"And _I_ was under the impression you didn't know me," he mocked me.

I rolled my eyes, "Where's Ted and Cody?" I started shoving my belongings into my bag.

"How the hell should I know?"

I gave him a stern look, "Can you answer one damn question without acting like a goddamn drama queen?"

He stared at me for a few seconds, "Probably went to get some food."

"Now was that so hard!"

"Completely painful," he muttered and headed into the washroom. Rolling my eyes again I continued packing my belongings and then throwing my bag over my shoulder, I exited the locker room to head for the Divas one to wait for Ted.

I spent twenty minutes talking to a few of the other girls before they all left in turn.

"You need a ride back?" Melina asked as she gathered her belongings up off the bench.

"No actually Ted and I drove together, so I," I looked at the time on my cell phone and then back to Melina, "Better go and find him before he leaves without me."

After saying bye to her and Kelly, I walked through the corridors until I was outside the Legacy room once again. I pushed open the door to find that is was now empty.

"Oh shit," I muttered and was about to run and find myself a ride before noise from the bathroom stopped me.

"Hello?" I called out.

Randy appeared in the doorway moments later with his bag in his hand and confusion on his face.

"I thought you . . . left?"

"No I didn't . . . obviously. I went to the divas locker room, I was waiting for Ted. Is he still here?"

"Yeah we're having a party in the bathroom," he replied sarcastically.

"Once again with the drama. Did he leave or not?" I said impatiently.

"Yeah Ted and Cody left ten minutes ago, I told them you'd already left so they said they would meet me at the hotel."

"Well thanks a lot," I cursed him. There was silence until I turned to face him, "I need a ride."

"I'll pass thanks. I quite enjoy my alone time."

"I don't care, you're giving me a ride whether you like it or not," I threatened.

"Is that so? You know the other Divas would be scared to use that tone with me," he seemed amused by my attitude.

"Yeah well it's a good thing I'm not one of the other Divas. It seems we have this conversation everyday Randy, you don't scare me, it's as simple as that."

He stared in silence for a few moments and then gestured to the door, "After you."

"Awe and I was under the impression you weren't chivalrous."

"Smart-ass," he muttered from behind me.

I smiled, "That's me," I sent him a grin.

Once in the parking lot we threw our bags into the back and got into his rental car. We pulled safely out of the parking lot and when the silence became irritating, I took it upon myself to switch the radio on. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga was playing on one station so I turned it up.

He turned the volume back down, "Do you mind? This is my car and I hate that crap."

I faked insult, "How dare you talk about Lady Gaga like that! She is amazing! And I like that song thank you very much." I reached forward and turned the music back up.

He switched the station so that an unfamiliar song was playing on the radio.

"Oh please, you still listen to this music?" I complained.

"Of course I do, ever since I was a kid," he responded.

"Yes I knew that . . . unfortunately. I _had_ hoped over the years your taste in music would have improved."

"I enjoy my taste in music; it's yours that needs improvement. Get a broader choice in music," after a brief silence he continued, "And if I do recall you loved a lot of the music that I listened to."

"Yeah okay I did, some of it. But this?" I gestured to what was playing, "I do not enjoy."

He chuckled, "Fine," and then he switched the radio off completely.

"Oh great, now we're going to have to talk to each other," I said sarcastically, "you know exchange witty banter so as to keep the situation from not being awkward."

He shook his head, "Yes because this isn't awkward as it is."

"It's not," I challenged, "maybe for you. But I just _love_ being stuck in a car with you."

"You didn't need to tell me that. To be honest, it doesn't surprise me. You can't seem to get enough of me," he said arrogantly.

"Oh please, if there was any hint of truth to that I would tell you. But I do not mind going into deep detail about just how much I detest you."

"After all the times you've said that, does it make you feel better about it?"

"Oh very much, it helps me get to sleep at night," I informed him.

"I'm sure it does. You hating me is like Kelly becoming women's champion . . . impossible," he turned to send me a smirk before averting his eyes back to the road.

I shook my head, "Why do you always find the need to insult my friend? Do you have like some secret crush on her or something and are jealous that she's dating John?"

"Yes Mickie, that's it," I heard the sarcasm deep in his voice and for some reason somewhere deep down I felt relief. I always kind of had the feeling that maybe he had some sort of thing for Kelly, but I was seriously paranoid and seriously stupid.

It was five minutes before the car started to slow down and we turned into an unfamiliar parking lot.

"Uh where are we? I thought we were going back to the hotel."

"We will, but I'm hungry," he said as he pulled into a parking stall.

"So take me back to the hotel and then come back and get yourself something to eat," I reasoned.

"Why the hell would I do that? That wouldn't be benefitting me. You can stay here if you want, but I'm going in to get myself some sushi."

I crossed my arms and slumped back in my seat as he exited the car, taking the keys with him. After another five minutes of sitting in the car my stomach started to growl.

"Oh come on!" I shouted out, "You're kidding right?" I looked down at my stomach, "And great I'm talking to my stomach!" I took a deep breath and then pushed the door open and stepped out onto the pavement.

I found Randy sitting at a booth drinking what appeared to be coffee. I slumped into the seat opposite him.

He smirked at me, "Couldn't resist some Randy time?"

"Actually genius, I'm hungry."

"What an excuse," he chuckled.

"It's not an . . . you know what, I'm not getting worked up over your stupidity. I'm here to eat, so that's what I'll do."

He chuckled again which caused me to look up from my menu, "What are you laughing at?" I said rudely.

"It still amuses me at how easily I can get under your skin," he said simply.

"You've said that a million times, and I've said you're full of it."

"And I've also said that you can't hide from me. I know you, and I know how much I affect you."

I stared into his eyes for a moment, "And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You act like you're some outsider–"

"I'm not an outsider, everyone else are outsiders."

I rolled my eyes, "You act better than everyone, like no one can understand you. But you're wrong Randy, I can understand you. I know how you work. Cut everyone out of your life, and hide all of your emotion because without any of that there is no chance for vulnerability. And you, you hate vulnerability almost more than anything."

"You know that how?" his expression was blank.

"Because I'm the same way. It was almost the cause of us not getting together back in the day, was it not?"

He shrugged his shoulders but remained silent.

I smiled, "See who's right now? Who has the effect on who now?"

"I choose to call bullshit," he replied.

"Okay play dumb... or rather don't, you are _far_ too good at it."

There was more silence as the waitress brought our orders, and I found myself in a much better mood than before. I had bested Randy Orton, and now I was in control.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Considering your amazing ability to ignore my protests, I don't see that I have much of a choice."

"Very funny," I said sarcastically, "Why do you avoid answering questions?"

"You ask if you can ask me a question, and then you accuse me of not answering questions. Forgive me, but that hardly makes sense."

I sent him a stern look and after a few moments he took a bite of his food before responding.

"I find I answer almost too many of your questions."

"Let me rephrase, why do you evade answering any questions either about the past or questions that I actually care about the answers to?"

"Why do you need to know the answers to any of these questions? Past is past Mickie, it's best to leave it as such."

"Oh don't pretend to be so philosophical, I can see right through it. You're scared to bring up the past; it doesn't fit in with your new lifestyle." I knew I was right, but I didn't blame him. Why would anyone want to bring up memories of the past that aren't exactly good reminders? Oh yeah that's right, me because I have issues.

"No that's not it. Bringing up the past is just a waste of precious time that could be spent doing things more worth my while. There's a reason it's called history – it has no relevance in my life today," he seemed so sure of himself and a little bit irritated.

"Oh it has no relevance? What happened in your life back then is what made you who you are today."

"And considering everyone complains about what I've become, doesn't that make all of this your fault?"

How could he say something like that? Of course I had told myself a hundred times the same thing, but to hear someone else say it, especially him, I was blindsided.

I threw my napkin down on the table and climbed out of the booth before turning back to face him, "I'll walk back to the hotel."

How could he accuse me of anything that extensive? I could have just as easily taken his route and turned myself into a horrible person who treats other human beings like shit, but instead I chose to take the high road.

I was in the process of pulling my bag out of the car when I heard him calling my name.

"Mickie, come on, this is ridiculous. You ask questions and I give you answers. I was kidding about that last–"

I whirled to face him throwing my bag back into the car with force, "You think that hasn't crossed my mind over the last three years! That I was the one to blame for everything that went wrong, and that I was the result of how much you changed? I have gone over and over in my mind a _million_ times thinking of any way that I could have avoided what happened, that I could have changed how things turned out.

Maybe I _am_ to blame for all of it, I've been living with it for years, but what gives you the right to throw that in my face when I'm trying to get answers out of you? Huh? God!" I kicked the wheel of the tire, which didn't relieve as much anger as I expected and instead resulted in a great amount of pain shooting up my leg.

"Fuck!" I yelled out.

"Hey, hey just calm down alright. I didn't mean what I said," he turned away from me and muttered his own curses. He placed his head in his hands and was silent for a moment before he finally turned back to face me, "I don't blame. . ." he sighed, "I don't blame anything on you alright? What happened with us was my fault and I take the entirety of the blame."

I faced him with shock, "It wasn't . . . your entire fault." I honestly didn't know what to say.

"It _was_ Mickie, if I hadn't been there for you when you– for those– when you needed me, well everything just went downhill from there."

Hearing him speak of those, of that day, god it was painful. But the pain meant that it was real, and that's how I knew that what we had was real. We lost . . . so much, but we both lived through it and if anything we should learn from that.

"Yeah, and if hadn't held it against you, and constantly punished you for it, I think things might have been okay. I was what caused the drift between us, because of jealousy and because of selfishness. I never once took the time to realize that you were affected by what had happened too, and I made it all about me."

"Yeah well I wasn't exactly innocent," he said quietly.

"After_ it_ happened and I began my mission to punish you, you never complained once. You never held it against me – you just took it and didn't say a word," I was close to tears now and I wished I had just kept my mouth shut. Neither of us wanted to mention what had happened, and to be honest I was okay with that . . . bringing it up would just cause unnecessary pain.

"I do believe I'm the one who turned into the complete asshole and when I came back from Smackdown, things weren't easier. I was the one who was paying more attention to other girls than I was to my own girlfriend. I wouldn't call that not holding anything against you."

"Yeah and if I hadn't been so self-centred, if I would have accepted that we needed to get through it _together_, it wouldn't have happened. God, why must I push for us to always have to bring this up? What is wrong with me?" I shouted out without looking at him, "It's as if I enjoy the pain."

"Because you're stubborn, and you think you need to know everything. I don't necessarily blame you Mickie, but I was trying to warn you that nothing was going to come out of bringing this up. I don't know why I continually let you manipulate me like you do."

"What are you talking about?" I finally met his gaze again.

"Do you think I talk openly like this with anyone else? You have that ability and it just makes me angry. No matter how hard I try, I can't block you out and to be honest it scares me," he muttered.

I sighed with relief and he sent me a questioning look, "I'm glad that it does." He narrowed his eyes, "I just mean, it scares me too and I'm happy that I'm not the only one. It makes me feel that much less pathetic."

"Believe me you are far from pathetic, no matter how much I try to convince you otherwise. You'll never be like the other girls, I don't know if you would take comfort in that fact, but it's the truth. Every 'bad' guy needs a girl who can see right through the act," he said hesitantly, "and unfortunately, you're that girl for me."

I was completely taken aback at how honest he was, and it really did scare me. This wasn't the Randy I was accustomed to which meant I was unsure on how to act.

I could tell he realized he said too much, "Look, I'm pretty sure at some point I would have become who I am, so you don't need to go blaming yourself. I'm oddly comfortable with the person I've become, and that's all on me."

I attempted a smile, "I'm becoming accustomed to the new you too. It's different, a little intimidating and you _can_ be an ass, but it's a new you."

"People are constantly hating on me, and yet I don't want to be anyone else. Who I once was is here somewhere, but I've grown and become my own person. I've learned a lot and I've put it to good use. As much as people would like to believe, I'm not all that bad."

I nodded my head, "I know," I whispered.

He looked across the street and then turned back to face me, "God if I would have known this is how the night would end up, I would have taken the time driving you back to the hotel."

I chuckled, "I did ask, so this Orton is _all_ on you."

"Yeah for once," he muttered, "Can we go now?"

"Please," I said, "You know for labelling me an equal compared to everyone else in your eyes, you tend to try and make amends for things you do . . . wrong."

"It's my one flaw," he shrugged his shoulders.

"You're _one_?"

He smirked but said nothing else as we climbed into the vehicle once again.

We didn't say much during the short drive back to the hotel, but surprisingly the silence was comforting. It wasn't awkward and full of tension, but for once and even if it only lasted the night, the two of us were at peace.

After ten minutes of driving we pulled into the parking lot and were entering the lobby minutes later with our bags slung over our shoulders. We stepped onto the elevator and Randy pressed the button for our floor and after the ride we stepped off and headed in the direction of our rooms. Mine was the middle hotel room on the left and his and Cody's was the last one on the right.

We came to a stop at mine and I turned to face him, "So I'm sorry for pushing you about everything, I actually am aware of how annoying I can be."

"Funny, you think that would help you to be annoying _less_ often."

"You would think, but I never claimed to be a simple person."

He chuckled, "Trust me, I know firsthand. Look I do understand why you push me about these things, and I know I can be a jerk about it. I just choose not to think about or bring it up if I can help it. I will deny this if it gets out, but it's painful to think about."

I felt his pain, and at this moment I felt strangely close to him. We had been in the relationship together and if I had stopped to think about that for one moment, maybe we wouldn't be standing in this hallway together worlds apart. I don't know what prompted me to do it, perhaps it was the longing for the past and what once was but I leaned up and kissed him.

It wasn't a full on kiss, but it was a light one that lasted maybe a total of two seconds before I grasped reality and pulled away.

I could tell he was just as shocked as I was and not surprisingly I was at a loss for words.

"I, I'm sorry," I turned around, inserted the card key and disappeared into my hotel room before he could respond.

I leaned back against the door. God, I'm so stupid! We were getting along and I had to go and ruin it. When was I going to learn? When the hell was I going to put a leash on my stupidity? Even with realizing this, there's nothing that I wanted to do more than to go to his room and continue the kiss that had seemed way to short.

Oh boy, this really wasn't good.

"Hey, where were you?" Ted appeared from the bathroom and was in the process of brushing his teeth.

This was Ted's fault! If the idiot hadn't left me at the arena, I would not be in this situation right now.

"You idiot! You left me at the arena, and now my life is ruined!" I stomped over to him and punched him in the arm.

"Ow! I was told that you had left! You were nowhere to be found."

"Would it have killed you to search the women's locker room?"

"I well no . . . but when I was told you left already, who am I to question it? Would you have?"

"Probably not, but still–"

"I rest my case, now if you'll let me finish," he motioned to his toothbrush and disappeared back into the bathroom.

Ugh! What a pain in the butt. Oh come on Mickie, this is nobody's fault but your own. Maybe we will both pretend this never happened, obviously it didn't mean anything . . . right?

**Chapter 24! I hope it's much better than the last :) Please, please review, I really enjoy reading your thoughts, good or bad!**

**Emma217 – I'm so glad that you picked up on the hints! I don't totally suck at trying to pull a story together haha. But what really happened between them will all be revealed at the end. It's sort of part of the big plot I guess you could say. It's really painful for the two of them to think about. **

**Thanks for the reviews once again, you're all awesome!**


	25. you cant hide from yourself

Over the last week either Randy had completely forgotten what took place in the hallway, or he was really good at pretending things never happened. I hadn't mentioned the fiasco to anybody, but what I had failed at was convincing myself that it had meant nothing.

I figured a few days away from him would clear my head, but I still had the same desire to kiss him again when I saw him at the house show a few days ago. I came to the conclusion that I was confused. I mean we had yet another almost emotional talk about our past, and considering what took place weeks ago I think this was . . . normal? Or was I fooling myself. Ah! Life is so confusing! Why would I want to kiss a man who makes me want to rip my hair out? Ah speaking of the devil.

"You ready for the backstage segment with Kelly?" I called out when he exited the bathroom in our locker room.

"It's not rocket science Mickie," he said.

"Knowing you you'll find some way to screw it up," I muttered.

"Screw that, I'm amazing," he said arrogantly.

"Not when I'm in the room," I retorted and offered a smirk.

"My big toe holds more awesomeness than all of you combined," he teased.

I worked my way over to him and executed a perfectly placed punch on his upper arm.

"That's the best you can do?" he remarked.

"No, but I was scared of hurting you," I replied and then grabbed my Divas title and left the room.

Tonight's Raw was the last one before Summerslam, so everything needed to be set in motion. I didn't have a title defence, or a match for that matter but I did have another segment with Kelly – which was to take place after her segment with Randy.

I found the backstage area where they were to be holding their conversation. The camera crew was getting ready as Kelly and John were holding a discussion in the corner while Randy watched them with amusement on his face.

"What's so amusing?" I asked while approaching him.

"Kelly must really not trust herself if she had to ask Cena to accompany her," he smirked.

"Oh get over yourself, guaranteed _John_ doesn't trust you . . . with good reason so he decided to come on his own terms," I added.

"So what you're saying is that he's intimidated by me?"

"Hardly, John has absolutely no reason to be intimidated. He's better than you in every way. He treats women with respect, enjoys making a girl feel special, and he _doesn't_ consider sleeping with half the Diva's division a sport."

"So in other words he's a weak man," Randy replied.

"Only you would think so," I sighed.

He was about to respond when the camera guy informed us that he had everything ready to start filming.

Glancing back up at Randy I whispered, "Break a leg . . . please?"

I turned and sent a reassuring smile in Kelly's direction while positioning myself next to John.

"God I hate the way he's looking at her," John muttered angrily before the camera was even rolling.

"Are we jealous John?" I whispered and then chuckled.

"I don't do the whole jealousy thing and if it was any other guy looking, I would just acknowledge how lucky I am. But Orton, it's like he knows exactly how to get under my skin. Not only that, but Kelly doesn't deserve to be degraded by an arrogant ass like Orton . . . no offence."

"Why? Why do people do that? I take pleasure in insulting him myself, just ask him," I insisted.

"Well you _are_ friends with him aren't you?"

"Well yeah, but he still drives me crazy!" I would have shouted but stopped myself for the sake of the live segment.

John just chuckled, "Hasn't he always?"

I relaxed and offered him a smile, "Good point."

Seconds later the camera guy shouted that the segment was over and Kelly came strolling up to us while the Viper disappeared down the hall.

"How was that?" Kelly asked seeking reassurance.

"Perfect babe, thanks again. Our segment will be after the upcoming match alright?"

"Yeah sure, I'll be ready to go."

"So really, how are you both? I'm not asking to make conversation, I'm genuinely curious."

Kelly looked up at John and sent him a smile, "We're really good Micks."

"Definitely, it's the happiest I've ever been with a woman and we've only been together a few months," John said while staring back into Kelly's eyes.

"I'm so happy for you guys, really! I don't know why I didn't see how perfect you two would be together sooner. I can just tell by looking at you both how happy you make one another. Is it bad to say that I'm jealous?" I asked.

John looked back to me, "Of course not Micks."

"If anything, and don't take this wrong, that makes me feel good that I've succeeded at something in my life that you of all people are jealous," Kelly admitted.

I laughed, "Why me?"

"Because you are like perfect in every way, honestly!"

Oh wow how much I hadn't told her in the last few weeks. I was far from perfect, especially considering the mess I was in right now.

"I'm far from perfect, but I like to give the illusion that I am," I joked.

"And you do it so well," John said sarcastically, "Don't worry, you'll find someone too, how could you not?"

I don't know why I did it, but I looked over towards the spot where Randy was standing just moments ago.

"Mickie?" I looked back at Kelly and realized that both of them had just realized what had just happened. Oh shit.

"You'll find someone . . . good Mickie," John added for good measure and I could tell that he meant someone who wasn't Randy Orton.

I put on a smile, "Of course I will no need to worry about me. I honestly don't have time at this point!"

The both studied my face for a moment, "Well I have to head to make-up quickly before our segment, see you there alright?" and before they could mutter any farewells I scurried off down the corridor.

Great, why must I be so stupid? They must think I'm a joke!

"Hey Mickie," a familiar voice called out to me.

I twisted in my seat to take in the appearance of my other best friend, "Oh Mel, hey I caught your match, you did an awesome job. I loved the matrix move you did, very handy."

"Thanks, you can learn a lot of stuff from different aspects of your life. How are you holding up?"

"I've been good! This storyline, I mean it's still young, but I think it's progressing really well."

"I have faith in you. And the Legacy boys," she hesitated for a moment, "are really good at what they do. You couldn't have been teamed with a better bunch for a heel run."

"Thanks, I appreciate that coming from you."

"I will always be here for you Mickie, I know it doesn't seem like it, and we have barely seen each other over the last little while. But whenever you need someone to talk to, you know I'm here for you." I knew she was sincere. Melina was my oldest friend in the WWE, and I was glad to have her around, even if it was only once in awhile.

"Hey Mickie we're ready for you," a voice called from my right. Turning I took in a crew member who was waiting rather impatiently for me to follow.

"I know, I love you Mel," I said and gave her a hug before turning and following suit.

On-Air

Watching as Kelly positioned herself on a trunk positioned in the corridor, I glimpsed the director telling me the camera was rolling. I fixed my Divas title on my shoulder and strode into the view of the camera.

"Hey Kel what's going on?" I called as I leaned against the trunk as opposed to sitting on it.

Instead of paying attention to her expression I quickly focused my gaze on my nails to make sure they were still in good condition. I figured this would make me look self-centered but not to the fullest extent.

Kelly looked up with a hint of a tear in her eye (she was such a good actress), "Hey Mickie. I'm just upset about the explanation I got from Randy. I really like him, so I don't understand why he doesn't want to be with me." She looked up at me looking for some reassurance.

"I don't understand why _you_ don't understand. Why _would_ he choose you? I mean you really," I let out a chuckle and repositioned my title, "_really_ aren't his type." Kelly's face went from miserable to that of surprise." I looked down at her, "Don't worry about it," I plastered on a smile, "Keep your head up Kel!"

And without waiting for a reply, I turned and strode off out of the view of the camera.

The four of us – The Legacy – were driving back to the hotel from the arena together. Randy was in the passenger, Ted was driving, and Cody and I were forced to sit in the back seat together.

There was a comfortable silence as we finally made it to the hotel and into the lobby. We were about to head for the elevator when I heard someone calling my name.

I looked to my right to see Maryse exiting the lounge and heading my way.

"Mickie," I'm glad I ran into you, "How are you? Ready for Summerslam?"

"Ready to beat you," I said with a smile. Cody and Randy continued to the elevator as Ted stood to my side listening to our conversation.

She laughed, "Speaking of Summerslam, I'm having a party this coming Saturday at my house, you know us being in L.A. and all, and I'm inviting everyone over for a barbeque to celebrate the pay per view. So anyways I would really love for you to come, and you can bring your," she turned to look at Ted and they maintained contact for a few moments before she turned back to face me, "friends. Everyone is welcome, so what do you say?"

I was confused by the sight but I ignored it, "Yes of course, I mean I can't speak for the others but I will definitely–"

"We'll be there," Ted interjected causing Maryse to turn her attention back to him.

"Perfect! Oh and don't bother yourself with bringing anything, I'm supplying everything. Okay I'll talk to you later then," she turned and then turned back, "Bye," she said to Ted and then continued towards the stairs.

I rounded on Ted, "What . . . was that?"

He was staring after her, "What? Oh she thinks," he cleared his throat, "she thinks I'm cute."

"Is she blind?" I walked towards the elevator.

"Hey!" he called after me, "I am drop dead gorgeous."

"Yeah, did you hit your head or something? You feeling okay?"

"Very funny Mickie."

After taking a relaxing shower back in my hotel room I came out in my Pj's just as a knock resounded on our door.

"Ted are you going to get that?" I asked him.

"You're closer," he responded.

"Ted! I am so not closer," I almost yelled.

There was another knock as I continued to stare at him.

He groaned, "Ugh you and Cody are the worst roommates," I smiled and rolled my eyes – a habit I was getting quite accustomed to.

He opened the door and I heard the voices of Nikki, Brie and Maria float into the room. Ted invited them in.

"Hey girls, what are you doing here?" I was surprised by the visit. They were all nicely dressed which one could only assume means they must be going out tonight.

"Hey Mickie," Maria beamed, "We came by to invite you to come out with us tonight."

"Yeah there's a nice club just a block away we thought we would check out. It's the three of us, Kelly, Melina, John, Dave, Evan, Mike and I think someone invited Maryse too," Melina informed me.

As much as I would love to have a night out I was exhausted, "Sorry ladies I'm so tired tonight. Maybe next time," I replied.

"Hey come on Micks let's go out, have a good night. Get your mind off everything ya know," it was Ted who spoke this time and I was surprised. He was complaining when we got back to the hotel room that he wasn't moving off his bed.

"Yeah see Ted here has the idea," Nikki remarked which she seemed surprised about.

"I guess I could do with some unwinding . . . but only for a couple hours." They all smiled and gave a little cheer.

"Okay we're heading out in like a half hour, you think you'll be ready by then?" Maria asked.

"More than likely not," I said motioning to my wet hair, "We'll just meet all of you there."

"I figured as much," Brie replied, "Well we'll see you later then," and after they bade us farewell they were out the door.

"Now I have to pick out an outfit," I sighed and walked over to my suitcases.

"It will be fun, I can help," he offered.

There was another knock on the door and we both turned to stare at each other.

"It's your turn," he pointed out.

I glared, "Ted I am in getting ready mode. If you want to arrive at the club before it closes, you better take care of all the distractions. Like answering the door," I said through gritted teeth.

"Fine!" he shouted and as he walked away I smiled to myself. He was so easy to manipulate.

It was Cody who was standing on the other side of the door this time.

"Hey Cody, we're just getting ready to go out, you wanna come? Eve will be there," I added as an afterthought. "I heard you and her are going out again tomorrow evening." I smiled at him.

"Yeah that's right Ted here doesn't understand how, but I'm a ladies man. I can make them do whatever I want," he said arrogantly.

"Is that any way to talk about a girl you are crushing on?" I said sternly.

"What? I was . . . no," he said shamefully, "Anyways, she texted me to tell me they were all going out, that's why I stopped by, to ask if you wanted to come."

"So that's why you're dressed so nicely."

"You call that nice?" Ted pointed at Cody and scoffed.

"Nice Ted," I said sarcastically as Cody sent a glare his way. "Now this is helping Mickie pick out an outfit time. Since my two best girlfriends don't come around all that much, I will have to rely on you two losers."

"Oh because insulting us is going to make us want to help you is it?"

"You are going to help me whether you like it or not DiBiase," I threatened.

After a half hour of debate and a whole lot of laughter and jokes we had finally decided on an outfit. A coral color tank top with braided straps and a cute flower on the neckline, a pair of black skinny jeans, and my black high-heeled boots was the outfit we had settled on.

I was just finishing up my hair when my two Legacy friends yelled for me to hurry up – clearly their impatience was running out. I gave myself a once-over in the mirror and walked back out into the hotel room.

"So how do I look?" I called to them while doing a little twirl.

"You look great . . . as usual . . . now can we please go?" Ted said impatiently.

"Jeesh kid calm down. What are you so excited to go for?" I said while pondering over which clutch I should take.

"Oh it's about _me_ being excited and not the fact that you took like three hours to get ready is it?" he suddenly got defensive.

"Three hours Ted? Melina and Kelly left the hotel room like," I checked my phone, "less than an hour ago. You really have _got_ to stop hanging around Cody, you're becoming too much of a drama queen!"

"Hey why did you feel the need to insult me?"

"I don't know, because it's fun," I sent an innocent smile his way.

"You truly _are_ evil, you know that?"

I laughed, "Shut up and let's go!"

We headed out the door and down to the lobby to enjoy a good night out. It will be nice to be able to get my mind off of things. Like the feelings that are starting to creep back into my life when it comes to a certain superstar. Besides it's not like I'm going to be getting drunk – so how bad could tonight get?

**There's chapter 25 – as usual please let me know what you think :)**

**I appreciate the reviews :)**

**Anybody catch Raw last night? Randy basically made the entire show. Four RKO's in like a minute! I just love him!**

**Next chapter will be their evening out. There's a surprise waiting :)**


	26. you surprise me everytime im around you

CHAPTER 26

"Give me another Tequila!" I shouted enthusiastically causing the bartender to chuckle in amusement.

"Micks don't you think you've had enough?" Ted asked.

"You know," I shot back the Tequila and made a funny face because the taste was disgusting, "I am _really_ sick of people saying that. I've only had like three . . ." I squinted my eyes trying to think, "Or four shots . . . another please," I said to the bartender again.

"Actually I believe that last one was number five, but don't let that stop you now!"

"Oh it won't. Trust me, when I want to get something off of my mind, the best way to do that is Tequila!" as I tipped back the last shot.

"Okay, now what?" he asked.

"It's time to dance before those last three shots kick in!" I grabbed his hand and practically dragged him to the dance floor. While dancing to 'Break Your Heart'- which now that I think about it, should be Randy Orton's theme song, I observed a girl who was eyeing Ted up and down.

"Ted you should dance with her," I slurred my words this time, tequila sure does the job quickly.

"No Mickie I'm not leaving you alone," he insisted, although I could tell he really wanted to dance with this one . . . or maybe I just really wanted him to. He does seem reluctant . . . oh who cares what he wants!

"Ted its one song! Come on I'm not keeping you from getting some action," I giggled.

And when Ted declined again I walked over to the girl.

"What's your name?"

She looked confused, "Nicole," she responded.

"Hi Nicole, I'm Mickie and that guy over there is my friend Ted. He's acting a little shy right now, but he totally wants to dance with you! How about it?"

"I was just contemplating on whether or not you two were dating," she admitted.

"Definitely not, so you should dance with him. Come on." I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to Ted, "Ted this is Nicole, Nicole this is Ted. Have fun," and with a smile sent in Ted's direction I pushed my way off the dance floor.

This isn't as fun as it was thirty seconds ago. The drinks didn't have the desired effect. I sighed. I may as well head back and attempt to sleep off my problems. Something told me my dreams are no doubt probably going to betray me to images of Randy Orton swirling around my mind.

I was on my way to the exit when I bumped into Maryse.

"Maryse!" I cried out and threw my arms around her.

"Hey Mickie," she said obviously confused as to why I was so happy.

"You probably think I'm weird right now, but I've been drinking tequila so I hope that explains everything. Ooh I see you have two drinks." I grabbed one out of her hand and downed it in one gulp (glasses in clubs were pretty small if you ask me) and not feeling satisfied I grabbed the other one and downed it as well.

"Mickie . . .?" she said.

"Oh sorry I'm kind of crazy right now," my vision started to get blurrier as I dug through my clutch and grabbed a ten dollar bill.

"Here you go, go and buy yourself another drink. Hey can you do me a favour?" I asked her, "I mean of course you don't have to because I just drank your drinks, but I would appreciate it."

She laughed at me, "Sure Mickie, what is it?"

"If you see Ted or Cody, could you please tell them that I went back to the hotel already? Thanks!" and with one last smile I stumbled my way out of the bar and back onto the street.

I was only walking for a few minutes when I heard whistles from behind me.

"Hey baby," I heard a voice call from behind me, "Why don't you come back here and join us?"

I tried to walk faster but I didn't want to end up falling. I guess it was very stupid of me to walk down the streets alone being as intoxicated as I am. The whistles were getting louder – I was only minutes from the hotel.

_Flashback_

_I felt so silly about it, but he just keeps doing all the wrong things. It wouldn't be a big deal if they had approached him, but I saw him approach her at the bar. He bought her a drink and sat there for ten minutes before I decided it was time to intervene. Honestly I don't care if he had been drinking, that was unacceptable and it was becoming so much more frequent these days.____Fighting with Randy over other girls – was becoming such an irritating habit lately. Ever since, what happened . . . I just figured things would get better. _

_I had been so happy about this week because Raw and Smackdown were both being broadcasted in Chicago, so it meant spending the week with him here while I did Raw on Monday and he taped Smackdown after that. It seems that every time we go out for dinner or out to clubs there always seems to be other women. Usually I just ignore it, but not tonight. I was in no mood because of the fight we had before we even left. I had a feeling he was doing it just to get back at me, despite the fact that we had already 'made-up'. I had gotten so angry when he tried to play innocent that I stormed out of the club._

_I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't notice I was approaching a trio of men. When I finally realized it, I figured I would just walk by and not say anything. Who am I to judge that every man is a pervert? I can't just assume they are all going to be bad._

"_Look what we have here," one of them called out causing me to look up. I could smell the alcohol and was going to continue walking when one of them stepped in front of me._

"_Excuse me," I said probably ruder than I should have. After all walking down the streets of a big city alone probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done._

"_Ooh she's a feisty one, I like that," he said with a grin, "You wanna join us, we're about to head to another party."_

"_No thanks, I gotta get home," I muttered._

"_He wasn't really asking you," his friend said menacingly._

"_And she told you no," I heard a voice speak from behind us. I whirled around and what I saw made me sigh with relief._

_Randy was walking quickly, but coolly towards us and when he reached me he put a protective arm around my waist._

"_We didn't invite you to come along," one of them said._

"_I don't remember asking. What I do know is you three better get the hell out of my face before I change my mind about fighting in front of a lady," Randy hissed back while positioning himself directly in front of me. All three guys were much shorter than he was, and even the bigger one wouldn't stand a chance if they tried to fight him._

"_Hey man, no offence meant. We just thought we would extend an invitation," one guy said putting his hands up in defence._

"_Well her answer was no, now get the hell out of here," Randy sneered. I guess it was our luck that these three weren't bigger than they were. With one last look they all turned and scurried off across the street._

_Randy made sure they were gone before he turned to face me, "Mickie you really shouldn't go walking off alone regardless of how pissed you are at me. If I hadn't been worried about you, who knows what could have happened?" I could hear the concern in his voice. _

_I felt the remainder of my anger leave me, "Well then I guess it's a good thing you're always worrying about me."_

_He smiled, "You're right about that one." And he leaned down to kiss my forehead as he led me towards the hotel._

I found myself outside a hotel room not having had any trouble with the guys on the street. I hesitated for a moment and then knocked.

_Randy's POV_

Upon coming out of the bathroom after taking a shower I realized my latest hook-up was still here. I sighed. Why women couldn't just take the hint and leave I will never understand.

"So that was fun," she said coming up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Yeah sure whatever." I disentangled her arms from around me and continued past her, "You can leave now."

She looked dumbstruck before she laughed, "Oh you're funny," she said.

"I don't like jokes," I said while pulling on my jeans.

"You're not?" she questioned but I could already tell she knew I was dead serious.

"What were you expecting? Don't," I said harshly, "answer that. Just put your clothes on and get out."

"Ugh you _are_ a jerk!" she shrieked.

"Thanks, I can tell by that statement you've heard about me. Probably should have listened to the advice instead of hoping you were special enough that I would be different with you."

"Well it would be nice if I could at least use the bathroom before I leave, or is that too much to ask?"

"If it's necessary," and I rolled my eyes as she stormed into the bathroom having collected her clothes. Women!

There was a knock on my door just as I finished pulling on my t-shirt. I opened it to find Mickie standing there – looking rather good.

"Mickie what are you doing here?" this was an odd time for her to show up. She's probably here to yell at me for something I've already forgotten doing.

"I don't really know," she was slurring her words.

"Are you drunk?" I said in disbelief.

"No!" she said way too casually. Well that explains a lot.

I laughed, "Wait a minute is this a booty call?"

"Oh get over yourself, I merey, uh mereLy," she said with a huge emphasis on the 'L', "came by to say hi . . ."

". . . At one in the morning?" I questioned her.

"You didn't let me finish," she pouted, "We are _both_ adults, so I think that my mistake was getting attached," she pointed at me and stumbled a bit, "I'm not pathetic like you enjoy calling me. What I want from you is purely physical. I don't think you'll object to that will you?"

"You want to use me . . . for sex?" Was I hearing this correctly?

"Do you have a problem with that?" and she tilted her head to the side.

I didn't know what to say, she had blindsided me. I would have expected one of the Bella's to win the Women's Title before Mickie came to me with an offer like this.

"I didn't think so," she whispered before wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her mouth to mine.

She was pushing me back into my room before I managed to pull my head away from hers, "Mickie . . ." I said trying to catch her attention as she pulled my shirt off and threw it to the floor.

"What?" she whispered and then kissed me again.

Before I got a chance to tell her, the bathroom door opened and out walked the girl who had slowly but effectively just ruined my night.

Mickie twisted to face the distraction, "She can't join us," she whispered and I could tell she was disappointed by this turn of events.

"I haven't even left yet and you've already got another victim. You really are something else," she turned to look at Mickie, "You really don't want to get involved with this one; he really does live up to his reputation of being an asshole."

"I know, I, we used to date," Mickie replied simply.

"Well then you should have learned your lesson the first time shouldn't you have honey? Don't worry I'll leave you two in peace," she sneered and then she strode out of the room.

Mickie was silent for a second before she stooped down to pick up her clutch or whatever women call it, and stumbled out of the room – but not before running into the door.

I ran to retrieve my shirt and was out the door a second later realizing I forgot my key but not caring at the moment, "Mickie! Hey wait up," I called to her.

She was waiting for the elevator doors to open as I approached her while pulling my shirt over my head for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"God I feel so stupid," she threw her arms up which turned out not to be a good idea because she almost fell over again. I lunged forward to grab her before she could fall.

"You know if I wasn't so drunk and all over the place, I think I might want to hit you," she replied while clutching me for support.

I led her onto the elevator, "I guess it's a good thing you _are _then. I'm sure you won't be too drunk to hit me in the morning. Or to blame me for all of this," I responded.

"More than likely, but I don't mind."

"Of course you don't, but I do," I informed her.

She laughed, "Okay I promise I will take all the blame for my serious lack in judgement."

"Hey I'm not that bad . . ." I trailed off because Mickie shot me a look of disbelief. "What can I say, you bring out the best _and_ worst in me." By this time we had arrived outside of her hotel room.

"It's not me I'm worried about Randy," she was silent for a moment. Her face looked oddly pale, "I can handle myself _and_ you. It's the other girls." She inserted her card key and pushed open the door.

"Why would you spend your time worrying about those that you don't know? Seriously Mickie you are way too nice for . . . hey Mickie are you feeling alright? You look kind of pale . . ."

"Not really, I feel . . . oh god," and she bolted to the bathroom, almost falling but managing to maintain her balance.

I sighed and stepped across the threshold and shut the door behind me. I followed her into the bathroom.

"Were you drinking tequila again?" I asked after she finished throwing up.

"Randy go away!" she shouted clearly embarrassed.

"You need help. I didn't sign up for it, but I'm not leaving."

She started vomiting again and I bent down beside her to hold her hair out of her face. This went on for about ten minutes until she said she was finished.

I stood up, "I'll wait outside for you . . .."I shut the bathroom door behind me.

What am I doing? These are dangerous territories. Maybe I should go. I managed to walk over to the door but hesitated. I sighed; I can't leave her until I know she's going to be okay. She said she's cool with the purely physical relationship, but that might just be the alcohol talking.

I looked up when I heard the bathroom door open slowly.

"You alright?" I asked while approaching her.

"Far from. No matter how many times I've been sick from tequila, I just can't seem to stop it from being my drink of choice." She stumbled again and I helped her over to a chair, "Thanks for the help," she muttered but didn't look at me.

"Yeah this is definitely not something I'm accustomed to," I admitted.

"Yeah I believe your way of doing things is kicking women to the curb."

I smirked, "I'm not a big fan of relationships I guess."

"Really?" she exclaimed.

"Smartass," I grinned at her.

She laughed, "Whoa my head is spinning. Wait there we go. I guess I should change . . ." she tried to stand up but she swayed and fell before I could catch her again, "Damnit they need some form of something to get rid of drunkenness. This is so embarrassing, maybe you should go."

"Yeah maybe I would if Ted was somewhere to be found, but I'm thinking if I leave you alone you might end up dying or something else that's fatal just by falling over. In case you haven't noticed you're rather clumsy when you're intoxicated."

She gave a sarcastic laugh, "Well I need pyjamas . . . these jeans are far too tight to sleep in . . . uh well this is awkward, could you, you know . . . help me?"

"Taking off a woman's clothes to help her put more clothes on – not exactly my area of expertise."

"Well if you would stop thinking with your dick for a few minutes I would appreciate the help," she said bluntly, she really didn't hold back when there was alcohol in her system. "Besides you've seen everything under here more times than I could count. _And_ I can sleep with the top on, so no need to worry about the . . . pants? I think I just lost my train of thought, how often does that happen?"

I laughed, "Shouldn't I get some kind of reward for the help?"

"You get to take my clothes off, that's compensation enough," she smirked.

Mickie managed to undo her jeans and I helped her pull them off.

"This is like going against the laws of nature," I muttered while pulling shorts on in place of the previously discarded jeans. She has to be doing this on purpose to taunt me. If so it's working, because she's driving me crazy – and not in a bad way.

"What are you thinking?" she questioned while studying my face.

"About how I think you're doing this on purpose," I admitted truthfully.

She laughed again, "Maybe I am," and she walked slowly towards the bed. I followed her making sure she didn't topple over again. "Shouldn't have invited the random back to your hotel room and we wouldn't even be talking right now," and she winked at me. She sat on the bed and crossed her legs.

I let out a groan, "Oh come on! Last time we hooked up you got all clingy and pissy. You made it clear it wouldn't happen again."

"I didn't get clingy!" she said defensively, "Pissy, but I _did not_ get clingy!"

"Fine that was a little far-fetched, but am I supposed to not sleep with other girls in the hope you might show up?" I took a seat on the bed in front of her.

"Well no, but that's precisely what you're going to do from now on," she stated.

"What are you talking about?" I took a seat on the opposite side of the bed.

"Well I'm offering a relationship that's purely physical – something to benefit both of us with no strings attached."

"What?"

"You told me you enjoyed the night we spent together," she said.

"Well you're a lot better than the other useless women I've been with, so I guess you could say you're enjoyable," I said casually.

She rolled her eyes, "Call it what you will, of course you have to maintain your reputation. So what do you say?"

"Regular sex, no strings attached, whenever I want, do I need to answer that?" I let a smirk form on my face.

"No other girls Randy," she said simply.

The smirk faded, "What do you mean?"

"I don't want there to be other girls or the deal is off," she stated with firmness in her voice.

I studied her face, "Your serious," I said as a statement and not a question, "That sounds an awful lot like a-"

"Relationship?" she offered, "Think of it like one, minus the dating and other couple type stuff. It's your choice. I don't want to be made a fool of, and I don't want to be like the other ones. That's not me. I know you, and despite hating it, you _are_ going to be in my life. So this is just taking a bad situation and using it to my advantage. So what do you say?" she asked again.

I was silent for a moment. It would work out better to my advantage than having to date a girl before bringing her back to my room whereas because of this storyline I will be with Mickie more than usual.

"Deal," I stated. Why waste my time with girls who aren't even worth it? Mickie is definitely worth the time, and she's willing. I smirked.

"Uh-oh," she gasped before jumping off the bed and running to the bathroom. I flinched when she fell to the floor, but she hurried to her feet and shoved the bathroom door open.

"That's not a good sign," I muttered. "Aren't we supposed to shake hands, not have one of us throw up?" I called into the bathroom.

I heard the sound of her vomiting and decided to give her a moment or two before going in to help her get cleaned up. Oh man I was being far too unlike myself tonight. But what can I say, I have a soft spot for the girl. After there was silence for awhile I started to worry. I stood up and walked to the bathroom to find Mickie lying on the floor.

"Oh great. Mickie?" I called while shaking her gently. She muttered something but didn't wake. I picked her up and carried her back to the bed.

She probably won't even remember this in the morning. Where the hell is Ted? I pulled out my phone and dialled his number. There was no answer. I can't just leave her here alone, she might get sick again. I sighed and wiped my hand down my face debating what I should do. I walked back over to the bed and pulled the blanket over her petite frame. I laid down on the bed beside her, on top of the blankets. I won't go to sleep; I will just stay to make sure she is okay.

"Randy," she muttered. I turned to look at her and realized that she was still sleeping. She was dreaming about me. I don't know why but that makes me happy. I know it shouldn't, but it does.

_Mickie's POV_

I woke up feeling warmer than when I fell asleep. It took me a few minutes to process the fact that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes and moved my head an inch to peer around. My head had been rested on Randy's chest, and he had his arm wrapped around me, while his other hand was lying on his chest grasping mine. I can't believe he stayed. A part of me felt normal as if this was where I was meant to be, but the bigger part knew that that part of my life was over. I slowly and gently pulled my hand out of his and pulled myself out of the bed even more gently so as not to disturb him.

I glanced out the window – it was still dark out. I looked back at the clock and it read four am. I clutched my throbbing head and found my way to the bathroom to take some aspirin. I surveyed myself in the mirror for a few minutes. I cleared up the make up that had smudged underneath my eyes, and then brushed my teeth.

I felt stupid about making the deal with Randy, but knew that I meant every word. It was pathetic, but I needed him and I knew I wouldn't get anything beyond that. The tequila gave me the confidence that I had needed to construct myself in the manner that I did. But at least he agreed to no more women. It made me happy to know that I would be the only woman in his life, even if it was in this way. It was closer than any other woman has gotten to a relationship with him over the last couple years.

Ending up at his room last night, out of all the places, hadn't been a mistake. I'm no longer denying my feelings; I'm just going to bury them. It's going to be torture every time he uses me and then leaves me, but it's worth it if I get to be with him if only for a little while.

I know that if he knew the meaning behind this, he wouldn't have agreed, which is why I knew I needed to tell him I was doing it merely because I was stuck with him already, so why not benefit from it? At least I can take comfort in the fact that he _does_ care about me, and that I won't actually be like the others. That's my silver lining, if you could even call it that.

What was I going to do now? He's sleeping. As much as I would like to crawl back into his arms and lie with him, he might wake up and realize. Maybe I should just wake him up; yeah that's what I'll do, just kick him out and do this on my terms. Maybe if I let him use me like this my feelings for him will go away.

I turned the light off while opening the door quietly and was just exiting the bathroom when I glanced up to see he was already sitting up. Well at least I don't have to wake him up now.

"Hey, you're awake," I said nervously.

"What gave you that idea?" he replied sarcastically.

"So thanks for uh sticking around, I appreciate it," I said.

"What no reward?" he smirked.

"Not today," I replied simply.

"You weren't serious about that deal were you?" the smirk was still there on his face as if he was expecting me to back out.

"Funny thing is, I was, I am," I tried to sound confident.

His face was full of surprise, "Wait what?"

"I remember what I said, I meant it." I replied quietly.

"You surprise me in some way every time I'm around you," he said while standing up.

I grinned, "There's more to a person than meets the eye."

"Clearly," he said surveying me for what felt like an eternity. "So then I should probably get back to my room."

He turned to go but I grabbed his hand. He stared at me questionably.

"I, uh, I," I had no words so I just kissed him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He placed his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against his body in return.

After kissing fiercely for a few minutes I tugged at his shirt and he lifted his arms so I could pull it over his head. I guided him to the bed and pushed him onto it. I climbed on top and straddled him while taking off my own top. He pulled my head down and kissed me again but after a minute or so I pulled my head back.

I smirked, "Are you sure Randy? You know what this is right?"

He offered me a smirk of his own and then grabbed me around the waist and flipped me over so that he was now in control.

**A/N: Well, Mickie sold her soul to the devil . . . so to speak. No Randy really does care about her a lot. It will never just be purely physical, there will always be underlying feelings.**

**Please review, let me know what you think :)**

**Ah it's weird to see the not-so-sadistic smirks yes, but I agree he is just as hot as ever. I have a feeling the Randy vs. John will end in not contest on Monday. After all they are technically the only two 'faces' in the six- now five pack challenge. They need to stick together. I wonder who the replacement for Jericho is going to be. Any ideas?**


	27. no one understands

I was fully expecting what was going to happen when I opened my eyes, and was mentally preparing myself for it. _You made the deal Mickie; you have to cope with the consequences._ I opened my eyes to find Randy sitting at the end of the bed – this was a serious case of Déjà vu, or just another stupid mistake. Regardless I need to play this properly.

I gathered the sheet around me as Randy turned back to look with a smirk on his face. Instead of waiting around for him to address me, I jumped out of the bed and collected a few articles of my own clothing.

"Is that a good morning?" he spoke.

"Oh I'm sorry were you expecting one?" I challenged.

He shook his head in amusement and stood to do up his jeans as I continued staring at him. Upon noticing I was doing so, "Or were you ready for round two?" he asked and glanced down at his jeans wondering whether or not he should have put them on.

I laughed, "You had your time for the day," I tilted my head sideways and I could tell he was surprised, but he hid it very well behind his own smirk.

I sat on the chair and quickly pulled on a pair of underwear underneath the sheet and then my tank top. I let the sheet drop to the floor – two can play his game.

It was at that moment that the door was pushed open and Ted barrelled through it as if he was on a mission.

"Good morning, you better be – oh whoa!" and after realizing we were both half dressed he turned his back on us.

"Does that seem to happen more often than it should?" Randy asked me.

"Yeah whatever happened to old fashion knocking?" I said in an accusatory tone.

"I don't know, but I miss the privacy."

"Hey it's my room too!" Ted called out in his defence.

"Don't," I yelled, "turn around until I tell you."

"Well you aren't making Randy avert his eyes," Ted said although I knew he was just looking for some topic of discussion.

"I don't think that would make much of a difference considering what went on last night," I replied as Randy chuckled.

"Er, right," was all Ted managed to say.

I was searching around for something to throw on, when Randy presented me with the shorts he had helped me take off last night.

"Thanks," I muttered, "Okay Ted you can turn around."

He had just turned back to face us when there was another knock on the door. Ted reached around to pull it open and in walked the last member of Legacy.

"Whoa what was going on in here?" Cody questioned while looking to the still shirtless Randy and the various articles of clothing scattered across the room.

"You know Cody, that is a _very_ good question," Ted pointed out and they both turned to face us with crossed arms and accusatory glares.

I looked up at Randy who stared back at them impassively.

"Last time I checked that was neither of your guy's business," he stated and I cleared my throat, crossed my arms, and nodded in agreement.

"Fine, be that way. It's obvious anyways," Cody replied in a bored tone.

"Well then why did you ask you moron?" Randy spat.

Ted started moving toward his suitcase and he walked past Randy, "You should put a shirt on, I think we are way past the 'trying to impress your date' stage," and he slapped him on the shoulder before continuing past.

I chuckled to myself as Randy glared after his best friend. Then he turned and a few moments later he had his shirt collected and was out the door. I hesitated and then ran after him ignoring puzzled looks from Ted and Cody.

"Hey," I called after him.

He turned around to face me, "Yeah?"

"You want to go get something to eat?" I offered hesitantly

He raised his eyebrows at me but before he could respond I smiled, "As friends. I'm going to invite Ted and Cody too. It's harmless," I said casually.

He smirked and averted his eyes for a moment, "Why not? Just let me get changed before we go."

I nodded my head and then turned around and entered the hotel room closing the door behind me with a smile on my face.

I looked up to see the two boys staring at me expectantly – the smile faded.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Don't what me," Ted scolded, "Is this the reason you ditched me last night?"

"No way! I spent the entire night throwing up!" I defended myself.

"And Randy showed up this morning hoping to get some action?" Cody responded and crossed his arms. Jeesh these two were acting like my parents!

"No actually I went to his hotel room, there was another girl there, I left, Randy came after me, we got to my room, I ended up vomiting, he held my hair for me, we agreed on a purely physical relationship, and then he spent the night here after we, well you know," with every word the shock deepened on their face.

"Randy spent the night with you holding your hair back while you were vomiting?" Cody asked with disbelief clear on his face.

I was insulted, "It wasn't the whole night! Jeesh I'm not that lame." It took me a moment to realize I was getting defensive for the wrong reason. I was insulted over the fact that Cody made it look like I wasn't much fun for Randy –I was definitely messed up.

Cody and Ted exchanged looks of incredulity.

"You mean Randy spent the night with you . . . with a girl?" Ted was trying to clarify things.

"Yes," god these two were slow this morning.

"What do you mean a purely physical relationship?" he scrutinized me.

I averted my eyes and I felt my cheeks turn hot.

"No Mickie, you didn't!" he gasped.

I still avoided his gaze, "What are you talking about?" Cody questioned.

Ted took a step in my direction, "Despite your situation Mickie, I know you would never have done something stupid like that."

I forced myself to meet his gaze, "So what if I have?" I said defiantly.

"So what if you–" he threw his hands in the air, "Mickie how could you do this to yourself!'

"Do what?" Cody yelled.

Ted rounded on him, "Mickie agreed to be Randy's new play toy!"

"That's not fair," I whispered. I can't believe he said that in reference to me. He made me feel as if I was nothing more than the other girls Randy tossed out of his room every night.

"Well what do you want me to call it? Mickie you know this isn't the way to go about things," he tried to explain.

"Ted's right Mickie, this could blow up in your face. This is a game to Randy, you aren't going to get anything more than that from him," Cody offered.

"What would you have me do!" I cried out.

Ted's eyes softened and he stepped forward to pull me into an embrace, "I care about you Mickie, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I appreciate it, but I don't need your concern. I can handle myself."

"That's a messed up situation Mickie. I have never seen anything like you two, in all honesty. Your guy's relationship is fucked up."

Ted glared at Cody, "Wow you're a lot of help."

"What?" Cody replied innocently.

"Look, I knew what I was getting myself into when I made the deal with him. It's the only way. Besides he agreed not to see other women, so it won't be so bad," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah but it's only going to end in heartbreak," Ted muttered, "For you," he added.

I knew he was right, but apparently throughout all of this I had turned into some kind of masochist.

I shrugged my shoulders again, "What's done is done. I need him Ted, and if this is the only way, then so be it."

"You are the oddest person," he smirked and then pulled me in for another hug.

"Don't remind me," I muttered, "So I asked him to go for breakfast, which means you two have to come so he doesn't think I'm trying to date him or something."

"You're lucky I don't have plans," Ted said.

"Yeah right, apart from our wrestling duties, you never have plans," Cody spoke.

Ted glared at him and I smiled.

"I have to get ready," I announced and headed for the bathroom before whipping around to glare at them, "And neither of you will breathe a word of this to anybody! No one else knows, nor are they going to know! Do you hear me?"

"Scout's honour," Ted replied and then I focused my attention on Cody.

"You're the one I'm worried about. You're probably thinking right now about how you are Randy's friend first, but trust me its better if he doesn't know!" I glared again.

"Fine!" he put his hands up in defeat, "I won't say anything."

I finished doing my hair in record timing, trying to make it look perfect in a short amount of time and strolled out of the bathroom.

"So what should I wear?" I called out.

"You're kidding right?" Cody replied.

"No, why would I be?" I said confused.

"Mickie we're going for breakfast, that's _it_!" he almost shouted.

"Who pissed in your cornflakes? You think you would be happy considering you have a date later tonight!"

His face instantly changed to that of uneasiness, "I was thinking of cancelling," he muttered.

"WHAT!" Ted and I both shouted in unison.

"What if she decides she does not like me anymore?"

Ted and I exchanged looks and then started laughing.

"What?" he demanded.

"Cody, she said she had a great time on the first date!" I reminded him.

Ted clamped him in the shoulder, "Cody she is single handedly breaking you and you've only been on one date."

I sat down beside him on the couch, "Cody she's going to love you once she gets to know you more. Trust me Eve's a great girl, and she's easy-going. You couldn't have picked a better one," what the kid needed was reassurance.

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now stop worrying about it, you guys had a great first date, the second only gets easier."

A half an hour later – which I spent picking out an outfit, to Ted and Cody's annoyance – Randy showed up at the door and led the way down to the street so we could pick a place to eat in the city as opposed to sticking around the hotel.

"Seriously I thought things would be different now that you two are like together . . . but not together," Ted muttered to me as he watched the Viper work his way to the washroom.

The last forty-five minutes of our meal Randy and I had controlled most of the conversation by engaging in our customary petty arguments.

"Are you kidding me? You expected me and him to be buddy buddy

+ just because we 'hang out' occasionally?" I scoffed with amusement.

"_You_ expected things to stay the same?" Cody asked in disbelief.

"Course I did," I said simply while taking a bite of my food, "Randy is the most infuriating person!"

"And yet you like him, yes that totally makes sense," Ted hissed sarcastically while keeping an eye on the men's bathroom.

"Like Cody said, our relationship is messed up. He drives me crazy, and I drive him crazy, we can have _good times_ together and there's a mutual attraction, that's just how things work." I stated matter-of-factly as if this wasn't obvious.

Ted's face twisted into that of disgust, "That's good to know, what a great mental image."

I rolled my eyes and laughed, "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"You are oddly happy for someone in your situation," Cody commented.

"Why shouldn't I be happy? I got what I wanted-"

"What did you get that you wanted?" Randy spoke as he sat back down in his chair.

I sent a glare Ted's way because he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for him.

"You got what you wanted last night?" Randy smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes and regained my composure, "Actually we were talking about my Divas title thank you very much."

After our meal we were strolling down the street discussing more storyline ideas and they were making fun of John Cena, who I was defending because he's my friend.

"So what now?" Ted called out.

"What are you talking about?" Cody asked.

"What are we going to do now? I'm bored and I have no plans," the son of the million dollar man admitted.

"Shocker!" Cody exclaimed sarcastically, "Well I have a few items I need to buy."

"Ooh do you have an outfit planned for your date?" I cut across excitedly.

"Date?" the Viper repeated.

"Oh yeah didn't Cody tell you? He has a second date with Eve. He really likes her!"

"Second date? I didn't even know there was a first. You're kidding right?"

"Why would I?" I questioned him.

"Cody doesn't 'crush on' girls," Randy stated matter-of-factly as Cody avoided eye contact.

"Why does everyone keep saying that like it's a bad thing?" I questioned raising my voice a little bit.

"You're really serious," Randy stated and then he chuckled, "Cody man we were supposed to be in this together . . . Ted here is supposed to be the pansy ass dating type."

"Hey!" Ted protested but everyone ignored him.

"That's a bad thing?" I crossed my arms. Why was he so against dating!

"Yeah," he said as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Actually it's not, maybe Cody doesn't want to end up alone!" I argued in defence of my friend.

"Better than ending up with some whiny," he stopped when I sent a glare his way, "never mind. Avoiding argument."

"Thank god," Ted breathed.

"I'm right though," Randy said and Ted rolled his eyes, "Relationships are just a pain in the ass, they hardly ever work out for the better."

It's weird to hear him say that and it's also a little disheartening. I was the reason he was this negative person – our relationship was the cause of this cold-hearted, Lady Thriller standing in front of me.

I sighed with defeat, "Let's just go to the mall," I offered and when everyone agreed we made our way there.

"Hey they have Smackdown vs. Raw on the PS3 in there set up for the customers to play!" Ted said excitedly.

We were walking in the mall past Best Buy when Ted stopped and shouted this out.

"I bet I could totally school you as myself!" Cody challenged.

"You sure you want me to demolish your confidence mere hours before your date?"

"You couldn't beat me if you tried!" Cody laughed and they both walked off arguing over who would win – in an actual ring and in the game.

"Is it just me or do they act childish a lot?" I laughed to myself and turned to face Randy.

"That's how they are, it's unfortunate."

"Jeesh at least we only argue and don't make childish bets all the time," I said. It was stupid, because Randy and I were probably the most annoying people you could meet when we were together.

"Tell me about it," he agreed, "So now what?" he asked while looking around.

"I don't know . . . we could watch them?" I offered.

"I have a better idea," he said with a smirk and glanced around at . . . a lingerie store.

"What?" I smiled, "No."

"Why not? We can pick something out for our rendezvous'."

I laughed, "You are so lame! I'm not wasting money on something that's hardly going to be used anyway!"

"It has its use. It'll be my treat . . . literally," he added as an after thought.

Was I seriously contemplating this? Oh god Mickie what is wrong with you! Well I already sold my soul to the devil; there was no turning back now.

"Fine if you're paying, I guess I could use some new pieces, you know if I meet someone," I said casually.

"Huh? You mean other guys?" he was confused.

Obviously I wasn't being serious, but I was curious as to how he was going to react.

"Well not right now, but in the future if I do, I want to be prepared."

"Hey we made a deal."

"Yeah and the deal was you don't see other girls, there was nothing about me not seeing other guys," I said with a smirk.

"Well I'm making that part of the deal," he claimed.

"The agreement was already made, no changing it," of course I wouldn't waste my time with other guys, but he didn't need to know that. Like I said earlier, two can play his game.

"We didn't shake on it."

"Just think of our 'rendezvous' as closing the deal," I said confidently.

He was silent for a moment before he smirked, "You aren't going to need any other guy _trust me_. Besides I don't believe one word you are preaching, now let's go."

He pulled me along by the arm gently, ignoring my protests.

"Randy!" I laughed as we entered the store.

"Mickie?" I heard my name spoken with shock.

I looked up and the smile faded from my face instantly. Kelly, John, Dave, and Melina had all turned around to stare at the commotion that had been Randy and I.

I cleared my throat after Randy let go of me, "Oh hey Kel, guys," I looked over her shoulder, "Melina."

"What are you doing here Mickie?" Kelly questioned and then glanced at Randy.

A smirk formed on his face as he made the effort to look Kelly up and down. She crossed her arms in discomfort and John stood with a scowl on his face. I knew Randy was doing it on purpose to get a reaction and he had gotten what he wanted, "I'll be over here," he said confidently and then walked off to look through the racks of lingerie.

Melina came forward, "Why are you with _him_?" she jerked her head in Randy's direction.

I felt my face grow hot and anger form in the pit of my stomach, "_He_ has a name," I said in a false nice tone.

"Are you two dating again?" Kelly asked as her eyes widened in horror.

"What? No of course not, we're just hanging out. Ted and Cody are here too," they both glanced over my shoulder and I rolled my eyes, "Not here, here, but at the mall with us."

"Soo why are you two searching through a _lingerie store_ together?" Melina crossed her arms.

"What's with the third degree?" I snapped.

"Is there something going on with you two Micks? I mean getting involved with Orton again probably isn't the smartest idea . . ."

"You know what?" I said through gritted teeth, "Maybe I needed _someone_ to go shopping with considering I wasn't invited on this little shopping trip of yours," I hissed and then shot a glance over in the direction of John and Dave who quickly struck up a conversation to pretend they weren't listening.

Kelly's eyes softened and she looked guilty, "Mickie we're sorry . . . we didn't think–"

"Save it," I interrupted her, "I didn't want to come anyways. You two have your boyfriends, you don't need me."

"Mickie it isn't like that-" Melina said quickly but I held my hand up for her to stop.

"It's fine, enjoy the rest of your shopping," I said and then turned to walk away.

"Mickie!" Kelly called after me but I ignored her.

I made my way over to the corner of the store that Randy was looking in and he glanced up when I approached.

"I found this-" he held up an article of lingerie that I took no note of as I grabbed it out of his hand and slammed it back on the rack. Then grabbing his arm I dragged him along behind me until we were back into the mall, without looking back.

I felt guilty about getting mad for such a silly reason. I mean I didn't actually care that they were always hanging out with their boyfriends and as terrible as it was, I preferred it that way. I was just so angry that they were trying to lecture me about Randy when they couldn't even possibly begin to understand my situation.

"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly but with that confidence he always seemed to have.

"Yeah I'm fine," I snapped.

"Just asking," he said rather rudely.

I sighed, "Sorry I don't know what happened back there. Things are just . . . different between me and them these days. We barely have time for each other as it is because of their boyfriends – not that I'm blaming any of them – and now that I made new friends we _really_ don't have time to spend with one another," I was silent for a moment but decided to continue anyways, "And mostly I just hate it when people try to give me the third degree about you and I."

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know. People just can't really understand us can they? Disregarding the 'deal' from yesterday, everything else is just like a roller coaster ride. I mean despite everything we've been through, we are still able to be somewhat civil to one another. I mean, is that not messed up?"

"Very. Our . . . relationship is a perplexing one that's for sure."

"I think we are almost friends . . ." I started.

". . . with benefits," he finished.

I laughed, "Sure, you wanna go find Ted and Cody?"

"Not really, but we better before they get into trouble with security or something," he sighed.

"Wouldn't be the first time!"

"So did Ted tell you where he disappeared to last night?"

Now that he mentioned it, I completely forgot about Ted's little disappearance last night. I was genuinely curious seeing as how he came back to our hotel room every night we were on the road.

"No I forgot to ask. Let's find out!" I said as I lead the way back to where we had left them.

**Not too much happened apart from the argument with Melina and Kelly. The next chapter is more exciting... I hope you think so too :)**

**As usual let me know what you think, good or bad!**

**Oh and on my profile there is a poll.. you can choose what Mickie wears on her birthday. Sure it's just a story but I love visualizing the outfits :) I love fashion!**

**I have a theory Sheamus will lose the title at NOC, to who I have no idea. I want it to be Randy Orton but considering how they keep screwing him over despite the wave of momentum he's got going on, I'm thinking it's very unlikely. But once Sheamus loses, that's when HHH will come back, and honestly I can't wait!**


	28. Maryse's house

Walking up the walkway to the front door of Maryse's beautiful house, I stopped abruptly to check that I looked okay. To keep with the theme of Summerslam being the biggest party of the summer, I opted for a short strapless floral design dress. The bottom half had ruffles and the top tied in the back. I had decided on wearing a short sleeved cropped knit sweater over top, and for my feet I picked a simple pair of white ballet flats.

"Uh are we going?" Cody piped up. I knew he was eager to see Eve, and I had to say I was happy that the dork found someone who makes him happy.

"Do I look okay really?" I questioned the three men standing in front of me. Sometimes when I was around the other, younger Divas I couldn't help the self-conscious feelings that crept in.

"Mickie," Ted started, "three guys, Legacy members none the less told you that you looked beautiful, how much more assurance do you need?"

"I don't recall saying that," Randy muttered while his attention was on a car passing.

I glared at him before turning to Ted, "Remind me why you talked him into coming."

"I figured the guy could use some fun in his life," Ted shrugged his shoulders.

"Who are you kidding, this isn't his kind of fun. His fun is locking himself away with a woman and a mirror – not socializing with colleagues."

"Well I could be with another woman but I made that stupid agreement with you."

"You can back out anytime," I paused to wait for an answer. "That's what I thought."

"Right Mickie because I'm the only one who is benefitting from this. You love the attention from me," he said arrogantly.

"Actually _Orton_ I've had my fair share of _you_ over the years and well I've had better. I wouldn't go around bragging if I were you, you'll only embarrass yourself."

"And I'm supposed to take your opinion? You harbour resentful feelings toward me," I went to protest but he spoke louder, "if you're done boring me with your pointless shit, I've got a ridiculous party to attend."

He turned to continue to the door following Cody as I went to run after him to attack him, but Ted snaked his arm around my waist and picked me up to place me a few feet back.

"Hey, hey not the time," he grunted.

"Ah why did you invite him! _You_ are going to be responsible when I murder him tonight," I hissed.

He only chuckled, "Don't be so dramatic. Sure he's a jerk but he hardly deserves to be murdered."

"Well that's _your_ opinion," I snarled while straightening out my dress.

Before Ted could respond, I stomped my way to the door and while the guys were waiting for it to be answered I pushed my way between them and positioned myself in front of the door.

"Next time you're going to say excuse me," Randy hissed in my ear.

I turned to face him, "It's too bad your whole Viper effect doesn't work on me isn't it? Otherwise I would be scared right now. Funny how life works. So why don't you take your 'scary attitude' and shove it up–"

"Mickie!" Maryse appeared at the door with a huge smile, "You came!" she glanced behind me, "with Legacy," she spoke.

"Yeah Randy here just couldn't resist," I replied.

"Not in this lifetime," Randy muttered.

Maryse looked a bit intimidated so I assumed without looking that Randy's facial expression was far from pleasant.

"Don't mind him; he's not as scary as he looks. It's all a show really. He's just a big softy," I exaggerated.

"Er right, well I'm glad you came Mickie. Now everyone is out back so come on in and I'll show you the way out there. Welcome to my home."

"Thanks for having us," and after elbowing Randy in the gut, which I'm sure hurt me more than it did him, I followed after her. She gave us a quick tour before leading us out onto the patio door.

"Whenever you're ready, just come on out," she told us before making her way onto the patio to socialize with her guests.

"Ready to mingle with your friends?" I said looking at Randy, "Oh wait," I snapped my fingers, "You don't have any! Darn!"

"Is that supposed to bother me? If you haven't noticed, I made that decision myself."

"Why did you come?" I hissed.

"To be honest, I don't know. But Ted can be very persuasive," he said.

I nodded my head in reluctant agreement and was the first to step out onto the veranda.

I observed there were various superstars and divas from the Smackdown roster as well. LayCool, Tiffany, Serena, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Mark aka Undertaker, and Matt Hardy to name a few. I felt all three guys stop behind me as I looked up to receive waves from a few divas and superstars. Before I could send any greetings back I took in a few of them muttering to each other.

"Who invited Orton?" I heard someone mutter but I couldn't place the voice.

Despite wanting to kill him mere minutes earlier, I felt a little upset for him that people were acting that petty.

"Looks like you got a fan base," I muttered.

"Well hey good news, I'm blending in. I'm not the most hated person here . . . yes!" Ted exclaimed causing Cody and I to exchange looks.

"Ted could you just once manage to _not_ say saying unsympathetic in situations that require sympathy?" Cody complained.

"I don't need anyone's sympathy," Randy snarled.

"Fine have fun champ. Come on Cody let's go see Eve," and I linked arms with the brunette, and leaving Randy behind, I lead him to the table.

"Micks," Maria called out as she threw her arms around my neck, "I'm so glad you came!"

I smiled, "Good to see you. I love your dress!"

"Thanks yours is cute too! It looks expensive," she laughed.

"Designer label, however I did get it on sale."

"You do manage to find the best deals. I've always been jealous of that." I gave a hug to Nikki and Brie and discreetly avoided the gaze of Melina and Kelly. I said hello's to Tiffany and Eve before turning back to Maria.

I pointed out the superstars playing football, "How long have they been at that?"

"Oh John came up with the idea about ten minutes ago. It's his team vs. Dave's"

"Of course it is. Well I'm not wearing much gear for football, but I'm gonna see if I can get in on it. See you girls later," I bounced off to have a word with the CeNation leader.

I descended the stairs onto the lawn, "Yo Cena, I want in," I called out as both teams were huddled together.

On Cena's team there was Gail Kim, Santino Marella, John Morrison, R-Truth, Evan Bourne, Dolph, Kofi Kingston and Matt vs. Dave's team that consisted of Chris Jericho, Adam, Sheamus, Jillian, Beth Phoenix, CM Punk, Mark, and Serena.

Cena turned around and offered me a smile upon recognition, "Mickie James! I was waiting for you to show up." He pulled me in for a hug, "How are you girl?"

"Apart from you squeezing the life out of me?" I grunted, "Good, good."

"I'm sorry about last week Micks," he said.

"Don't worry about it. Seriously I didn't mean any of it. I'm so happy for all of you. I was just acting silly," I said uncomfortably.

"Still both Dave and I feel bad about stealing all of their time."

"It's fine, I do have other friends. And my own life is kind of busy now."

He chuckled, "Well you're just in time, and you'll even out the teams."

"I have that effect," I winked at him.

"Alright come join the group," he straightened out and turned to face the opposing team, "you're going down Dave!"

"With Mickie on your team, you just increased our chances of winning!" he winked at me. I knew then that there were no hard feelings and I was thankful. Next up – the females.

"Ha-ha-ha watch and learn big boy!"

"That's the spirit!" John chuckled and gave me a high five.

After a good half hour of touch football where Jillian tried to tackle me countless times, my team was victorious, much to the disappointment of Dave who threatened to throw me in Maryse's pool but put me down when I threatened to cut off a certain body part he might miss.

I was getting myself a drink when Melina and Kelly both approached me at the same time.

"What is this . . . an ambush?" I said with a nervous chuckle.

Melina tilted her head, "You know why we're here Mickie. Honestly we came to apologize. Everything you said was true, and we feel awful," Melina said sympathetically.

"Micks we love you so much, you know that right? And everything we did was showing you the complete opposite. We were being selfish, and we're sorry," Kelly added.

I offered a smile, "Look you guys, I'm the one who should apologize. I'm the one who acted like a child. I tried to take the accusation and turn it around on you guys. I don't know what's up with me these days, but I never would have done that before. I completely respect the time you need to spend with your boyfriends – who by the way I love very much. So please can you forgive me?"

"You don't even need to ask, there's nothing to forgive," Kelly responded before pulling me in for a group hug.

"Why do we even fight? It never lasts long," I said with a chuckle.

"Girls will be girls," Melina shrugged her shoulders.

We had a nice festive meal which everyone enjoyed in their own groups around different areas of the house and yard. I was sitting with Kelly, Melina, Maria and Eve when John approached us.

"Hey babe," he leaned down and gave Kelly a quick peck on the cheek before turning to me, "Micks we're gonna have another round, you in?"

"No way, Jillian's really scaring me!"

"I'll protect you," he offered with a grin.

"Thanks but I'm tired, rain check?"

He pulled me to the side, "Sure, so what's with Orton?" he motioned over to the other side of the yard where Randy was lounging on a chair at poolside with his body stretched out and hands tucked behind his head.

"No idea," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why doesn't he just leave then?"

"John?" I said hesitantly while staring at my hands.

"Yeah?"

"This may sound weird, and feel free to decline but could you be nice to him . . . for me? Maybe invite him to play?" I asked slowly.

"That's a big favour Micks," he winked.

"Hey by my count, I technically set you up with Kelly, so it's your turn to do me a favour."

"We got together ourselves," he chuckled.

"No way! If I wasn't friends with both of you . . . aw fine you're right but still . . . please!"

He smiled, "How can I resist? Besides I'm a saint."

"No you . . . yes, yes you are."

I watched as he made his way over towards Randy where they exchanged a few words . . . that didn't seem very pleasant. Moments later John turned and headed back in my direction shaking his head.

"What did he say?" I asked biting my lip.

"It was 'I'd rather jump off a cliff', 'play football', 'stupid morons', and that's me putting it nicely," he shook his head, "he's hopeless."

"Don't say that," I sighed, "I'm sorry, thanks for trying."

"Don't apologize for him Micks."

Before I could say anything he smiled and headed off to start up another game of football. I sighed again and placed my cup on the deck railing before making my way over to the pool.

"What's your problem?" I asked him from beside his chair.

"You're blocking my sun," he muttered without opening his eyes.

"John asks you to join their football game and you have to be an ass?"

He opened his eyes to stare, "Next time you're trying to take pity on me, don't send Cena to do the job."

"Seriously why did you come?" I asked bitterly.

"I didn't have anything better to do. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm busy."

"Oh yeah sure looks like it," I muttered as he laid back and closed his eyes again.

"Do you really not care what people think of you?" I asked quietly while sitting on the edge of the seat next to him and placing my clutch on the outdoor coffee table.

He opened his eyes, "Give me one good reason why I should," he closed his eyes again.

"Uh to maintain a good image, for people to like you . . ." I offered.

He opened his eyes again to survey me for a moment before finally sitting up and angling his body towards me.

"I'm successful – a good job, a six time WWE champion. I have a great family and a few loyal friends. Why should I care what people say about me, when none of them helped me get to where I am today? I'm not always proud of my actions, and I can't help the anger issues that have enveloped me over the years and sure I have regrets, but I have learned something from every experience. People judge me because they don't know me. Over half the roster, on both shows, I was good friends with, until I started changing, and now how many are around now? Ted and Cody accepted who I was and stuck by me despite the bad image they also gained, that is what real friends do."

He leaned back in his seat, "Although I would never tell them that."

"And why not? I think they deserve to be told."

"Yeah maybe, but it's not my style," he leaned back again, "besides I have a feeling they already know it anyway."

"You know Randy, oddly enough I understand where you're coming from and maybe to a certain extent you are justified but I also think to an extent you are wrong. Cutting people out isn't the way to do–"

"Because you're the expert at letting people in right?" he interrupted as if he was challenging me.

"You're right, maybe I am a hypocrite but at least I understand what I'm doing wrong. It's unfair to judge all these people. You are hard to get along with, I'm almost certain they would enjoy becoming friends with you again if you weren't so difficult," I explained.

"Since when are you supposed to pick your friends by how easy they are to be around?" I shrugged my shoulders; he had a very valid point.

"You know, with you around I'll never have to pay for a therapist," he mocked me.

"Jerk," I muttered.

"What was that? I can't hear you, or more like I don't want to," he responded.

"Right," I scooted to the end of my chair and leaned down to scoop water from the pool up and splash it at Randy.

He was completely surprised because he had previously resumed his position from before with his eyes closed. His eyes shot open and he forced himself into a sitting position as I started laughing.

"You think that's funny?" he questioned as he stood up.

"Yeah actually, I mean just a little but," I said innocently.

He slowly walked towards me and squatted near the edge, before I could move he splashed water at me hitting me in the head.

I was momentarily stunned as I brushed as much of the water off my face with my hand, "Oh you are so going down!" I threatened.

"Bring it on Mickie James!"

I slowly walked towards him as he held his ground with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You are going in that pool Orton, one way or another."

"This'll be fun to watch. The only one who will end up in there is you."

I didn't waste any time lunging towards him to grab a hold of his upper body. Obviously this was stupid on my part considering the size disadvantage, so Randy grabbed my waist and started using his strength to push me towards the pool.

I couldn't help the laughter escaping my lips, and finally he had me at the edge of the pool. One push was all it took, but I didn't give up _that_ easily. When he pushed, I maintained a firm grip on his arm (with both hands) and I was successful at pulling him in with me.

After being underwater for a few moments, I kicked my way to the surface. I spluttered with the water in my mouth and then turned around to check the condition of Randy. He popped up a second later causing me to smile.

"I told you, one way of another! I mean I didn't exactly picture myself in here, but hey I was victorious," I said with a chuckle.

"As was I, although I think at this point we're both considered losers."

"Mickie?" I looked up to see it was John who had spoken.

A small crowd of about six people had formed and all were staring intently at us.

"Are you alright?" Maryse questioned.

I looked over at Randy who was already swimming to the other side of the pool to get out.

"Yeah of course we were just playing around," I swam to the pool edge and allowed John to pull me out of the water. I glimpsed Randy making his way across the yard.

". . . In a pool with your clothes on?"

I wasn't paying much attention to who was talking as I was to Randy who appeared to be leaving . . . what the?

"Mickie?" John enquired again.

"Yeah accidents happen," I said quickly.

"Okay let me get you some–"

"You know what, I gotta . . .go."

Without anymore explanation I picked my clutch up off the table and hurried after Randy, only stopping to take off my now sopping wet shoes. I tucked them under my arm and continued running, not bothering to say good byes or give explanations.

I was finally in the front yard after exiting through the gate and spotted Randy advancing on the car.

"Randy," I shouted.

"What?"

"I, um I'm begging you not to leave me here," I exclaimed.

"I'm willing to take bribes," he said with a smirk.

I walked to the other side of the car only stopping to wring out the remainder of water in my dress.

"You know you make me out to be the bi-polar one, but you could give me a run for my money. An hour ago you were ready to murder me," he said with a chuckle as we both slammed our doors shut.

"No, I'm . . . okay maybe we both have issues. Is it safe to be spending so much time together?" I said half-jokingly.

"We're both near bullet proof, I think we can handle one another," he responded. I wouldn't call myself bulletproof, but I definitely had a higher tolerance of pain.

"Agreed," I leaned back in the seat as we started driving again.

"Wait did you just say that?"

"Oh my god I did and the world didn't end. Look at that!" I exclaimed and then let a smile form on my face.

"So what now?" he enquired.

"What do you say to a round of pool and a pitcher of beer?" I offered.

"I'm thinking about where that might lead," he said with a wink and then turned back to the road.

"I'll have to be super drunk then, won't I?" I teased.

"Oh please who are you fooling?" he scoffed.

"Just shut it and drive," I said with my own smirk.

We drove after stopping for a change of clothes and found a pub about ten minutes from our hotel. It looked a bit rundown but it wasn't intimidating and the inhabitants seemed rather friendly. This was the bonus of alcohol – made people friendlier. Randy paid for our first pitcher of beer while I got us some change for the pool table.

"Ready to be schooled?" I challenged as he approached me with two glasses and a pitcher.

"I kill at pool Mickie, you must remember that," he smirked.

"No," I said slowly, "What I remember is you were a Legendkiller, winning at pool wasn't in your repertoire."

"The legendkiller eh? Wow I haven't thought about that for awhile," he appeared lost in thought.

"I know it's so long ago hey? I watch videos and matches and it's hard to picture the Legendkiller as the Viper. Seems like a completely different person."

"Because I am. That's how life is. Did I ever picture myself changing so much? Of course not, but I did. I've gained six more years of experience. Life changes people," he said casually.

"I never noticed," I said sarcastically. After a moments silence, "Do you miss our Evolution days at all?"

He didn't say anything for a moment as he leaned against the pool table. I had a feeling he was going to close down again.

Finally he looked up to face me, "Sometimes yeah. Life was so much easier as the legendkiller. Paul, Dave and Ric were great friends to have. Each one helped me get to where I was today, I won't deny that. But I can't just go back to who I was because it was simpler."

"Oh the simplicity of 2004," I said dramatically. "Then you only had to worry about being cocky, now you have to maintain your arrogance, scariness, _and_ your psychotic levels all at once on _top_ of the bi-polar disorder! How _do_ you do it?" I teased him.

"You were a lot funnier in 2004," he seemed to have perfected the sarcasm, "of course then I wasn't as smart as I am today."

I sent him a fake smile, "you were also . . . oh wait a minute you were never funny," I snapped my fingers.

"I do remember the pranks I used to play on Dave, you thought I was pretty funny then," he reminded me.

"You? I believe we both played the pranks on poor Dave. I think we were the real masterminds in that group, he didn't stand a chance!" I chuckled to myself, "Of course I would never take away the real credit Paul and Ric deserve."

"They couldn't have done it with just any superstars you know that right? The three of us worked hard too. We took their knowledge and experience and we developed ourselves, cemented our place as top in-ring performers in this industry – in our respective divisions."

I smiled, "Awe did you just compliment me?"

"I did, why do you always seem so surprised? You've proven yourself time and time again. You proved yourself in Evolution, you showed everyone you could stand on your own two feet, and I have a good feeling about the Legacy storyline. Putting our history aside, I respect you as a performer."

Wow and just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder. He's told me I was good before, but to go into such depth, well the compliment couldn't be greater. No one has come as far as Randy has in the last six years. He transformed from that arrogant twenty-four year old, whom a lot believed only got in because of his last name, and he proved he is one of the greats. He cemented his position in the history books, and will no doubt one day be in the WWE Hall of Fame.

"Thank you," was the only thing I could manage. "That honestly does mean a lot coming from you."

He surveyed my face for a moment before jumping to his feet, "So are we going to play or what? I think you're trying to stall my beating you at pool."

"You don't believe I'm going to win? Let's play – I'm gonna prove you wrong," I set down my stick and placed the coins in the slot as balls came rolling out for me to place into the triangle.

"Do you remember the time we hid all of Dave's belongings while he took a shower?" I chuckled.

"How could I not? That was our one prank that backfired on us. He didn't exactly mind strutting around naked. That's one mental image it seems I can never get out of my head unfortunately, so thanks for bringing it up!"

"Oh yeah," I said disgustedly, "He was far too comfortable with the nakedness."

"Tell me about it. That's one of the reasons we were thankful a girl was brought into the group, more Dave with clothes on."

"Hey at least he didn't hit on you while he was naked," I cried out.

"Oh come on, he was joking. Dave is many things but he isn't a pervert."

"Yeah I know _that_, but being hit on – joke or not – by a man, who has his package on display, so not cool," I lectured him.

"Thankfully, I can't say I know the feeling."

"We were dating at that time and all you did was laugh," I narrowed my eyes at him, "Great boyfriend you were."

"Hey in my defence it was funny . . . at the time," he put his hands up.

"I repeat . . . crappy boyfriend," I muttered.

He surveyed me, "Of course I was. Thus I don't date."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You're not getting off that easy. Do you really think I meant that?" I enquired.

He merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry to burst your bubble _babe_ and I will deny this . . . if anyone asks, but you were a pretty great boyfriend. Never stood me up, held doors open for me, you were actually quite chivalrous. Always apologized, even if I was the one who was being irrational. You left me notes on the pillow, usually used to say 'I love you' or to tell me where you disappeared to. Not to mention the little gifts you used to leave me."

I don't know why I was saying this, but I knew it was going to bother him more than me.

"Yeah I remember. Most women like diamonds or material items, but not you. No Mickie James enjoys shit from an airport gift shop or the dollar store. You were a cheap girlfriend," he pointed at me, "Thank you," he sent a wink my way.

I crossed my arms, "I'm a simple person when it comes to gifts. If I need a material item I will buy it myself. I'm sorry I'm not a bitch who cares more about getting gifts than just spending time with your significant other," I said with a little bit of anger.

"Why would you apologize for that?"

"Because apparently it's a big deal," I leaned against the wall before meeting his gaze.

"Don't apologize. It's one of the many things I loved about you," he said casually and then took a sip of his beer without breaking eye contact – obviously waiting to see how I was going to respond.

"Surprised . . . that I would say something like that?" all I could do was nod my head.

"Two possible reasons. One you know, you are incredibly gifted – of course I find it a nuisance – because you have a skill that makes me have a tendency to drop my guard around you. But I _have_ grown accustomed to it by now. I realize there's no point fighting it because you can see right through me – which I don't appreciate, but hell not all things change."

"Well I'm glad we're on the same page," I muttered. Honestly this was actually a relief because I was sick of the outburst and the denial. This was a potential step forward – but in my experience with Randy, one step forward was usually followed by two steps back. This is where I need to tread carefully.

"And the second? You said there were two reasons," I reminded him cautiously.

He surveyed me again, but this time for a longer period of time. I was actually starting to feel uncomfortable, waiting for his response when finally, he spoke.

"I enjoy witnessing others reactions to different situations – it's a hobby if you will. By viewing something so simple as a response, you bear witness to who that person really is, what they're about, personality traits so to speak."

"Ah and therein lays the true secret that is the Viper. You know it all makes so much sense. Your attitude and actions are for your own sick pleasure."

He set his glass down and took a few steps forward so he was directly in front of me. I pushed myself off the wall and straightened up.

"I'm not a complicated person. I like to think I'm simple. People can call me any name they please, but I'm real . . . true to myself. I don't deal out bullshit, I prefer the truth. So why in the hell would I want to be around people who are fake and who live for the drama that life often creates. Those like Kelly and the Bella's–"

"You don't know anything about them, so don't start with me Randy," I hissed.

"I know that they love drama, love to be the center of it."

I wanted to yell at him, but a part of me knew he was right. I had witnessed it so many times . . .

"They are good people Randy and if you gave them even a hint of a chance, you would realize that too."

"You think I've judged from afar? I'm not pre-judging anyone. I've slept with almost all of the diva's Mickie – not that I'm proud of it - but you can't get closer to someone than that. I choose those that I want in my life because I have dealt with a lot of shit over the years and when a person is allowed to make their own decisions, why wouldn't they make ones that benefit themselves?"

"Okay I see your point, I do. It's a very good one, but it's also a little selfish and very pessimistic. Besides – Kelly? You've never had a thing with her, so why do you openly judge her?"

He was silent for a moment. There was a hint of doubt that I caught passing through his eyes, but it was a moment later.

"Yeah but still, I know her type Mickie. You're almost the opposite of her. I've just never understood your friendship." He turned and walked back to pick up his drink.

"Kelly and I understand each other . . . sure we're different, but she's always been there for me. She understands me and her and Mel helped me get my life together after you."

"You hate attention Mickie, you aren't the late night phone calls, ice cream eating, 'I need a girls night out to get over a bad break-up' type. You're like me, wallow in your own self pity and put your game face on for everyone else." It was such a pain in the ass how well he knew me.

"Maybe but I let other people in my life. Yeah I can get through terrible, life-changing situations on my own – it's both a blessing and a curse – but maybe I don't always want to, did you ever think about that? Maybe I like having friends to lean on once in awhile – it comes as a relief. And _that_ Randy is the difference between you and me."

"I know," he spoke casually. Did he say that? Gah did he know _everything_!

"You are a much better version of me. We're alike Mickie whether you like it or not. We understand each other. And I'm almost certain that's why we were . . . are so attracted to one another."

"How can you be like this? How can you do a complete 180 without any warning? It just . . . drives me crazy!" I cried out.

"Another reason you're drawn to me. I intrigue you . . . and you Mickie James are a sucker for mystery. One could see that as a flaw, but I find it interesting. Just remember though – curiosity killed the cat," he said with a smirk.

"I wouldn't consider myself a cat," I muttered.

"No you're too scrappy, I guess that makes you a dog," he smirked again as I glared at him, "A very cute dog . . . a puppy if you want," he added with a chuckle.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said before rolling my eyes. I stared at the balls on the table before putting my cue stick down, "I don't want to play anymore."

He smiled at me, "It just kicked in that you are gonna lose didn't it?"

"Maybe," I said with a smile, "well that and I'm tired. I can kick your ass at pool another night."

"Somehow I doubt I'll ever live to see that happen and I plan on living a looong time."

I narrowed my eyes and picked up the stick again, "I changed my mind."

"This should be fun," he grinned at him.

After an hour of play, and a best of three series, I managed to come out victorious! Yay me!

"I still call for a replay, I think you cheated," Randy insisted as we stepped off the elevator onto our floor.

"How could I have cheated? Really, you are such a poor loser!"

"Excuse me, I did _not_ lose! Randy Orton does not lose at anything, especially not pool. We _will_ play again, and I _will_ prove that."

"Sure champ, whatever you say. You know I'm never going to let this go right?" I informed him while sticking the card key in the slot.

"Yeah just another one of your annoying traits."

"You love my annoying traits!" I pushed open the door, to hear shouting going on in my room.

I looked around to find Ted and Cody sitting in front of the TV, shouting insults at one another.

"What's going on here?" I placed my clutch down on the table as Randy closed the door.

Ted turned his head to look at us, "Hey where the hell did you two disappear to?" After a moments silence he continued, "You weren't like . . . doing dirty things in public places were you?"

"No!" I cried out.

"So . . . where did you go?" Cody asked.

"Well Randy tried ditching, and I didn't feel like standing around in wet clothes, so we left, got changed into dry clothes, and then . . . wait for it, wait for it . . ."

"Here we go," Randy muttered.

I smiled, "I SCHOOLED RANDY AT POOL!"

Ted and Cody exchanged looks and then both burst into laughter.

I was puzzled, "What?" I looked between all three guys.

"Mickie, as much as I hate to admit this . . . Randy is the king of pool, in our time of travelling together, neither Ted nor I have ever beat him," Cody explained.

"Yeah, so you can see why we find that amusing. There is no way you could have won, but nice joke. I needed a good laugh," he sent Cody a glare.

"No really guys, I beat him," I nodded my head, "tell them Randy," I crossed my arms and waited for it.

"Who are you kidding Mickie?" Randy scoffed while taking off his jacket and draped it over the back of the couch, "You heard them I'm the king."

"What?" I shouted while throwing my hands in the air, "No you cannot, that's lying."But Ted and Cody had already turned back to the TV and game they were playing as Randy sent me a smirk followed by a wink before taking a seat on the couch.

"But, but I did beat him, guys you have to believe– awe who am I kidding? What are you two playing?" I took a seat on the arm of the couch on Ted's left.

"Smackdown vs. Raw on PS3, and it's not so much playing as me decimating Ted," Cody explained.

"Oh whatever, my controller kept turning off and then I couldn't gain the upper hand back!"

"Yeah nice excuse," Cody shouted out, as Cody on the game gained the pin fall on game Ted.

Ted groaned and then turned to me, "You believe me don't you?"

I narrowed my eyes, "Yeah right, you didn't believe me when I claimed . . . no _stated_ that I beat Randy."

He scoffed, "At least my case is believable," he turned back to the television.

I crossed my arms and sent a glare in Randy's direction, "Where did you guys get the game . . . and the PS3 anyways?"

"We bought it," Ted shrugged his shoulders.

"You went out and bought a PS3?"

"Yeah the party got pretty boring once Michelle and Layla started talking about themselves," Cody shrugged his shoulders.

Ted continued the story, "Yeah so we went for our rematch, but the people at this Best Buy, weren't as nice as the workers at the other one and they wanted to kick us out, so we bought the equipment," he explained.

"Can I play?" I enquired.

"Yeah sure," Ted handed his controller over.

"Cody give yours to Randy, I am going to prove I'm better."

"Didn't we already have this discussion?" Randy smirked at me.

"Obviously not enough!" I challenged.

We spent the rest of the night taking turns playing against each other as well as on tag teams, and decided that we were going to buy more controllers the next opportunity that we got. It was such a perfect ending to an already perfect day.

I loved the simplicity that came from being friends with my Legacy team members and couldn't help but be happy laying in bed that night about the fact that there were many more of these moments to come.

**A/N: As usual let me know what you thought of the chapter :) It was another simple one, I am starting to enjoy writing the simple chapters more.**

**Also the poll is still open if you want to take a look :)**

**And last but certainly not least... RANDY IS NEW WWE CHAMPION... finally!**

**I almost had a heart attack when Sheamus hit that brogue kick, but jumped out of my seat when Randy got the RKO. The most deserving champion in such a long time... I am so proud of him and I hope his reign is a long one, he definitely deserves it! **


	29. Summerslam!

This is it. This is Summerslam – one could describe it as the Wrestlemania of the summer. A night to make history, where titles will be decided and rivalries will come to a head. It's also a night that Maryse won't forget – the night I beat her once and for all so she can stop claiming I got lucky the first time.

I won't be the only one defending my title, Randy will be going up against John Cena and Ted and Cody will be defending their titles against DX. I was personally excited for both matches. John and Randy are always fully capable of having great matches when they face off in the ring together – I guess one could say they had chemistry.

Whereas I was excited for the tag match because I was curious to find out how Ted and Cody were going to hold up in the ring against two superstars the likes of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. It will be a Veterans vs. Rookies type of match if you will. People will easily count out the Legacy men. Yes they may not have the years of experience like their opponents but they definitely aren't new to this. They were bred to be successful, and whether it was in the near future or down the road, they were going to achieve greatness just as their fathers before them and just as their fellow team mate and mentor – Randy Orton.

To say he was great would be an understatement. In such a short period of time he has achieved so much and hasn't even reached his peak yet. He has so much ahead of him and I think that's the appeal that he holds – the reason he is beyond the normal superstar. He's got so much potential and so much talent. Whether you hate him or love him – you've got to respect the guy. The arrogance isn't without reason; it's just sometimes he takes it to a new level.

"What are you smiling at?" Ted called out to me.

"What? Oh nothing," I never realized I had actually been smiling out in the open – I thought it had all been in my head.

"You looked like an idiot," Cody said, "No offence," he added as an afterthought.

"Thanks Cody," I replied sarcastically.

"Anytime," he said with a grin.

"She was probably daydreaming about me," Randy spoke while coming out of the washroom. He stood before us in front of the TV.

"Wouldn't you just love that," I rolled my eyes. Seriously how does he know these things? Not that I was daydreaming as much as thinking about him.

Ted clapped his hands together, "So the game plan," we all turned to look at him and waited for what he had to say. It seemed important, "Don't lose!" was all he said.

Glancing over at Cody I caught him rolling his eyes as he let out a sigh.

"I'm amazed he's able to make it through a match with such a low amount of brain cells," Randy muttered.

"Hey!" Ted cried out but we all ignored him.

"Don't bother losing or you will be packing your bags. As a matter of fact, don't bother unpacking," he glanced at me.

"Why are you looking at me? The only reason I lost was because you three made me lose!" I shouted out in disbelief.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Still a loss."

"So was yours last week," I smirked and then crossed my arms in a defiant stance.

He stared at me and it was silent for a few moments. There wasn't a hint of any emotion on his face.

"Randy?" Ted asked hesitantly.

"You two wouldn't mind leaving us alone would you?" he finally said.

Cody whipped his head up to face Randy, "No, no way! Focus man! Randy hey," he snapped his fingers, ". . . and he's gone," he sighed. "Let's go Ted before they lose complete control and we become scarred for life."

No nothing happened! Randy and I had just gone over a few last minute things for what was going on tonight. It had been a blessing however that nothing did happen between us because I couldn't afford distractions tonight. What I needed was this match to go my way.

Hearing footsteps to my right I glanced over to take in the appearance of the tag champs who were rapidly approaching me as I leaned against the wall near the gorilla position.

"So you ready for your match? You aren't going to lose right? I mean making Legacy look bad before you even officially join, well we wouldn't be too happy," was the first thing that Cody said.

"Cody Rhodes I am so ready to win this match and take the blonde frenchy down. She poses no threat," I said confidently.

"Hey don't underestimate Maryse . . ." Ted piped up. Cody and I both exchanged confused glances, "I'm just saying, she's vicious . . . yeah."

I shook my head and turned back to Cody, "Anyways you two are the ones that should be worried. I mean Triple H and Shawn Michaels aren't going to be a walk in the park."

"Hey we know that, but Ted and I are younger, in better shape, quicker-"

"Better looking," Ted offered.

"How is that going to help . . . you know what? Never mind. The point is you have to be on your guard. Don't underestimate them and _don't_ get cocky!"

Before either could respond I turned on my heel and made the short distance to the gorilla position as Maryse had just entered onto the ramp. I slung my belt over my shoulder and the next moment my music hit the speakers and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Finally, when my music came to an end and the crowd grew silent – or as much as they could be – Maryse and I met in the middle of the ring and came face to face.

I smiled at her as she grinned arrogantly. If anyone could give Randy a run for his money it would be her (on-screen character anyways). Before I knew it she had brought her arm up and smacked me swiftly across the face, just like we had discussed this afternoon. She started laughing at me so I gave her a smile of my own. Then without warning I tackled her to the ground and delivered various punches. She scrambled to her feet and was on the receiving end of not one but two clotheslines.

After presenting her with a kick to the midsection, I Irish whipped her to the ropes and took her down with a Thesz press. I jumped to my feet and walked to the other side of the ring to collect myself and when I advanced on her again, she pulled the referee in front of me obscuring my vision. I gently pushed the ref out of the way but the distraction she had hoped for served its purpose as she jabbed her thumb into my eye.

She led me to the corner by my hair ad then bounced my head off the turnbuckle, twice. I guess that's my payback. She put her hand to my throat and choked me while the referee counted, each time letting go before the count of five. She yelled at the referee for 'being annoying' and I took my chance. I grabbed her by the hair and threw her into the corner to receive some choking from me. Maryse was so desperate to get out of the hold she pushed me into the referee knocking him to the mat.

I couldn't be bothered with checking on him at the moment as Maryse went for a punch which I countered and performed my own clothesline. As she scrambled to her feet I executed what was a perfect, if I may be so bold, dropkick.

The crowd started to boo, which had me confused until I turned around to see the Viper slowly making his way down to the ring.

"_Uh-oh this isn't looking good for Mickie James. If you remember King, Mickie cost Randy and the Legacy that six-man tag match last Monday. The Viper really wasn't happy about that, and now I'm fearful to see what he has in mind for revenge."_

He slithered into the ring and slowly but menacingly made his way towards me. I backed as far as I could go against the ropes but he only made it as far as the middle of the ring when he stopped but continued to glare at me with those intense blue eyes.

There was movement behind him in the form of Maryse who had just stumbled to her feet. Realizing what was going on she looked at me while pointing and laughing. I glanced over at the referee who was still down, and then shifted my gaze back to that of the Viper.

Randy seemed to have noticed movement behind him as well because he turned his head slightly as the smile vanished from Maryse's face. It happened so quickly, one minute Maryse was standing in the middle of the ring, and the next she was laying on the mat having just been on the receiving end of a devastating RKO. The crowd let out a gasp, and some of them even cheered.

"_What just happened Michael? I was sure that Randy had come down to the ring to get his revenge so to speak, and instead Maryse was on the receiving end of a shocking RKO."_

I made sure to play my part well, the part of a stunned on-looker. With one last icy glare sent in my direction, the Viper slithered out of the ring and up the ramp as the referee started to stir. I dropped to my knees and shook the referee before lying across Maryse and getting the pin fall. I stood up and made my face emotionless but with a hint of surprise still noticeable. But when the ref handed me my Divas title I looked down at it and smirked. It was _still_ mine!

"Why did you go out there!" Ted said frantically.

"Because Mickie, Maryse and I discussed it earlier," Randy said simply.

"But it could, uh, hurt the storyline," he looked as if he didn't fully understand what he was saying.

"Are you kidding? The fans loved it. If anything they are more baffled now, it keeps them guessing," I said with a smile.

"Yeah well, yeah . . ." was all Ted could say. What was with him today?

Randy and I both exchanged puzzled looks while Ted continued to pace back and forth.

"Right well don't you have a match?" Randy said awkwardly. This really tells you how weird Ted was being, because Randy basically emanates confidence.

"Oh stop trying to get rid of me!" he shouted before grabbing his two titles and storming off in search of his tag partner.

"What the hell is his problem?" Randy asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and stood up, "Good question. We should ask him . . . later. I was thinking you might need a warm-up," I said coyly while making my way backwards to the door. After locking it I looked up to receive a smirk from him.

"That's exactly what I had in mind," he said as I crawled on top to straddle him.

"It really _is_ your lucky night."

I watched on a monitor in the corridors as Ted and Cody retained their tag titles when they defeated DX. It had been a brutal match, but the two Legacy members had narrowly defeated the two Veterans.

Making my way down the corridors, I ended up outside the women's locker room and pushed my way inside. After getting showered and changed I came back out to the main room to watch the main event with Kelly and a few of the other Divas.

"What do we have here? It's Team Orton and Team Cena," Jillian called out after entering the locker room and smirking in the direction of me and Kelly. A few of the other Divas turned to stare as well and I heard a handful of them whispering but I hardly cared enough to pay attention.

I looked at Kelly who glanced away uneasily.

"Actually Jillian I would be extremely happy if John won. After all he does deserve it just as much," I said confidently.

"Oh I'm sure. Last I checked you weren't sleeping around with John . . . yet," she added. Did she just say that? Who did she think she was first of all, and how the hell does she know about Randy and me?

"What are you talking about? I'm not . . ." I didn't know what to say.

She smirked, "Oh please. News travels fast around here. I never would have pegged you for the pathetic type but hey who am I to judge?"

Kelly stood up so I followed her to my feet, "Back off Jillian. Last I checked Mickie's business wasn't any of yours."

Some of the other Divas nodded in agreement, but a few of the others were amused by the situation happening in front of them.

"Oh Kelly so quick to defend your friend, but do you keep an eye on John when he's around her? She's quite the home wrecker from what I hear," and she folded her arms. I could see the enjoyment plain on her face.

Beside me I felt Kelly shift uncomfortably, but I resisted the urge to look, I didn't want to look weak.

"It would be nice if you would get to the point, what are you talking about?"

"Randy's girlfriend probably wouldn't approve, whoever she may be," she said.

It was my turn to smirk; she was just trying to stir things up.

"Shows how much you really know, Randy doesn't have a girlfriend," I felt my body relax.

Instead of looking defeated she merely smiled, "That's funny, I do remember overhearing a certain phone conversation of his earlier and trust me, he wasn't talking to his mother."

She has to be lying; I mean if Randy had a girlfriend I would be the first to know.

I smirked to hide my doubts, "Jealous Jillian? What my relationship with Randy Orton is really _isn't_ your business but it is more than any other woman has gotten out of him. When's the last time any of you hooked up with him?" Brie and Nikki Bella, Maryse, Jillian, and Alicia all exchanged looks with each other, well at least now I know. "It's been awhile hasn't it? That's what I thought. And just so you don't go off starting rumours, Randy and I are _friends_. We're going to be in a big storyline with each other so like adults we put our past behind us. Maybe you should follow suit."

I grabbed my bag up off the floor and turned to face Kelly, "Don't listen to a word she says, John is crazy about you. I'm gonna head out now. Text me later okay?" and after giving her a brief hug I pushed my way past Jillian and into the corridor.

I am so sick of some of the Divas and their attitudes. It would be nice if they minded their own business. I don't hold anything against any of them; especially anything they may or may not have done with Randy. That is their business and their business alone, so why can't they practice the same outlook.

"Knock, Knock," I called out as I pushed open the door to the Legacy locker room, "Did the match start yet?"

"Only the entrances, you're just in time," Ted called out and patted the seat next to him.

"Congrats on the win gentleman," I said whiled taking my seat.

"Were there any doubts?" Cody called from the corner while polishing his tag titles.

"Yes," I said bluntly.

He shook his head in disbelief and turned his attention back to the TV. After Randy purposely got himself disqualified and counted out, knowing he would retain, both times the match was ordered to restart by Vince McMahon.

"Jeesh what exactly is he doing? I'm surprised you two aren't out there helping him win," I said from the edge of my seat.

"Don't worry we have a plan," Ted said calmly as he placed his hands behind his head.

"What does that mean?" but they both ignored me so I turned my focus back on the match. John got the STF on Randy and I didn't notice I had been biting my lip until the pain became overwhelming. Randy was about to tap when all of a sudden, what the? Some guy came through the crowd and attacked the referee. What the hell was going on?

I glanced over at Ted and Cody who were both smirking as they high fived one another. Seconds later, Randy executed his second RKO of the night and the referee was able to hit the three count.

My mouth dropped open as I slowly turned to face the two Legacy members who smirked back at me.

"What . . . who the hell happened?"

"What?" Ted said obviously confused.

"What the hell just happened and who the hell was that?"

"Oh," the smile returned to his face, "That was Cody and I helping out our Legacy brother."

"I'm confused. I want answers."

"It was Ted's brother who attacked the referee, his brother Brett. We asked for help and he was more than willing to agree," Cody informed me, "Adds a little something doesn't it? Makes people hate Randy even more."

"Why was I not informed," was all I could think to say.

"Because it had nothing to do with you, so don't worry that pretty little head of yours," Ted rubbed my head before standing up to go and take a shower.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the sofa, thinking about what was going to happen tomorrow. I was finally going to be integrated into Legacy, and quite honestly I was so excited about it. Not only was I now convinced that this was going to help out my career, but I was already having a great time being in Legacy backstage. I loved these guys, and had such a tremendous amount of respect for them. Now that we were all getting along, this storyline was going to be both easier, as well as more fun. What more could I ask for?

After the Pay-Per-View was finally over and after getting all of our things together – well mostly it was the guys – we were finally on our way to the parking lot of the arena. Everyone was going out to celebrate the event, so we were heading back to the hotel to get changed and ready.

Ted and Cody were walking ahead of Randy and I and were arguing about who pulled off the more impressive performance of the night. I tried to tell them that it clearly had been me, but they both scoffed and continued bickering amongst themselves. I mean come on! I was awesome tonight!

But at this moment I had something particular on my mind. I was hesitant to even bring it up but it has been gnawing at me ever since it came out of Jillian's damn mouth!

"So Jillian Hall is under the impression that you have a girlfriend." It's best to just lay it out there and not beat around the bush.

"Is she now? Based on what?"

"An overheard phone conversation," I said casually.

"She was eavesdropping?"

"So it's true?" I said in a higher pitch than what I would have preferred. I cleared my throat.

"I do recall you and I having had a recent phone conversation that could have been mistaken for such," he offered.

I pondered his words for a moment, oh crap how could I have forgotten? But wait . . .

"That phone call wasn't today, Jillian said she heard it today," I was now confused.

"She was obviously mistaken, I mean it is Jillian Hall, she probably wanted to start something, although I don't understand why she would bring it up to you, does she know about us?"

"Apparently she does, she called me a home wrecker."

To my surprise he chuckled, "I wouldn't think too much into it if I were you," he paused for a moment, "You seemed worried . . . upset even."

"Me? No never," I said nonchalantly while a small smile formed on my lips.

He let out another chuckle and then wrapped his arm around my shoulder in a friendly embrace while leading me out into the parking lot.

"What can I get you?" the very cute bartender enquired of me.

"Oh nothing thanks," I responded with a smile. He nodded once, sent me a wink, and then hustled off to help other patrons.

Not drinking was probably the best idea I have had in the longest time. Over the last few months I had drunk too much for my own good. I mean sure it wasn't every day, or even every weekend for that matter, but it seemed I needed to cut back on my tequila. Besides at this point in my life, I had no sorrows to drink away.

"You're not drinking," my companion asked from the stool besides me.

I turned to face the Viper, "No I told you I wasn't."

"I didn't think you were serious," he responded with a smirk.

"Oh I was serious. Besides what do you care? You aren't drinking either. Why is that?"

"I try to limit my drinking to occasionally. It's not good for a person," he said.

"Well if a person is smart about it, it's not a big deal," I retorted.

"True enough," was his response and we both turned our attention to the surroundings of the bar.

Moments later we both watched as a tall brunette pushed her way in front of us, disrupting our comfortable silence we had going on – despite the loud music. She looked at me hesitantly but continued towards Randy regardless. Oh what, I don't look like I could be his girlfriend?

"Hey there, I was thinking maybe we could dance and then get a drink together?"

"Were you?" I heard Randy say.

"Yes," I chanced a glance to see she was smiling.

I could feel Randy's eyes on the back of my head as I gazed out onto the dance floor trying to make it seem like I was uninterested in the conversation happening between the two.

"No thanks can't leave my friend here alone," was Randy's reply and my head whipped back to face him.

The girl was surprised, so I leaned towards him, "Just go," I whispered.

Before Randy could even reply, the girl had turned and pushed her way back through the crowd disappearing moments later.

"Too late," Randy said shrugging his shoulders. I had a feeling he wasn't disappointed which caused me a moments happiness.

"Why must you insist on making everything so awkward?"

"Would you prefer that I left you here alone? I _was_ trying to be nice," he defended himself.

"Well when you put it like that . . . I just don't believe you." Randy may have changed his attitude recently, but refusing a chance to grind against another girl because he wanted to be nice, well that was pushing it.

"Oh come on! People exaggerate about me!" he exclaimed.

"Oh so scaring someone simply by glaring at them, or believing women to be sex objects doesn't make you an arrogant somewhat bad person?"

"Hey I will give you the first one because well," he smirked, "to have that control is a great feeling. But I don't ever recall saying that I believed women were sex objects."

"Yes you did the night we, you know the first time," I said awkwardly.

He stared at me for a few moments before speaking again, "I recall saying _those_ women were, the ones that were okay with the way I did treat them. Let's get something straight Mickie; I don't regard every woman as such. In fact I have great respect for women. And for the record Mickie, despite our current set-up, I don't regard you as just my sex object as you would say. I, and I won't repeat this again, have the utmost respect for you. Even without our history hanging over us you are a woman who deserves respect and I can't say that about a lot of your fellow Divas."

I was surprised by his words but I didn't let it show because I didn't know whether or not I could believe it, "And there's the surprise of the century."

"I don't care if you don't believe me. I said it and meant it and that's all that matters."

"No actually it isn't. Doesn't it ever bother you that people are surprised when you manage to say something that is even remotely nice?" Any normal person would be pretty upset in this current situation, but when has Randy ever been normal?

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't live to please other people. Anyways, how many of the other girls have I gone out to eat with, or gone out for drinks with?"

"Hmm let me get my list out," I said sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes before continuing, "None . . . apart from the horrific dates every now and then."

"This doesn't count. We are out as a group celebrating. But I honestly don't see why you wouldn't dance with her."

"No other girls remember?"

"There wasn't anything about not dancing with other girls," I reminded him, although I was pleased he wasn't interested in the others.

"Well honestly what would be the point? I wouldn't be sleeping with them."

"Is everything about sex to you?" I exclaimed.

"No actually it isn't so if you would stop making assumptions about me for five seconds I would appreciate it." After a few moments of semi-awkward silence he continued, "My point was, that I'm not attracted to her. Sure she's attract_ive _but that doesn't mean I'm automatically tempted. Therefore she serves no purpose in my life. Think, would you dance with a guy you weren't attracted to?"

"Yes," I answered promptly, "If I wanted to have fun. But you and I are a lot different in that sense." There was silence while I pondered my thoughts, "So . . . you're attracted to me then." I knew it was a stupid question, but I wanted to hear his answer.

"Yes," he answered much quicker than I thought he would. He didn't even seem embarrassed or awkward about it, "I've always been attracted to you," he said straight up, "Ever since we first met, does that surprise you?"

"Yes and no," I replied. He raised his eyebrows at me clearly interested in what I was about to say.

"No for two reasons. The obvious being what has been going on lately and of course our history. Despite everything that has happened, we will always share a connection – and thus there will always be a mutual attraction. And yes is somewhat contradictory to that but I have doubts quite often. It just seemed that you made such an effort to hate–"

"I never hated-" he started but I put my hand up to stop him.

"–me even though I never understood why. Sure things ended badly, but what we had was different Randy."

"I know that but–" he was interrupted again by the same girl who had approached us earlier.

"Hey there, remember me?" she said with a grin.

BUT WHAT! What was he going to say? Why do all these girls happen to have the worst timing in the world? Seriously people should be created with built in radar so that they know when to avoid two people who are in the midst of a serious discussion!

"I sure do," Randy replied.

"I was wondering if you changed your mind," was she kidding? Randy opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off, "But before you answer," She turned and waved someone over, "I brought a friend for your friend to dance with."

Randy and I exchanged glances neither of us knowing what to say.

"That's not–" he started but it was me who cut him off this time.

"That's perfect," I said a little too excitedly while jumping off my stool, "Cut her some slack," I whispered, "Come on, come out of that shell, have some fun."

I stepped forward and grasped the guys hand in my own and lead him towards the dance floor.

"I'm Mickie by the way," I shouted into his ear once we reached our destination, "you are?"

"Daniel," he responded.

"Nice to meet you," but I had a feeling he wasn't paying attention because I caught him staring longingly at the figures on the other side of the dance floor – Randy and the brunette.

I smiled, "You like her don't you?"

He looked horrified but I could tell I was right, "What? No! We're just really good friends."

The smile was still on my face, "So you're stuck in the friend zone hey? Why did you agree to this?" I said motioning to our dancing.

He hesitated for a moment but then he let out a sigh, "Because I would do anything for her."

"So why don't you tell her?"

"Because I don't want to ruin things."

"You can't live your life in fear. One day you will wake up and have regrets and trust me there are few things that are worse than spending your time wondering 'what if?'. If things don't work out for whatever reason, at least you tried and you can take satisfaction in knowing that you took a chance and that's more than a lot of people could say."

Wow am I not the world's biggest hypocrite? Maybe I should take my own advice and talk to Randy about how I am feeling . . . or not. I quite prefer acting like a child in this situation.

"Do you really think so?"

"I'm in a similar situation and because of the history involved things can never be what they were. But I'm hoping that you will figure things out and that you can work everything out to prove to the rest of us that it is in fact possible."

"It's him isn't it?" he asked.

"Who?" I was puzzled as to the total change of subject.

"That guy you were sitting with?"

This guy was a lot more perceptive than I would have liked!

"How did you . . . know?" I sighed with defeat.

"I may be a dude but I'm not clueless. I saw the way you two looked at each other when we were approaching."

"And your friend didn't notice this?" If it was so obvious, why had the brunette been so damn persistent?

"Bridget . . . sometimes doesn't see past what she wants."

I nodded, "Wait . . . What do you mean the way _both_ of us were looking at _each other_? I thought it was just me."

"Are you kidding? That guy, scary though he may be, he definitely is feeling the same way," he sounded pretty sure of himself.

"No that can't be . . ." I didn't know what to say.

It took me awhile to notice that we were the only ones on the dance floor who weren't moving. The rest of the crowd was swaying and grinding around us, while we were standing perfectly still discussing our issues.

"Hey I'm no expert, hell I'm far from, but you can ask any guy or gal in this club and they will tell you the exact same thing."

I have to admit I was kind of curious to run around this place asking everyone's opinion on Randy Orton and me. But I had to strongly discourage myself from doing so – I didn't want to appear as some sort of freak.

"I, uh, don't . . . it's complicated," is what I settled on, "Now back to _your_ problem, go for it."

"Now?" he looked worried.

Before I could respond again, Randy Orton appeared to my left and gave me the pleading look. It was weird seeing that expression on his face because it's not one you would normally find there.

". . . As a matter of fact . . . perfect opportunity." I pushed him forwards hoping he would find Bridget and work everything out, "Good luck," I called after him, "Remember what I said."

He turned around to face me, "You too," and then after nodding in Randy's direction he turned and headed off to find the object of his affection – or at least I hope that's what he's doing.

"What was that about?" Randy called to me while leading us off the dance floor.

"Nothing. So that was a short dance."

"She kept staring at you two," he admitted.

"Why?"

"Well it would appear she was jealous," he responded and then stopped in a corner so we could hear each other a little better.

Jealous of me and Daniel? This was so exciting, I had a feeling this was going to work out for him. Sure I just met the guy, but he seemed like a wonderful person. Any girl would be lucky to have him.

If only I had the courage to tell Randy, I mean I could tell him right now . . .

"Well I would be too if I wasn't me and someone else got to dance with me," was what I went with instead.

"I know what you mean," he replied with a smirk. Arrogance . . . tsk tsk.

"Of course you do. So I think its time to track down the other two and see what we will be dealing with."

"Do we have to?" Randy almost whined.

"Unfortunately yes. I would much rather be in my nice comfy bed though."

"Me too . . . in my own room," he added quickly.

"Hmm I'm impressed."

"Why?" he asked.

I smiled, "Because I expected you to make some joke as per usual."

"Thought about it, decided against it, and here we still are . . . standing," he chuckled.

"Let's go Captain Obvious," and I lead the way out of the corner to start the mission of finding Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes. I stopped and turned to face him, "By the way, I'm attracted to you too." I don't know what made me say it, but I felt relieved when I did.

He smirked, "There wasn't any doubt in my mind," I punched him playfully and then continued on our journey.

It was only seconds later that I saw the figure of Eve coming my way. When she saw me relief flickered across her features.

"Mickie!"

"Hey Kel," I responded with a smile.

She glanced over at Randy and shifted uncomfortably, "Hey," she muttered.

Randy nodded in return and then turned his attention to the television about the bar.

"Having fun?" I asked politely.

She shrugged her shoulders, "it's been alright. Got to witness a dude rip off his underwear without taking his pants off . . . it's been unreal," she said in a sarcastic tone.

I laughed again, "Jealous! So where's Cena?"

"When I left him he had engaged in a game of competitive beer bong with Dave and Evan. Then I got separated from Eve and Melina, so I've been searching for them for what feels like forever!"

"Well we were on our way to find DiBiase and Rhodes anyways, so why don't you tag along and we will look for the girls at the same time."

Kelly nodded in agreement and turned and led the way around the bar. We were approaching a huge crowd where the only way through would be to push ourselves through the maze of people. Kelly clutched my hand tightly and surveyed where would be the best place to enter. I turned back to face Randy and hesitated for a brief moment before taking his hand in mine and grasping it tightly. We stared at each other for a few seconds where I was regretting taking his hand . . . I hated this feeling of vulnerability. The ball is in his court, he can pull away or not. I hate not being in control. His face softened and he squeezed my hand in return and nodded towards Kelly who had just started pushing her way through the crowd. I smiled back and followed, enjoying this moment as much as I could.

**I realize this chapter is quite long. It's because I made a spur of the moment decision to combine two chapters together because they were quite short, and actually made a lot more sense to be put together. Once again please read and review! **

**And next Raw Mickie will be incorporated into the group. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It wasn't exactly the most exciting, but there's more of that to come.**

**I honestly wish they would let Randy maintain his tweener image as opposed to turning him completely face. He's a natural heel, but right now I think John Cena needs to turn heel. Who would lead the company if both men were heel? The WWE needs to get their act together soon.**

**And is anyone else pissed off that Michelle became the first unified Divas champion? Whether you love Melina or hate her, you can't deny she's more gifted and more deserving than Michelle.**

**Thank you so much for reading my story, I appreciate the support :)**


	30. being a bitch is kind of fun

The next morning I woke up with a smile on my face, which seemed to be a habit as of late. Glancing over I took in the heap known as Ted on the next bed. While pulling myself out of bed I quietly giggled to myself pondering over how drunk Ted had been last night. After finding Melina and Eve with Kelly, Randy and I had continued our search and found poor Ted dancing the funky chicken in front of a booing crowd. At least he's used to the boos. Even Cody had been pretty far gone – something I hadn't seen before, but before you get ahead of yourself in comparison to Ted, Cody is as normal as they come.

After taking a quick shower and pulling on an outfit, I was in the process gathering my belongings to head out and retrieve breakfast for Ted and me when my cell rang. Lunging at it so as not to wake Ted, I pressed send and placed it against my ear.

"Hello?" I whispered while taking a peek at Ted who still seemed to be deep in sleep.

"Next Tuesday," the voice of my raven hair friend spoke.

"Huh? Is that supposed to hold any meaning to me?"

"The day after your birthday," she sighed.

I scrunched my face up in confusion, "Uh am I on some planet where the day after is more significant than the day of?"

She fake laughed, "You're so clever in the mornings. Obviously next Monday is Raw, so Kelly and I are putting together a party for Tuesday."

"No!" I cringed at the sudden loudness and watched as Ted rolled over onto his stomach but didn't wake. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"What do you mean no? You don't have a choice. We've been planning it for weeks; we already sent invitations out and everything. Kels wanted it to be a surprise but I knew you would kill us, and I would like to live to add another title run to my repertoire, so that is the only reason I'm informing you now."

So now I know the mystery of why Ted and Cody were so secretive last week. What a bunch of traitors.

"Why must I always be outnumbered?" I complained while shoving all my belongings from my clutch, into my handbag.

"The world is out to get you babe. So we'll give you the details the night of," she replied while I was slowly and quietly closing the door behind me.

"Fine! But there better not be presents!"

"Oh . . . of course not," she responded in a tone that seemed too innocent for my liking.

"I mean it Melina," I threatened and then pushed the button to summon the elevator.

"Okay, I'll call you later," she said quickly and then hung up before I could respond.

I sighed and shoved the phone back into my bag before stepping onto the elevator and hitting the button for the Lobby. The elevator doors opened up on the second floor and I quickly scooted over to the side so as to allow easy entry for whoever was waiting to get on the elevator.

Isn't it odd how I always manage to run into Randy when I least expect it? Well here's another one of those moments.

"Oh hey," I said to him.

"And my morning was going so good!" he snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha," I responded sarcastically.

He chuckled before hitting the button to close the doors – impatient much?

"Where you off to?" he asked.

"If I wasn't mistaken I would think you were rather curious."

"Just making conversation," he responded defensively.

I grinned, "Picking up breakfast. I imagine Ted will want something to eat. He was up all night throwing up. I really am curious to know how much he drank."

"Ted's pretty good at holding alcohol, so whatever it was it wasn't in small doses," he informed me while we both exited the elevator into the Lobby.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Where you headed?"

"Same, except for myself. Cody can get something for himself."

"Clearly I'm the better friend," I said with a grin.

"Are you expecting me to be offended?"

"Not for a second. So what time does your Dad's flight get in?"

"I don't have to pick him up for a few hours. So you wanna eat together? Then afterwards you can take something back for the no so fortunate son this morning," he offered.

Was he asking me out to eat with him? Duh Mickie, what are you deaf now? This was a new turn of events.

"May as well since you so kindly offered to buy," I winked at him.

"I didn't . . . fine. Let's go." And he strolled off in the direction of the sliding doors with me following.

We crossed the street and entered a diner that was open and serving breakfast. Just walking in made me hungry because the smell was amazing. We seated ourselves, and the waitress came by not two minutes later to take our drink order and then our eventual meal order.

"Ted seems to have a knack of getting his hangovers on Mondays. The guy doesn't drink often, but he always regrets it when he does," Randy chuckled.

"Bad luck I guess," I shrugged my shoulders.

"No its stupidity, but that's just my opinion," he said indifferently.

"And you have no problem presenting us with your opinions on everything," I challenged.

"It's how life works," he shrugged his shoulders this time.

"No it's how you _think_ life works, it's not really that way," I said with a smirk. It was the truth, but it's something that I love about him. Yes he may be arrogant, but the majority of the time he is right, just a little more blunt about it.

"Same difference." God I just love his smirk! "So what are your plans for your birthday?"

Even though it was early in the morning, that wasn't the reason that I was so surprised –he caught me off guard. Sure Randy and I had history like I have mentioned about a zillion times, but I didn't exactly expect him to remember something like my birthday.

I replaced the surprise with a sigh, "Screw Ted, I'm the one with bad luck."

He raised his eyebrows in confusion so I explained, "Melina and Kelly are planning a party for next Tuesday."

"Yeah I was presented with an invitation," he admitted.

"You too?" I sent an accusatory glare.

"Sorry, yes."

I sighed, "I said no presents but I'm almost certain they will go against my wishes."

"Why are you so against birthdays?"

"I'm not, I embrace them but I am a simple person who would thoroughly enjoy a simple night," I finally met his gaze and narrowed my eyes, "And why are you so defensive? Last I checked you felt the same way." I took this opportunity to take a sip of my extremely hot coffee.

He smiled, whoa a smile this early in the morning?

"True enough, but if someone else is taking the time to plan you shouldn't complain," oh man it was really too early for words of wisdom from this man, "Just act like it's any other night you go out."

"Yeah but I'll know . . . oh never mind I guess you're right. I _should_ appreciate it," I paused for a second, "Oh great now I'm taking advice from Randy Orton, I _must_ be crazy!"

He sent another smile my way and shrugged his shoulders obviously not knowing what to say . . . which was odd for him.

"So you nervous about tonight? Excited? Anxious? I mean tonight the plan goes into motion." I changed the topic of conversation.

"I say whatever happens, happens, but I _know_ this will work. The three of us discussed this–"

"Hey get used to it, it's the four of us now so I am very hurt that you didn't include me," I grinned.

He gave me 'the look' before continuing, "The reason this is going to work is because they gave us you."

I was confused once again, "What does that mean?"

"It's simple, you know what you're doing, period. You have experience and you have skill. Someone like the Bella's or Kelly, well we would've been totally screwed. Not very many of the Divas would be worthy of this chance," I didn't say anything so he eyed me suspiciously. "You're not going to throw water in my face again are you?"

I laughed again, he was obviously remembering the time he insulted Kelly, "No this definitely wasn't anywhere near as terrible as what you said then, but I'm trying to figure out whether or not I'm supposed to say thank you."

He shrugged his shoulders once again, "That's up to you."

"For the sake of conversation and a bit of curiosity, who else do you think could pull this off?"

"Apart from you? . . . Let's see Melina because she has a developed character, and she's pretty skilled in the ring. Oh and the splits entrance, she gets serious points for that," he smirked at me.

I smiled back, "Melina definitely is unique; it's what makes her who she is."

"Jillian hall is also a good technical wrestler, but the terrible singing overrules that. Natalya has mad skills, but an undeveloped character. Beth Phoenix could maybe pull it off but she's not as over with the WWE Universe. Like I said you're perfect because you turning your back on everybody will have more meaning behind it."

"Well I sure hope your right for my sake. There's nothing worse than a storyline fans can't seem to get behind."

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" a familiar voice sounded from across the restaurant. I looked around to notice a few other customers were just as puzzled, but turning my gaze I found the interruption in the form of the completion of our Legacy faction.

Ted and Cody were both working their way over to our table ignoring the attention they had drawn with their complete lack of being courteous of other people's privacy and need for quiet this early in the day.

"How did you know we were here?" I called out to them.

"Good morning to you too," Ted replied sarcastically.

Cody was the one to answer my question, "We traced your phone," he stated simply.

I raised my brows prompting him to continue, "We didn't but this is the closest breakfast place to the hotel genius. It's not a secret between the two of you."

"That's unfortunate for us then isn't it?" Randy glanced at me.

Cody rolled his eyes and then waved his hands with impatience motioning for us to move over in the booth so they could take a seat.

I moved down so Ted could sit beside me, but Randy got out of his seat so that Cody was forced to take the inside.

I stared over at Ted, "You look awfully chipper for someone who spent the entire night throwing up and interrupting my beauty sleep."

"Well James if anything is beautiful it's what a long ass shower and a bottle of aspirin can do to help out a poor bastard with a hangover."

I nodded my head in agreement and took another gulp of my morning saviour. There was silence as the waitress strolled over and took the drink and food orders of Ted and Cody.

I was staring at Cody in shock, "What?" he exclaimed.

"What?" I repeated, "You just ordered half the menu!"

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently, "I'm hungry besides what's the point of exercising my perfect body more often than is actually needed if I don't get to overindulge myself sometimes?"

"Sometimes?" Ted, Randy and I all muttered with mixtures of shock, scepticism and disbelief.

He rolled his eyes at our reaction and pulled out his cell phone to absorb himself in.

Music started playing, and I thought maybe Cody had started a song, but the sound appeared to be coming from Randy's phone – it was an incoming call.

Ted stood up and leaned over the table to look at the phone before Randy snatched it away.

"It's Laura aren't you gonna answer it?" he asked calmly. Did he just say what I thought he said?

"Thanks genius," he glared, "I'll call her back."

"Well tell her I say hi," Ted said. Okay what?

"Me too," Cody glanced up from his phone.

I shook my head, "Okay wait . . . what?"

Ted looked over at me, "Oh sorry, Laura is a friend of Randy's, _and_ they used to date."

I couldn't remember being more confused, "How . . . do you know Laura?"

"We met her a few times, she's really cool," Ted said indifferently.

Randy let out a chuckle, leaned back and crossed his arms to enjoy the show with amusement evident on his face.

"What?" Ted asked confused.

"I hate her!" I couldn't hold it in.

"Whoa you know her?" Cody asked. Pff know her, how little he knows.

"Of course I know her. I've known her almost as long as I have known _him_ - which by my standards is _far_ too long."

"You know her?" Ted repeated causing Randy to roll his eyes.

"Yes they know each other. They got into a cat fight on my parent's front lawn, which," he focused his attention on me, "by the way my relatives still bring up quite often." He sent a smirk my way, and I scrunched up my face and stuck my tongue out at him.

"You got into a fight . . . with Laura?" Ted asked in disbelief, "How? No… why?"

Cody cleared his throat, "Yeah I'm . . . confused."

I glanced over at Randy as he stared also, waiting expectantly for an answer with the amusement still there.

I scoffed, "I cannot believe you two used the word cool to describe her. She's awful!"

"Okay wait, are we talking about the same person?" Ted asked.

Randy tilted his head to the side, "The one and only Laura that I know."

"So . . ." Ted prompted me looking for answers.

I sighed. It felt like I had retold this story at least a million times since it happened, "She was jealous of mine and Randy's relationship. She attacked me at his parent's house. Oh and she kissed him knowing I was his girlfriend, _and_ that I was in the vicinity."

"No she couldn't. That doesn't sound like her." Ted shook his head.

Randy chuckled again, "See Mickie, everyone else loves her."

"Everyone else is delusional. Besides Ted, you've been around her like three times maybe. And hey, the various other times Randy hasn't been able to separate us, she's been rather unpleasant which is _all_ I'm going to say."

"Nope, nope I still can't believe you," Ted finally said.

"Last time I checked you were _my_ friends," I said staring at Ted and Cody. Ted shook his head so I looked to Randy, "Can you please help me out here?" I pleaded.

He smirked and shook his head, "Okay fine, boys Mickie and Laura have never seen eye to eye–"

I scoffed, "That's putting it mildly."

" . . . So basically everything Mickie has mentioned is true, except she makes herself seem so innocent."

"Hey!" I intercepted, "_I_ was an angel. _She_… not so much!"

Randy glanced from Cody to Ted and smirked, "They were fighting over me."

"Yeah girls fight over me . . ." Ted started but we all turned to glare at him, " . . . all . . . the time." He cleared his throat, "What?"

The three of us shook our head together. Seriously we were nailing it! We were so good at doing or saying things in unison!

"_We_ weren't fighting over you. _She_ was fighting over you; I was merely trying to deal with it, even though I could never understand why."

"If that's what gets you to sleep at night," he responded and then he smiled at me which I willingly returned.

Normally both of us would have gotten all awkward, or at least I would have, and Randy would have made some stupid joke. But for right now we were enjoying the peace coming from one another. Honestly, months ago I couldn't even have dreamed up the way Randy and I are acting towards each other.

"Ugh it is too early in the morning for me to play witness to that. Cut it out," Cody said in disgust.

Later that day after arriving at the arena with Ted and Cody, we went our separate ways. The boys went in search of their locker room, and I went to track down Kelly and Melina to try and get the details out of them. I was more than ready to resort to torture. But instead I ran into Maryse, Nikki, and Brie. We stopped briefly in the hallway discussing what was taking place tonight, how I was turning heel, and Bob Orton as the guest host.

"So I'm excited to see what you four have planned out for the main event tonight. Heel Mickie is gonna be hot!" Brie said excitedly.

"Yeah same here, ever since I heard you were turning, I've been looking forward to seeing how it's going down" Maryse spoke.

"And so have I," a deep voice spoke out from behind me.

I turned around to come face to face with the father of the Viper.

"Bob," I said with a smile, "How are you? How's Elaine?" I pulled the legend in for a quick hug.

"She's great, she told me to say hi. And as for me I have no complaints, it's good to be back, and especially now that I get to help you four with your storyline," he looked over my shoulder, "It's nice to meet you girls, I'm Bob Orton." He extended his hand out to shake the other Diva's hands briefly.

"I'm Maryse, nice to finally meet you."

"I'm Brie, and this is Nikki. It's such an honour," the twin gushed.

"Of course I recognize you all; I've just never had the pleasure to meet all of you beautiful ladies."

"Quite the charmer, Randy could learn a thing or two," Maryse spoke quickly obviously not realizing what she said, "No offence," she said uneasily.

Bob chuckled, "Don't worry about it. I understand where you're coming from. Randy's had a bad couple of years–"

"That had nothing to do with me . . . He definitely does not like talking about that," I said uneasily.

The Divas turned to stare at me before bidding farewell knowing the conversation was now over and heading off to the locker room.

"Sorry about that, it wasn't my place," Bob said apologetically.

"Oh don't worry about it, everyone here knows almost everything," I chuckled nervously, "They even know stuff that I don't... crazy hey?"

"A lot more drama than in my days that's for sure," he chuckled.

"So how was your flight?"

"It was a short flight, and they played a pretty good movie so it wasn't too bad. But I definitely don't miss the constant flying around."

"I don't blame you," I laughed, "So should we head to the locker room?"

"Definitely, I was just saying hi to a few of the guys around here. Let's get back and talk everything over," he gestured down the hall.

Forgetting about my torture plans for the girls, I started in the way he pointed to meet up with the rest of the members.

I turned the monitor on in our locker room as the three Legacy boys and Bob Orton were making their way into the ring, titles positioned perfectly on their shoulders.

"Hello WWE Universe, it feels great to be back in a WWE ring," Bob Orton shouted out to the fans as they cheered.

"What's even better is to be able to be in charge of Raw even if it is for just one night. Now I've just had a long conversation with Randy, and he informed me best on how to use my newly acquired for one night power. And because he's my son, I trust his judgement and agreed to the points he made." The crowd booed.

He handed the microphone over to Randy who took the time to send a tiny, scary smirk to the fans.

"First order of business," he spoke slowly, "DX has been escorted from the building by security. You will not have to endure their childish pranks tonight." He earned an even louder boo from the crowd – he seemed to have that effect. Ted was grinning as he leaned against the ropes and Cody smirked at the news. Both guys had tremendous amount of charisma. How different they seemed on the screen!

"And," he paused, "Don't worry Cena, I'll . . . I mean my father will find something for you to do tonight. Take on the entire roster in a handicap match? Who knows the night is _still_ young."

"Which brings me to my last order of business . . . Mickie James. I know you're watching from the back and I wanted to remind you that I haven't forgotten any of the things you said about me or about Legacy. Not only that, but I want to make it clear that what I did last night to Maryse, was not a favour on your part, I was proving a point. So I came up with the best course of action," he paused to send another smirk. "Tonight it will be Mickie James vs. . . Randy Orton," another smirk played across his lips as 'Voices' sounded throughout the arena.

On-Air

The cameras were rolling as I paced back and forth in the hall, worried about my upcoming match. I watched as Kelly approached me with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Hey Mickie, I just wanted to apologize, I mean if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in this mess and I know you were just trying to–"

I put my hand up to stop her mid-sentence, "Kelly! Not everything is about you. Excuse me but I have a match," I sent her a glare before snatching my title and storming off down the hallway.

My match was next so I made my way directly to the gorilla position just in time as my music hit the speakers. I made my way hesitantly to the ring, not being my usual bubbly self.

'_I hear voices in my head they council me they understand they talk to me . . .'_

Randy slowly entered the ring with his icy stare fixed on me. He crossed the ring and climbed to the second turnbuckle to survey the crowd before whipping his head back to fix his gaze back on me again. He jumped down as his music stopped playing, and the bell rang.

He sent a smirk in my direction, "Ready?"

"Only if you are," I muttered.

He held his hand up for me to grasp – the test of strength so to speak. Of course this was stupid because seconds later I ended up on my back. I felt the pounding behind me and when I crawled onto my stomach, I came face to face with a coiled Viper. I pushed myself back and scooted into the corner to stare at him with fear on my face. He sent another smirk and pushed himself to his feet to demand a microphone.

"I changed my mind. Ted and Cody get out here," he demanded and moments later the two Legacy men walked out to the ring.

"I've been doing some thinking. I came up with the perfect main event. What do you think of . . ." but before he could finish John Cena's music interrupted.

He stopped at the top of the ramp as Randy grabbed my wrist and pulled me to my feet.

"I keep thinking you can't get any worse and yet here we are, you've proved me wrong once again. Let her go Orton."

"You know I'm glad you came out Cena. This announcement refers to you as well. I'm thinking – John Cena and . . . hey John Cena and Kelly Kelly to face off against the greatest WWE champion in history Randy Orton and say a Diva of my choice."

He paused for a moment as he, Ted and Cody, dramatically pretended to ponder who he might choose. All three smirked before turning their attention on me.

I feigned surprise as I shook my head, "No!"

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear; _you_ don't have a choice if you want to remain Diva's champion. And Cena, to make it interesting how about we make this a title defence. Whichever team wins gets our belts. Winner takes all," Randy challenged causing Cena to smile. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Ted, and Cody one of you are going to be the guest referee."

"Which one?" Cody enquired.

"I don't care, flip a damn coin. The other will be at ringside along with my father for . . . support," he smirked again before continuing, "and anyone else is banned from coming to ringside or your team is disqualified," he pointed at Cena. Randy's music played over the speakers again as he and Cena had a stare down before the latter turned and headed to the backstage area.

Randy pushed me towards the ropes as I climbed out and stood on the apron. He yelled for me to hold the ropes down, but I stuck my hand in his face and jumped off the apron to head to the backstage area.

The three boys caught up to me and Randy turned me around, "You did pretty good out there surprisingly." I smiled back up at him as we stood there in silence.

Cody put his hands up, "Ugh please!"

I rolled my eyes before turning to face the brunette, "Cody seriously you have gotten so much more dramatic since the earlier stages of our friendship!"

Ted shrugged his shoulders as he pushed open the door of our locker room, "It's gotta be the new chick," he suggested.

Cody turned to face the blonde, "_Lady_ Ted, god you have got to grow up and get your own relationship." He grabbed his cell phone and searched through his messages, "Then you can stop pestering me about mine."

"Hey I would love a relationship but these ladies just aren't up to my standards."

I quit rifling through my bag to face him again, "Well some of them must be considering the amount of sneaking out you've been doing lately."

"Hey I haven't been . . ." the other two guys turned to face him and I placed my hands on my hips and sent him a stern look, ". . . I've been getting in some extra time on the weight machine."

Cody scrutinized him for a moment, "The weight room isn't open past ten."

"How do you know that's when I've been–"

"Ted you do know that Mickie and are friends too right, which means we talk, sometimes about you even."

Ted turned to face me before sending a glare, "Traitor," he hissed dramatically. I poked my tongue out again, this time in the direction of the blonde of the group.

"You've been quiet," Cody said to Randy.

Randy stopped playing with his phone for a second to face us, "I don't care who Ted is screwing at least he's getting laid. I doubt you're getting any from Eve."

Cody didn't seem affected in the least by this accusation, "We're still getting to know each other. Not everything is about sex Randy," he sank down on the sofa and placed his hands behind his head, "I am proud to say I am in a relationship for once. At some point man, we all gotta grow up."

I smiled, "Cody! I'm so proud of you!"

"You would be too," Randy smirked.

"There is nothing wrong with that. I like to think I have a good influence. One down, two to go," it took me a second to realize what just came out of my mouth, but when I did I wished I hadn't said a thing. Now he's going to assume I want a relationship from him. Great job Mickie! Next time think before speaking.

Maybe I can still salvage this situation, "That's not what I . . . you know what I meant."

Randy continued to stare back at me, "Yes, I did but I'm choosing to ignore it."

I cleared my throat, "Right well that's probably for the best."

There was silence for a few moments as I assumed no one knew what to say.

"Awkward . . ." Ted finally said.

Sometimes I really wish Ted would just . . . keep quiet during circumstances like this.

I caught Cody rolling his eyes, but I joined Randy in glaring at him.

"What?" he asked in confusion causing me to shake my head.

Oh boy how much I just love Ted. He may be annoying, but he certainly knows how to entertain a person. I just hope at this point that Randy disregards anything that came out of my mouth because the last thing I would want is him getting all freaked out and closing himself up again.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked Kelly hesitantly.

She offered me a reassuring smile, "Yes! And even if I wasn't there isn't much we can do about it now, is there?"

She was right about that because in the next moment John's music played through the arena.

"Good point. Good luck," I wished her quickly before her and John entered onto the stage together.

So this was it, the point of my heel turn. I was definitely nervous, yes nervous would be a good word to describe the feeling that I had woken up with.

. . . But I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about this new chapter in my career. This was a second chance to let people know who I am, what I'm capable of and a chance to prove myself at the top of the business. And also to establish that I was capable of climbing in the ring with the top names in this industry and holding my own. This was my opportunity to guarantee my place in the history books as both a manager and a top performer.

"Mickie hey we're up," Ted interrupted my thoughts. He looked so different wearing a referee shirt.

"What?" I was confused we were supposed to enter after – I looked around, "Where's Randy?"

Cody gestured to the gorilla position and finally I took in the fact that Randy's music was playing, but a moment later it was silent.

That means . . . oh crap! Deep breaths Mickie! Deep breaths!

Legacy's theme song hit the speakers as Ted and Cody sent encouraging smiles my way before grasping each arm tightly. I let my title dangle in my left hand.

On-Air

The crowd yelled with disapproval at the sound of the entrance music but quickly turned into protests when they observed Ted and Cody forcing me down the ramp against my will. Randy smirked at us from the middle of the ring as Bob started clapping to mock me while playing along with the storyline.

John looked furious as he yelled and pointed for Ted and Cody to let me go and Kelly was a mixture of scared and worried for me.

All of us in the ring were benefitting the storyline and each was playing their parts well. If only the crowd knew the real life hatred between Randy and John.

I entered the ring and started towards Kelly but Randy jerked me back roughly. John took a threatening step forward but Cody and Ted placed themselves between us.

I wrenched my arm out of Randy's grasp and sent a glare towards him only to be met with a smirk in return. To anger our opponents, Ted made a big show about patting down John and especially Kelly to check for 'hidden weapons'. He winked at Kelly before moving back to the middle of the ring.

The bell sounded moments later as John and Randy started out the match. At one point I attempted to leave, but Cody and Bob served their purpose and forced me back onto the apron.

Randy stopped his signature stomping for a moment to send a smirk my way. He stopped completely, turned slowly to glance at Kelly for a moment and then slowly again he turned back to face me. He crept towards the corner in his usual Viper movements, grabbed my hand and forced a tag on me. He even held the ropes open for me, but when I want to crawl in (after shooting daggers his way) he slapped my ass. I had to restrain myself from hitting him, but I focused on the task and turned to face John who was staggering up.

Making myself look apologetic, I made it known that I wasn't going to fight either. I even attempted to help him up, but he made a show of not needing my help. John was hesitant, but struggled over to tag in Kelly.

"Hey," I put my hands up in defence, "I don't want to fight you," I assured her.

"Come on Mickie! She's your opponent, hit her!" Ted shouted out.

"No," I yelled back. Kelly still seemed unsure but before she could even move Ted shoved her to the ground.

John as well as Kelly was confused and John executed a clothesline on Ted before Randy hurtled back into the ring. They brawled for a few seconds before both Bob, Ted and Cody came to help and the numbers game got the best of him.

That was when the crowd roared once against as DX's theme song hit and Shawn and Hunter came running down the ramp to help John. When people are escorted from the building, they almost always find a way back! The brawled to the outside as I turned my focus back to Kelly. I extended an arm to help pull her to her feet.

"You okay?" I asked for show.

She nodded and half a second later my forearms collided with her head knocking her to the ground. The crowd gasped and Kelly was more stunned than hurt. I glared at her with anger emanating from my eyes as I started to kick her. Pulling her to her feet I executed my own clothesline and as she was climbing up I kicked her back down, crawled on top and continued to deliver punches. I pushed myself to my feet, pushed my hair out of my face and surveyed the crowd. They were outraged and yelling insults. I smirked and sent them a playful wink before laughing briefly.

This whole being a bad bitch thing – kind of fun!

Turning back to face Kelly, I surveyed her struggling to her feet and without warning my foot collided with her head after a perfectly executed roundhouse kick.

I searched around the ring area to find Ted helping double team HBK near the announce table. Sliding out of the ring, I grabbed him by the arm to pull him towards the ring.

_1 . . . 2 . . . 3!_

"Here are your winners – Mickie James and Randy Orton!"

Ted raised my hand above my head as Randy and Cody rolled John into the ring. Ted and Cody held him up as I slapped him across the face.

"You don't deserve a title shot!" I screamed in his face just before Randy ordered Cody to perform Cross Rhodes.

Before turning to Randy I yelled at Ted to pull Kelly to her feet. Once he did I turned my attention to the Viper and biting my lip, I met his gaze. I gestured for him to come closer and when he did so slowly I wrapped my arms around his neck and absorbed myself in a make out session while Ted and Cody forced Kelly to watch.

Wow, as good as this feels, it's more than awkward to do this in front of Bob. Sure he's seen it on TV back in the day but with him standing right there . . . _very_ uncomfortable.

Randy went to exit the ring but I grabbed his arm to stop him. I motioned towards Kelly and after a moment a smirk grew on his face. He crept towards her slowly, stared into her eyes as the Viper and an instant later he performed an RKO.

Kelly was definitely a trooper and I would forever be grateful. The five of us raised our hands in the middle of the ring before exiting while 'Voices' played and Raw went off the air.

Backstage

"Mickie, you did a wonderful job out there. I've said it before and I'll say it again, what you've done in the past is _nothing_ compared to what lies in your future. You belong here . . . there's no one better."

Did _Bob Orton_ just say that to me? Oh man I'm gonna faint.

"Except me," Randy interrupted my thoughts.

I poked a tongue out at him before turning back to Bob, "Thank you, that means so much Bob." I pulled him in for a quick hug before he turned to face Randy.

"You still want to get a bite to eat?" Bob enquired of Randy.

"Yeah sure Dad."

"Mickie will you be joining us?" he questioned.

"No," Randy and I both half-shouted at the same time.

I laughed nervously, "I mean I wouldn't want to intrude on your father-son time."

"Nonsense, we would be happy for you to join us. Randy will pick you up in an hour then."

"That sounds great," I said with forced enthusiasm.

Jeesh Mickie how hard is it to say 'No thank you!'? Now not only am I invading father-son time, but I'm stuck at dinner with Randy and Bob Orton.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" I shouted across the room.

Running to the door I wrenched it open to find Randy standing on the other side.

"Hey come in," I greeted him.

"Took you long enough. Why is it that you always take forever to answer the door?"

I was standing near my bed now so I picked up a pillow, "Because Ted," I threw the pillow at the heap on the next bed, "is such a lazy ass, he was pretending to sleep!" I muttered.

Ted sat up and wiped his eyes, "Whoa what's going on? Hey Randy," I could tell instantly that he was faking.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You really _are_ a terrible actor."

He inhaled deeply, "Oh no you didn't!"

I placed my hands on my hips, "Oh yes I did!" I waved my finger at him.

"Really?" Randy called out in disbelief, "Mickie you've been hanging out with Ted and Cody for far too long."

I gave him a wide smile, "I don't mind." I plopped down on the bed beside Ted to give him a hug.

"Randy's just jealous because me and you have a connection," Ted informed me.

"Yes that's it, now can we go? My dad's waiting downstairs," he said impatiently.

"Yes," I responded while jumping off the bed. I turned back to face the guys but before I could get a word out they both beat me to it.

"You look fine!" they shouted in unison.

I smiled, "Awe did you guys get together and practice that?" I teased. Both of them rolled their eyes, "Ohhh, you guys are _good_!" I said with mock amazement.

"Mick–"

"Kidding, let's go!" I grabbed my jacket and threw it over my shoulders. "Ted behave! No girls allowed– wait Ted isn't capable of getting any women, who am I kidding?" I pretended to laugh.

"Hey that's not–"

"I think it was a pretty valid point," Randy shrugged his shoulders as I poked my tongue out at Ted.

"Wait what if he does bring a girl back . . . and in my bed, oh no I have to go tell him to stay on his own side!" I went to turn back but Randy put his arm out to stop me.

"No, we're late and frankly I don't care. I don't have to sleep there tonight," he shrugged his shoulders while pressing the button for the elevator.

"You know what, you're right! You _aren'_t sleeping there."

He faltered for a moment, "You can sleep in my bed," he said with smirk.

"Sleep?"

"Good point, realistically we don't need a bed," he winked.

"Keep those remarks to yourself for tonight."

"Yeah, I'm gonna talk about my sex life in front of my dad," he said sarcastically.

"Well you usually try anything to embarrass me,"

"Yeah, not in front of my dad genius. So why did you accept anyways?"

"Dinner? Because your dad offered, I didn't want to be rude. Besides I have a soft spot for him," I said indifferently.

He didn't respond as we stepped off the elevator. Randy's dad was lounging on the lobby sofa but jumped to his feet when he observed us.

"Ready to go?" he asked with a comforting smile.

"Yeah," I nodded in agreement and followed him out to the parking lot. We ended up at a nice steak bar and grill restaurant that was open late.

"So Mickie how is your family these days?" Bob asked as the waitress was clearing away our dishes.

"They are really good. My sister just graduated University this past June and my brother got married in January, so it's been a pretty busy year. And actually my parents are heading off on a month long cruise, so I'm pretty jealous," I finished with a smile.

"And what about you? Any man in your life?" he winked at me before chuckling.

"Dad," Randy muttered, "a little awkward."

I glanced quickly and locked eyes with Randy for a moment before turning away abruptly.

"What? It's an innocent question . . . we barely see each other anymore."

I had a feeling he was doing this on purpose and I had to admire the guy for it.

I smiled back at him, "No one important," I paused for effect, "it's hard to have a relationship when I'm always on the road."

"What about anybody who's . . . on the road with you," he gestured slightly to Randy.

"Aw Dad come on!" Randy said with disbelief, "I'm a little old for you to be bugging me about this."

"What? You can't blame your mom and I for being curious."

I chuckled, "Of course no."

I was surprised to realize this wasn't awkward for me as much as it was amusing. Of course I couldn't blame them. Back then they had been huge supporters of our relationship, which may sound weird, but it made me happy to know we had the support of our families.

We smiled at each other while Randy muttered something about the bathroom.

Bob watched him leave before turning to me, "So how is he? How are both of you dealing with everything?"

I smiled softly, "We have our moments, sometimes where we can't stand each other, but our relationship is much better these days"

"Relationship eh?"

I laughed, "Friendship!" I cried out.

He chuckled, "Ookay," He put his hands up in defence, "I'm just bugging you two. Forgive an old man."

"Old? I don't see any old man at this table," I said nonchalantly.

"You're too kind," he replied as Randy took his place at the table again.

"Did you use the word kind in reference to Mickie?" he teased.

"Be nice, Mickie was flattering me," he informed his son.

"She's capable of that?"

"Not around you," I winked at him, "you spend too much time flattering yourself."

"Okay children, play nice," Bob said.

I crossed my arms, "I'm kidding."

"Can't say the same," Randy muttered,

"I'm proud of you two, able to get along."

I offered him a sincere smile while silently thanking god that he didn't know just how _well_ we were getting along. I would die if his family found out about our setup – die with humiliation.

"It's usually only when she's quiet," Randy muttered.

I laughed sarcastically, "Seriously, we've put our problems aside . . . for the sake of the job anyways. Like I said, there is way too much gossip going around about us anyways."

"And even more gossip about me, so I agree with Mickie on this one."

I turned to Bob, "Shocks me every time he says that," I said dramatically.

"You say that like I do that often," Randy challenged.

"You should be saying it more often. Mickie's a smart girl," Bob said.

Randy threw his hands in the air, "I can't win."

Bob and I both chuckled again, "Shouldn't have let her go."

Okay remember before how I said this wasn't awkward, yeah it's heading in a different direction now. Randy and I both exchanged knowing glances and for a brief moment I thought I saw the pain in his eyes, but when I blinked it was gone and he was the Viper again.

I forced a smile, "People change and _some_ people are the same – like me. Its way past my bed time and my body is screaming that I'm tired. I really should get back."

"You're right," he said to me before turning to Randy, "Your mom is going to give me an earful because I forgot to call."

I went to pull my wallet out but Bob stopped me, "Don't even think about it, the meal is on me."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, it was a treat to see you again Mickie."

He followed the waitress towards the cash register as I pulled on my jacket.

"Sorry about that," Randy muttered,

"Please don't apologize for it. I'm really happy your family still cares for me, as weird as that may sound."

"They definitely do. It kind of drives me crazy," he complained.

"You love it," I teased.

He rolled his eyes and we continued to the door. Moments later Bob rejoined us and we made our way back to the hotel.

All in all this turned out to be a pretty perfect day. I honestly had never been as close with Bob as I was with Elaine, but I definitely hadn't forgotten what a nice man he always was. And how funny too. I knew how much he loved Randy, but I could tell he enjoyed teasing him. It made things seem so simple even if it was just for the moment. Those moments were the happiest in my life these days. The simple moments that consisted of the man I used to be completely in love with. I had a strange feeling I was going down that path again, but instead of it being a bright one, it looked dark and tragic. Oh Mickie, what have you gotten yourself into?

I finally made it back to my hotel room and it was just before one am. I had absolutely no idea where Ted had disappeared to as he had been gone when I walked through the door. I was lying on my bed when there was a knock on the door. Figuring Ted had forgotten his key again, I opened the door but found Randy standing on the other side instead.

"Hey," he greeted me.

I pushed the door open and allowed him entrance.

"Is Ted here?"

"No oddly enough he disappeared again. I'm starting to get really curious," I said.

"Well I don't miss him," he shrugged his shoulders, "What are you doing?" he asked as I plopped down on the bed.

"Lounging around," I said simply.

"Oh lounging, I don't remember what that feels like!" he said dramatically.

I giggled and rolled onto my side, "Oh it's better than it sounds. The soft . . . cushiony feeling of this incredible hotel bed. Bask in the beauty of lying around Randy . . . bask!" I patted the bed next to me.

He shook his head in amusement and then dropped down on the bed beside me.

He placed his arms behind his head, "You weren't lying. Of course you didn't just get your ass kicked by DX, _and_ John Cena."

"Nope that was all you," I reminded him.

"Thanks for rubbing it in," he replied sarcastically.

"Anytime," I replied and laid my head against the pillow again, "So I talked to Melina before I left the arena and I forced her to give me details for my birthday," I fiddled with my fingers.

"Trying to rest here," he said while his arm was rested over his eyes.

"Oh right, well we can talk tomorrow then." I turned my back towards him to face the window.

I heard a sigh escape his lips, "I'm kidding I'm not _that_ heartless. What's the plan?"

I smiled before turning back to face him, "Well dinner at this apparently great restaurant with a bunch of the superstars and then a party at a club. Apparently present time in between that, but I'm hoping I'll be able to escape before then."

"Dinner, with a bunch of the superstars, sounds . . . fun?"

"Ha-ha-ha!"

"Anyways, presents can be a good thing, depending on what they turn out to be," he said in response to my previous comment.

"True dat," I exclaimed.

He lifted his head to look at me, "Don't say that again," he muttered.

"We have a deal. Anyways, presents are okay as long as they are homemade or you know meaningful."

"I know that's what you like but not everyone is that creative," he replied.

"It doesn't take a big amount of creativity to come up with a present for a friend. I mean speaking on my own behalf, even if someone spent three days making something and I couldn't tell what it was, I would still love it because I would know all the hard work that went into it."

I sent him a smile just as the door opened up to admit the remaining members of the Legacy.

Ted placed his hands over his eyes, "Whoa whoa cover up!"

I laughed, "You idiot," I chucked a pillow at him, "fully clothed, like a meter apart!"

"Well there's a first for everything," Cody said while pushing his way into the room.

"Again with the drama!" I threw my hands in the air.

"I don't mind," Ted shrugged his shoulders, "So what were you two children talking about before we so rudely interrupted?" he took a seat while Cody leaned up against the table.

I sighed, "My birthday," I muttered.

"Ah yes the birthday . . . don't worry I won't disclose how old you are!" Ted joked.

"I am _not_ old!" I exclaimed.

"The oldest in the room," Randy was now leaning against the headboard as he sent a grin in my direction while I glared back, "And yet, you look the youngest!" he finished.

"Hey I thought," Randy sent a glare in Ted's direction so he changed course, "oh yes Mickie have you been drinking from the fountain of youth?"

I crossed my arms and tilted my chin up in defiance, "You are all uninvited to my birthday!"

"That would be doing us all a favour," Randy explained.

"Hey speak for yourself, I enjoy birthdays, Mickie is my best friend, she should be celebrated."

I changed from defiance to scepticism, "What do you want Ted?"

He placed his hand on his heart, "I am offended!" I gave him 'the look', "I need you to set me up with one of your friends."

I watched as the other two joined me in staring at Ted in shock.

"What?" he shrugged his shoulders, "I need a date for Mickie's birthday."

"Why do you need a date?" Randy sat up straight and scrutinized Ted.

"Um because I don't want to look like a loser with no date," he responded in a tone that implied this was obvious.

"Ted you _are_ a loser," Cody explained to him.

"It's all about playing the confidence, besides I don't have a date, who needs one?" he put his hands behind his head and leaned back against the headrest again.

Ted looked back and forth between us, "You mean you're not . . .?" he trailed off.

Randy glanced at me and then looked away quickly, "I wasn't aware . . ."

We need to salvage another awkward situation, leave it to Ted!

"Hello! I'm rocking the confidence. A confident, _single_ woman!"

Randy met my gaze, "There should be more out there like you. Makes things less complicated." There was silence for a moment before Randy positioned himself on his feet, "Anyways since I can't sleep, I'm going to have shower since I didn't get to after the show," he headed into the bathroom.

"Me too . . ." Cody said and then turned to look at us, "But not with him."

"Glad you cleared that up," I responded before Cody turned to leave his room.

"Why can't Randy shower in his own room?" Ted questioned me.

"Do you want to tell him no?" I offered.

"Good point."

"So since when do you care about having a date?" I asked him now that we were alone.

He avoided my gaze, "Since . . . since Cody has a girlfriend!"

I crossed my arms again, "I don't believe you," I said bluntly. I jumped to my feet, "But I think one of the Divas will agree to go out with you."

"Perfect! What did I do before you came along?" he put an arm around my waist and kissed me on the head softly.

"I can't even fathom!" I said dramatically, "But I _am_ glad we are friends although it feels like we haven't spent any time together lately."

Ted nodded, "Maybe Sunday? I've got a flight home tomorrow and we've got a big family dinner going on. Super excited my mom is the greatest cook."

"Aren't most mothers?"

"Mine's better," he challenged.

I poked my tongue out at him which caused him to grin.

"So you and Randy hey?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"You two seem so lovey dovey, it's kind of cute."

I glanced nervously at the bathroom door, "Don't say that out loud!" I whispered loudly.

"What you think we're stupid? It may have started out as a purely sexual," he cleared his throat, "relationship, but I mean you guys laugh together, spend almost all the time we are on the road together, and you guys do this weird, I don't even know how to explain it . . . like when you stare at each other and you seem to be having a conversation without words."

I found myself grinning into nothingness before realizing I was doing so and letting the smile fade off. I grabbed some of my clothes, "Ted it's complicated. I don't even know what I'm doing or how I'm feeling. What I do know is that I care about him and want him in my life. I don't care if it's just as a friend, I will settle for it."

He put his hands up, "Okay James, I just want you to be happy."

"And for the time being I _am _happy. I have my friends, Randy and well I guess I could include Cody in that," I said with a wink. Of course I would include Cody in that, he has become such a good friend over this short period of time.

Ted laughed, "He'll be so glad to hear it!"

At that moment the bathroom door opened and out walked a newly showered Viper.

"Oh hey forgot you were in there," I said nervously.

He looked back and forth between Ted and me, "Was I interrupting something?"

"No of course not!" Ted responded a little too quickly.

If Randy was suspicious that something was up, he didn't show it. "Of course because Ted couldn't compete with me."

I looked at Ted and shrugged my shoulders, "He's got a point."

Ted pointed at me, "Hey don't knock it till you try it."

We both stared at each other obviously imagining what it would be like if Ted and I . . . we both got a horror struck look on our faces and turned away awkwardly.

"Well I'm going to leave you two alone, and hopefully Cody will let me stay tonight. I don't know why we do the whole you and Cody me and Mickie thing, it never ends up that way!" Ted complained.

"Hey I have a reputation to protect!" I said dramatically.

"Actually no I'm gonna go back to mine and Cody's room and crash there so tonight you can keep your bed," Randy said quickly.

Ted and I glanced towards each other in confusion.

"Oh I thought . . . well hey Ted now we can have that slumber party you've been asking for."

Ted looked at Randy and smiled sheepishly, "I haven't been . . . well I have been wanting to watch 13 going on 30 again."

"Are you sure you want Mickie to hook you up with a Diva?" Randy asked.

Ted laughed sarcastically before grabbing his bag and making his way into the bathroom.

Randy slung his own bag over his shoulder and turned to face me, "So, see you in a few days then?"

I cleared my throat and smiled, "Oh yeah sure."

He sent me a small smile, "Take care." And before I could respond he turned and headed out the door. That had really not gone how I had expected it to, and more than ever I really wished I knew what was on the mind of the Viper.

**Thank you soooo much for all the wonderful reviews, you all are sooo awesome! I really appreciate the support you all have given.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's one that I enjoyed writing. Mickie's birthday is coming up… in the story of course! It was fun writing about it.**

**Once again please review, any feedback is appreciated!**

**Anyone else sick of the Anonymous GM and was so incredibly happy to see Edge smash the computer.**

**I love the smirk/smile Randy has going on too :) It really is so cute and I'm so proud of him. I hope he is WWE champion for awhile!**


	31. license to kill

Shopping could go both ways for me when it was necessary for me to take a trip. Some days it can be a pain in the ass when I'm not in my robot shopper mode, and other days, I find shopping to be rather therapeutic. Today my shopping trip can definitely be categorized under the latter choice. On any given day Ted and I could get together and have fun regardless of what we are doing willingly, or what we are forced to do. A part of me was a bit surprised to find that the same rule applied to shopping but a larger part of me expected nothing different. My darling Ted wasn't a complicated person and that is one of the huge reasons I loved him so dearly.

"So come on tell me who my date will be for Tuesday," he whined breaking our therapeutic silence and prompting me to make a list in my head of the reasons that made him annoying.

I pulled the fifth dress off my body and threw it on to the 'no' pile. I grabbed another dress, this one a simple strapless black one accented along the top with diamond sequins, and stepped into it before pulling it up to fit snugly around my body.

"Ted I told you it's a surprise! Don't ruin it!" I pouted back before realizing he couldn't see my face so the action was wasted.

"Just a hint then . . . come on I'm desperate. I can't help it if I'm a curious boy," he called out. I let out a small giggle before opening the door so he could zip me up.

"So what do you think?"

"Very cute… but hell no." He unzipped the dress again and gave me a little shove back into the dressing room.

"Jeesh try and be critical a little more nicely," I scolded him. "Anyway did Cody tell you what he and Eve's plans were this afternoon?" I asked before closing the door again.

"Lunch and then bowling . . . _don't_ change the subject James," he sounded very stern.

I hung the dress back on the hanger and started pulling the other dresses off the pile to do the same. I sighed, I should have organized them to begin with. "Fine I'll tell you if you pay for lunch."

"Deal," he said instantly, "you can get what you want . . . the lobster, the fish, anything your pretty little heart desires."

"Oh I'll be taking you up on that," I pulled my jeans back on and then my t-shirt before stepping into my black high heel pumps.

I exited the room, leaving my chosen items on the hangers like the saleslady asked me to, and approached Ted, "Well my first choice was Maryse, but did you know she's dating Mike, you know Miz?"

Any hint of amusement fell off his face, "Oh really?" his voice went higher before he cleared his throat. "Oh yeah I think I heard that somewhere. He's a jerk if I may be so bold. I mean the guy talks about how awesome he is, I really _don't_ see what all the fuss is. I actually think he's kind of a loser you know–"

"Ted! I don't care about whether or not the Miz is awesome. Do you want to know or not?"

I actually had no idea that Maryse was even dating anyone for that matter, especially considering she had been flirting with Ted quite frequently lately which had in fact prompted me to ask her first. But I guess it did make sense considering he always seemed to be around whenever she was. I was quite out of touch these days with the gossip of the women's locker room, and hadn't really got on the topic of who is dating who with Melina or Kelly in quite a long time.

"Oh yes right, who is it?" he crossed his arms and waited eagerly for my answer.

"It's Jillian," I said bluntly.

"WHAT?" he shouted in my face. I surveyed the store to see a few women had stopped searching the racks to shoot glares in our direction.

I turned back to Ted not being able to stop the laughter, "_Kidding_! She hates me; I'm almost certain she would rather feed herself to hungry sharks than do me a favour. So then I thought maybe Nikki or Brie, but I finally went ahead and asked Maria . . . she's fun, sweet, sexy, funny and she's a rocker chick. You can't have a better combination than that."

Ted was silent for a moment, pondering my speech "She's hot . . . down to earth, she'll do."

"She'll _do_? You make her sound like she's some play toy for your pleasure, which… she _isn't_! I happen to really care for Maria, and I will murder you if you hurt her!"

"What? Me?" he gasped sounding shocked. "I would _never_ do such a thing."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Are you up to something?"

"Me?" he placed his hand on his chest, "Up to something? Of course not! I am as innocent as they come!"

"Now I _know_ something's up . . . however I don't care today. If I have to attend this god forsaken birthday party, I have to look good," I said.

Okay maybe I was being a little too dramatic even for me. I was actually getting a little excited for this party. I just want the perfect dress but I have not found it yet. I was starting to get a little discouraged.

"Oh don't act like it's only for the special occasions. You've been getting dressed up for the _simple_ things lately . . . going for breakfast, driving to the arena. Trying to impress Randy perhaps?" he said slowly but with a grin forming on his face.

"Oh please," I said a little too casually, "I'm not trying to impress him, it's purely to feel good. Besides he will probably have his eyes on every other woman anyways!"

"I'm going to pretend I believe _that_ besides if that is the case than _I'll_ be there too and I am more than willing to check you out the entire night!" he said with a smirk.

"And I think I've decided against lunch," I said while pretending to be grossed out.

He made a face at me before glancing around the store again, "Now we need a dress that'll make you stand out, I mean it is _your_ birthday after all."

"Ted I don't _want_ to stand out!"

"Last time I checked I didn't care what _you_ wanted," he challenged.

"You've been hanging around with Randy too much, you sound just like him," I pouted as I crossed my arms.

"Yeah okay," he said sarcastically. "Randy would never say that to you these days. You're his little pet," he was too busy glancing around to notice the immediate glare I shot him, but he looked up after a moment of silence, "and now I'm going to shut up and keep looking."

"You do that," I said menacingly before stalking off to another area of the dress shop.

An hour later I finally found the dress that I was going to wear and secretly I was completely in love with it. It made me feel beautiful, and any dress that did that, deserved a night out on the town. After the dress shop, it took us another hour to find a great pair of heels as well as a clutch and my accessories. Ted didn't complain about shopping once, which was both a surprise and a relief. It made me realize that I had chose the right Legacy member as my best friend, or at least fate chose anyways.

Not to be someone who doesn't make sense, but speaking of Ted, and on a completely different level I might add, I had a funny feeling that he was hiding something from me. He was a horrible liar… or maybe it was just that I saw through his habits having spent so much time with him, as does Randy and Cody, and we could always tell when he was lying, or avoiding the truth anyway.

"So did the second female member of the group named Ted help you find an outfit?" Cody called out when we opened the door to find the remaining two members of our group lounging around mine and Ted's room. Randy was lying on top of the blankets on my freshly made bed, and Cody was sitting in a chair but both were absorbed in the television.

"I don't appreciate that," Ted shot back.

"Since when do I care?" Cody retorted.

Ted was silent for a moment, "Good point." He set our bags down and then took his jacket off.

"Seriously why can't you two hang out in your own room? It would be nice to come home and not have to clean up a mess!" Ted scolded the two men.

I swivelled around to face him, "Okay one, home? And two, _you_ clean up the mess?" I crossed my arms.

He surveyed me, "You're right, I'll help." I smiled at him with gratitude until he turned to face the two guys, "How disrespectful of you two to make a mess like this knowing that _Mickie_ will have to clean it up! You two better get to it right now, and I'll resume your positions in front of the TV!" he shook his head in disappointment.

I punched my sometimes annoying best friend in the shoulder before strolling over and plopping down on my bed next to Randy.

He turned his head to look at me, "Do we get to see your outfit?"

"Nope it's going to be a surprise," I smiled at him. "So you three are coming for sure right?" I looked at Randy who snatched a magazine up from the coffee table.

"Well you're lucky Eve is excited about going, so I must go," Cody said while pretending to sulk.

I grinned at him, "Oh because that's the only reason right?" I crossed my arms.

"Of course not," he swatted the air, "I _value_ you as a friend!" he pushed himself to a standing position. 

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why don't I believe that?"

"You know I really don't know!" he replied sarcastically before smiling. He leaned down and gave me a quick hug, "Now I'm going to go find my girlfriend before you start trying to put on a fashion show."

I offered him a look of disbelief, "Um do you _have_ me confused with your girlfriend?"

"Maybe a bit," he said quietly. "Aw man I can't tell between all you Divas in my life gah!" Then he stormed out the door with the three of us laughing after him.

"So what about you two?" I enquired of Ted and Randy.

"Duh you found me a date," Ted replied without looking up from searching through his own shopping bags.

"I was mainly trying to be polite. My question was directed at the Viper, who looks very interested in . . ." I leaned forward to look at the front of the magazine, "A hairstyle magazine, that he happens to be reading upside down. You looking for a way to wear your hair to my birthday party?" I attempted a joke while smiling at him.

He dropped the magazine, "Well I was going to tell you I couldn't . . . I might not," he cleared his throat, "yeah I have plans back home . . . so I won't be able to make it."

I was surprised at how nervous he seemed, because Randy Orton never showed a sign of weakness, in fact he was the epitome of confidence. I took that as a hint that he knew how much I'd wanted him there and he was feeling guilty about not being able to come.

"Oh," I whispered. "Oh," I said a little more firmly.

Truth was I was looking forward to him being there to keep me sane, and to give the night a guaranteed bit of fun if the party happened to take a turn for the worst at any given moment.

There was an awkward silence as no one knew what to say until finally Ted spoke up, "Well hey no one wanted you anyways . . . when Ted DiBiase is around no one is paying attention to Randy Orton," he stood up and put his hands on his hips and stretched his neck out in a god like stance.

Under normal circumstances I would have laughed at my best friends goofiness, but I couldn't while I felt the disappointment, that I wish I didn't have, envelop me.

"You wish buddy," Randy replied in his normal powerful voice.

I jumped to my feet and hurried over to my bags where Ted had left them. I scooped them up in a quick motion, grabbed my jacket and headed to the door.

"Okay well I better get back to my room to . . . uh . . . to make sure my new dress still . . . fits? Yeah! So see you tomorrow," I opened the door.

Randy sighed, "Mickie . . ."

I couldn't wait for an explanation so I hurried out the door and closed it behind me.

Oh yeah way to play it cool Mickie! Make sure your dress still fits, even though you just bought it, what an idiotic excuse. But I mean god it's my birthday! Did he have plans with Laura or something that were more important? Come on you can't assume it's always about her, but I just had the feeling. I guess I better get used to it; I'm no longer that girl. It's just things seemed to be going so well . . . oh come on who was I kidding?

I stopped abruptly just before I made it to the elevator . . . oh man!

I pushed open the hotel room door that I just came out of, "Yeah," I laughed nervously as Ted and Randy turned back to look, "I forgot this is my room!"

I hurried into the bathroom but not before hearing Ted say, "Damn I figured she would have at least gone down a few floors before realizing, that twenty was going to pay for my strawberry smoothie tomorrow morning, so thanks a lot!"

"Once again, you want her to set you up with a Diva?" I heard Randy's muffled voice speak.

"Oh, oh she's waking up!" I heard a deep voice whisper.

"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mickie, happy birthday to you!" I opened my eyes to find Kelly, Melina, and Ted all standing over my bed with smiles and happy faces.

I smiled back at them, "You guys! You shouldn't have–"

"Oh it's our job as friends–" Ted interjected before I could finish.

". . . woken me from my sleep!" I changed my train of thought.

Melina glared at me and then quickly changed that into a smile, "Breathe, be nice," she muttered to herself while taking a deep breath.

"Oh in that case I wish it was my birthday more often, you would annoy me less!"

Kelly giggled while Melina gave a sarcastic laugh, "And I was hoping your sense of humour would have improved now that you're a year older, well I guess I just have to wish harder next year."

"Okay enough children! Mickie how do you feel!" Kelly was literally beaming, she was too cute.

"Um tired? Yes tired so I'm going to go take a shower!"

I took in the disappointed looks on my friends faces and I smiled, "So you can take me out for a birthday breakfast of course."

"Now we're talking!" Ted said enthusiastically.

I sent another smile their way, "Thanks guys, really, you are too good to me."

"Aw she isn't completely heartless!" Melina said in a mocking voice while wrapping her arms around me. Kelly put her arms around the both of us as Ted looked on hesitant.

"Aw I just can't resist!" and he threw himself around the three of us causing us all to giggle.

After finishing my shower and getting ready, I was heading out of my hotel room to meet the girls and Ted downstairs. I had just finished closing my door when I turned around and almost ran into someone familiar. I looked up and took in the face of my ex-boyfriend, current Legacy leader, and also the one person on the planet I didn't want to see.

"Hey," he spoke first.

I forced a smile, "Hey," I responded not knowing what else to say. How about . . . why aren't you coming to my damn birthday? Nope I was too chicken.

"Feel any older?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nope, _why_ do I look older?" I gasped with mock horror.

He chuckled, "Definitely not, no need to worry. Although we all can't have timeless beauty like myself."

"Did you come here to talk about your epic beautifulness?"

"You think I'm beautiful?" he said with the hint of another grin forming on his face.

"Maybe," I said quietly but with my own forced smirk.

He studied me for a moment, "Happy Birthday Micks."

How could I be mad at him, the smile alone just made this the best birthday in two years! I hate him and his pretty boy antics. He should _not_ be able to get away with this, oh hell Mickie you are fighting a losing battle.

I smiled back at him, "Thank you."

I leaned forward at the same time he did and he wrapped his arms around me in an embrace, "Enjoy the day and tomorrow, if anyone deserves it it's you." Things were looking up!

"Thanks," I replied, "So we're going for breakfast, did you want to come? Ted's paying," I said with a smile.

He glanced around, "Actually I'm kind of busy, so I just stopped by to wish you a happy birthday. Sorry."

And now I remember the reason why I was mad at him in the first place, it all came rushing back. I wasn't important enough for him.

"Right, well I gotta go," I said abruptly. "Thanks for the birthday wish." I turned and walked in the opposite direction . . . damn it I did it again!

I turned around, "Elevators this way," I laughed nervously and picked up the pace. I didn't breathe until I was safely on the elevator. Things were definitely _not _looking up.

On-Air

"Mickie, the whole WWE Universe, other superstars, and myself included are curious as to what happened last week between you and Kelly Kelly. Everyone was under the assumption that you two were best friends, could you please elaborate on what happened and why? And Randy could I get your opinion on Mr. McMahon's announcement that you will be defending your title in just two weeks at the Pay Per View – Breaking Point."

"Josh, Kelly and I _were_ best friends, were being the operative key word in that sentence. Quite honestly, I was sick and tired of being dragged down by women like Kelly and superstars like John Cena – useless, over appreciated, and in Kelly's case, going nowhere! When I became the Divas champion, I saw it as an opportunity to bring prestige back to the Divas division – I guess one could consider me a saviour, a worthy champion. So I thought who better would understand that than the Unified Tag Team Champions, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes and above that the greatest WWE Champion that has ever entered this business WWE's Apex Predator – Randy Orton! It may have been years since our days in Evolution, but the sight of him still . . . well you can fill that in yourself," I finished with a smirk and glanced up at the man who had his arm around me.

"Mickie is unlike the other Divas – not pathetic, more enjoyable, she's strong, independent, and she knows exactly what I like," he paused to stare at me with lust in his eyes for a few moments before turning his attention back to Josh.

"All that aside, Vince McMahon can make any kind of match he likes with any kind of stipulation he wants, with any opponent he can think of and the outcome is still going to be the same. I am, like Mickie so truthfully pointed out, the _greatest_ WWE champion in history. One day John Cena will realize that and quit while he's ahead because I will hit as many RKO's as I have to until he and everyone else understands that I'm not going anywhere, and _neither_ is this title."

We both turned and walked out of the view of the camera, and instantly I distanced myself from Randy without saying bye as I set course back to the locker room. I had a match later tonight with whoever was the winner of the battle royal that was taking place in mere moments. I wasn't really in the right frame of mind for a match so I was thankful that whoever I would be facing was already going to be a little beat up from the royal. Pathetically enough I was still upset over the fact that Randy was skipping out on my birthday. I was too scared to ask him why so I had been avoiding him for the past ten or so hours but unfortunately my job put an end to that because of this stupid storyline. Apparently you can't have it both ways.

I sensed someone coming up behind me but before I could turn and look Randy spoke, "You're avoiding me."

"Uh no what would give you that idea?" I responded. Maybe because you _have _been avoiding him. Oh shut up conscience, who gave you the right to– Oh great now I'm talking to my 'conscience' again.

"It was a statement, not a question," the Viper said firmly.

"You're very perceptive but right now mistaken." I hoped he would believe me and just let it go.

"I'm not stupid Mickie, if you're mad then tell me!" he raised his voice a touch this time.

I stopped walking and angled my body to face him, "I'm not and you wouldn't care anyway."

"If I didn't care, I don't think I'd be following you around this arena like an idiot. Trust me I wouldn't be doing it for anyone else." He seemed rather irritated, and I guess I didn't blame him. I was supposed to be an adult, and own up to my problems.

I was silent before I responded to him, "Look your life isn't about me anymore, and I get that. You have plans I understand alright, so stop making this bigger than it is."

He scrutinized me for what felt like an eternity, "You know what? I'm sick of this. I'm not _this_ person Mickie, and _you_ aren't that person in my life anymore just like you said. So find me when you're past the pissy stage," he turned to walk off. "Happy Birthday," he muttered arrogantly over his shoulder without turning to look at me.

When all was said and done by the time my match was over, I added another win to my repertoire, but at the cost of another ass kicking by Beth Phoenix – the winner of the battle royal. When I came out, there had been a mixed reaction from the crowd. I guess it was going to take a while for the WWE Universe to get used to my new heel character. It was almost like a breath of fresh air to be a bitch again. I had been a babyface for almost, well since Randy's 'face turn' back in 2004. My face character had been quite successful back then in the women's division, but Randy's turn was thought as being too soon. It hadn't taken Creative long to get him back to his heel roots, and he'd been much more successful since.

I probably didn't give my best in the match since I couldn't concentrate because I was so angry. Randy's mood swings were a pain in the ass and even more so because these days they were unusual. We had been getting along so well and I get angry because he won't stick around for my birthday, so the best way he can think of to deal with that is by getting angry and calling me _pissy_?

Even though we _have_ been getting along, sometimes I still want to throttle him!

"Hey birthday girl, what's going on? What's on the mind?" Ted asked the moment I walked through the door.

"Randy!" I exclaimed as I placed my title on the table and sank down onto the sofa.

"Well no surprise there," he sipped the coffee in his hand.

"I was just thinking if I should hire a hit man, or just kill him myself. I mean I _would_ like the satisfaction I would get from–"

"Whoa what's going on?" he interjected and interrupted the sweet thought of revenge I had forming in my mind.

"Randy's mood swings have kicked in again, and let me tell ya he's as annoying as always, I don't care if we _are_ friends!"

"Sleeping together qualifies you as being friends?"

"Surprisingly . . . yes. I can actually talk to him now, the sex is normal well not normal but you know what I mean – it doesn't make anything awkward. We can actually have normal conversations about important issues," I explained.

He scrunched his face up in confusion, "So what's the problem then?"

I sighed, "The problem is that he's not staying for my birthday."

"You have a million other people there Micks."

"I know but I mean it's the week of my birthday, why can't he stay?" It really tore at me to think that despite how _far_ we had come these last few months that my birthday still wasn't at the top of his priority list. I guess that makes me sound a little conceited doesn't it?

"He's a mysterious dude," he shrugged his shoulders and when I continued to stare at him he sighed, "Maybe you should ask him."

"No! I can't make it seem like I care."

"But you do!" he exclaimed. "Why can't you be honest?"

"Because these aren't normal circumstances Ted."

"Well then it isn't the game you seem to think it to be then is it?"

"I didn't . . . I don't . . ." I sighed again, "I knew what I was getting into. I guess I'm still holding out."

"But why? You have both stated _and_ agreed that nothing will ever be the same. So why not move on?"

I looked up at him, "Because that would be like settling for something less Ted."

"How do you know that!"

"I just know okay. The way I felt about him was . . . something I could never explain in words. It's incomparable and indescribable. What we had can never be matched with any relationship I may _ever_ have. And I'm ninety nine percent certain that it's the same for him. It's painful, and a relationship with him would be just that, but Ted, it's more than worth it with him," I looked to him for reassurance. I imagine I probably looked like a helpless wreck, but Ted didn't comment. Instead he sent me a smile and wrapped an arm around me.

"I don't _completely_ understand, but I trust you to know what you are talking about and feeling, and I _will_ support you." I leaned into him as he kissed the top of my head.

It killed me how much I wanted to tell Ted the truth… I mean the whole truth. He had been nothing but good and accepting to me since the moment we met, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I hadn't been able to tell Kelly or Melina, who were both around for the relationship and the state I was in, so why would I tell Ted?

…Because I felt a connection with him, deeper than I have ever felt with any other friend I have or have ever had. It was like he understood me, like he knew I wasn't offering all of myself in a friend way and that I was holding back, but he accepted me regardless of that knowledge. Ted DiBiase was the very best kind of person on the planet.

"Thanks Teddy, you are the greatest BFF."

"Is that a compliment?" he sounded confused.

"Best Friends Forever – BFF?" I laughed, "Yes it's a compliment."

It was then that the door was pushed open and Cody Rhodes ambled into our dressing room.

"Hey guys," he called out.

"Hey handsome, I forgot to ask you how the date was with Eve yesterday afternoon?" I asked with a smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he tried playing it cool but I gave him a stern look. "Honestly, she gets even more amazing every time we go out together. She understands me, and vice versa. She may very well be the one girls."

"I'm going to ignore that," Ted shot him a dirty look.

"I could care less because this fella is on cloud 9!" he was smiling to himself before turning to me, "How's the birthday treating you?"

"Oh just peachy!"

"I'm hinting some sarcasm," Cody said matter-of-factly.

"Let's just say my bitchy attitude on air today wasn't exactly an act," I responded.

"Hmm, she hates birthdays and she's great at being a bitch," the door opened as he continued, "Your new nickname will be Ms. Negativity."

"The name suits her," Randy called out, "Even if you are talking about Ted."

I glared at him, "Last I checked I didn't give a shit what you thought."

"Yeah that's right, and _what_ is with the jokes about me being a girl?" Ted complained.

"A little more defensive than usual," he smirked at me while we all ignored Ted as he continued to sulk.

"Yeah? Well it's _my_ birthday, I'm entitled," I crossed my arms and leaned back against the couch.

"You can't have it both ways Mickie, either it's your birthday or it isn't."

"Yeah so I've been told, or told myself." I shook my head, "The point is it's my birthday, so it's my choice about whether or not I want it to be my . . . birthday?"

"Right because that makes sense," he shook his own head and headed into the bathroom.

"I think I've gone with the 'kill him myself' choice," I muttered to Ted.

"I vote we kill both him _and_ Cody. That way we can silence the 'woman' jokes directed towards me by both of them, and _you_ won't have to put up with _his_ antics. Besides, we are _obviously_ the coolest members of Legacy we could definitely carry on without him."

"I agree, okay so do you have any ideas on how to do this so we don't get caught?' I enquired.

"Well I'll be a gentleman and take on Randy. If I fail, god knows how psychotic Randy can be, than this mission is up to you James. Your part of the plan is to take down Cody because he's an easier target. Really just think of him as a baby deer… you know like Bambi?"

I was about to nod my head to play along when Cody spoke up, "You _do_ know I can hear you right?" he asked and the tone of his voice showed how unamused he was.

"That's all part of the plan Cody," Ted spoke mysteriously, "You _think_ we're doing one thing, when _BAM _we come at you in a whole different manner!"

I laughed at how amusing this turned out to be as he leaned towards Cody, "Besides do you really think I would willingly take on Randy? That guys a beast! I would _definitely_ send Mickie in for the kill on that one. Then we can finally see who's better than whom between the two of us."

I slapped Ted on the shoulder, "Hey! I thought you were going to be a gentleman!"

"Don't worry," he said casually, "I've got this figured out. You would lure Randy into bed, which given history shouldn't be too hard, and _then_ when he's at his most vulnerable state you would go in for the kill. See it's foolproof!"

"Oh so I have to _sell_ myself to get the job done?" I asked unimpressed.

"James, you have to think about the success of the plan, not how we _get_ to that point! Details schmetails," he said airily.

"I think our best bet is to acquire a License to Kill, you know like what James Bond has!" I said getting more excited for this idea than I probably should have been.

Ted's eyes widened, "Ooh I like that idea! How do we get one?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, maybe we could go to the registries office, you know like where you get your license to drive, and ask if they know how we can obtain a . . . License to Kill!" I said in a theatrical voice.

Ted clapped his hands in excitement, "We can do that tomorrow! Awe how great would it be if we could get our Licenses to Kill on the day of your birthday party and then if anyone pisses you off… _BAM_ they're gone!"

I leaned back in my seat again and placing my hand on my chin I pondered the thought, "I'm really liking this whole plot we got going on."

"Let's go our match is up next," Randy called out upon exiting the bathroom.

"Thank god!" Cody said with a sigh of relief, "I had to sit here and listen to these two idiots talk about getting Licenses to Kill."

"Hmm you're always thinking about me aren't you?" Randy asked with a smirk.

"Break a leg . . ." I glared at him.

"Who would be left to get the job done?" he smirked at me while his eyes travelled down the length of my body before he turned and lead the way out.

Randy, Ted and Cody were booked in a match to face off against John Cena, and DX . . . their respective opponents at the next Pay-Per-View. Randy was to defend the WWE title against John Cena, and Ted and Cody were defending their unified tag titles against Shawn Michaels and Triple H once again.

The referee had gotten knocked down when everyone stormed the ring, so I took my opportunity and ran down the ramp to the protest of the crowd. It was Ted and Shawn battling away in the ring as the legal men. Shawn was in control and was 'tuning up the van' as I slid into the ring behind him and delivered a low blow. I dashed over to Ted and heaved him to his feet so that he could take advantage, but before I could even exit the ring I was whirled around and tackled to the ground by Kelly.

She stood up to point and yell at me to put me in my place but she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned just in time to receive another RKO. Shawn had countered 'Dream Street' and managed to perform 'sweet chin music' on Ted, but Randy delivered another swift RKO, and pulled Ted onto Shawn. He dragged the referee over and Legacy picked up the pin fall once again.

Legacy's 'It's a New Day' played over the speakers as Randy slid out of the ring and pulled me out under the bottom rope. He directed me over to the ramp area as Cody dragged Ted out of the ring by his leg just as John and Hunter slid into the ring.

The four of us stood on the ramp with our hands held high – a little beat up – but proud, as John checked on a motionless Kelly and Hunter helped Shawn to his feet. I wrapped an arm around Ted's waist and pulled him to the backstage area.

"From the looks of things you got your RKO happy on."

"It does feel good when I pull it off, although not so much with the Divas," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh really?" I asked sceptically.

"Hey I may find some of them annoying . . . but I don't enjoy performing the RKO on them unless it's necessary . . . or any move for that matter."

"I have to agree," Ted said before taking a sip from his water bottle, "Not fun doing the moves on the divas."

"We are a lot stronger than you give us credit for!" I protested.

"We know, but it's still not right."

"Well look at you, and they say chivalry's dead," I said sarcastically.

"You love every part of me Mickie James," he challenged.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh yeah? You'd be surprised _Randy Orton_."

"Somehow I doubt that," he surveyed my face, "Look," he stopped walking and watched as Ted and Cody continued on their way to the locker room, "I'm sorry about earlier. You deserve to be treated better by me every day and especially on your birthday, but a lot of the time I can't help it. I'm really sorry I can't make it tomorrow, but just know that I _do_ want to."

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I'm sorry for being 'pissy'," I smiled at him.

"I'm used to it," he offered me his own smirk.

"Nice choice of words considering your speech just moments ago," we continued walking again.

"Old habits die hard."

I finished taking a shower and by the time I had my clothes on, my hair dried and was back in the main room, Randy was back in the room fresh from his one-on-one non-title defence against John Cena in tonight's dark match.

"Did you win?"

He turned his attention on me and placing his title on the table, he advanced forwards. I backed into the wall, what the hell was he doing? I actually felt a little frightened. He placed an arm on either side of me against the wall, trapping me in.

"Where are Ted and Cody?" I stuttered.

He put his face directly in front of mine, "They went to get something to eat, they won't be back for awhile," he said dangerously.

"I was just thinking about how hot you looked in the ring tonight _and_ feeling a little down because I just lost the dark match, and I was thinking about how you could make the night better for me." Oh great _that's_ what he means by this!

His gaze was still a little intimidating, scary even. And yet I was fascinated by it. I could barely think let alone string together a coherent sentence. I was entranced, god help me, and there was no getting away now.

He pushed his body up against mine and placed his hand on the back of my head forcing it forward as he pressed his lips against mine. He picked me up and after shoving me against the wall rather roughly he turned and placed me on the couch without breaking our kiss. He had just gotten my shirt off when the door flew open for the second time.

"Oh GOD, is that _really_ necessary?" Cody shouted out in disgust.

Randy was surprised by the sudden interruption; he tumbled off the couch and whacked his head on the corner of the table.

"OW FUCK!" he shouted out and grasped his head in pain.

"Cody's right, do you _have_ to do that in _our_ locker room?" Ted asked while completely ignoring Randy's current condition.

My arms flew to my chest trying to cover myself while I searched for my shirt. I felt the color grow on my cheeks. Ignoring his, or at least I assumed it was, painful head Randy leapt up and placed himself in front of me so as to block me from the view of the other two Legacy members. He grabbed my shirt off the floor and handed it back me. Well I guess you could say chivalry's not dead . . .?

"You don't like it; get your own damn locker room! I thought you were going to eat." he snapped, as I managed to pull my shirt over my head.

"We figured we'd pick up some real food on our way back to the hotel," Ted said indifferently.

"Whatever, I'm going to take a shower . . . morons," he muttered and walked into the bathroom not forgetting to slam the door.

I shook my head in amusement and shifted my position on the couch so I could pull my feet to my chest and lean my elbow on the armrest.

Ted shook his head and sat down beside me but then jumped up a second later in disgust and decided on taking the chair instead.

"I swear if you could keep your hormones intact long enough to lock the door next time I will be your best friend for _life_!" Cody pleaded.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, there was nothing to see!" I exclaimed.

"I saw more than I wanted to thanks," Cody retorted.

"Cody's right . . . god it feels weird to have said that twice in _one day_ let alone in the course of five minutes!" Ted exclaimed causing me to chuckle.

"Shut up!" Cody said in annoyance.

"Do you want me to leave you two to get a room?" I suggested.

"Disgusting! Can we cut her out?" he asked turning to Ted.

"You know Cody you have surprised me three times today! I am _simply_ amazed!"

Cody glared at him before grabbing the remote and flicking the TV on, "I'm cutting you out too," he muttered. Ted and I exchanged looks and then started laughing.

Okay so I did put myself in this situation, but I didn't exactly sign up for being walked in on by my friends during moments that were meant to be private. When I made this deal I was supposed to be the one in control, but now it seems that Randy is the one who is controlling me. Ted was right when he said it was only going to end in heartbreak, because the only one who was going to get hurt was _me_. I had a sickness, and my sickness was Randy Orton.

Chapter 31 :)

Next up is of course Mickie's birthday party chapter… actually I believe it is put into two chapters. I might change it. But they are pretty long in themselves, so I will probably just leave them.

Please let me know what you think, I appreciate it :)

So I'm hoping this Natalya/Laycool thing turns into an actual feud (god forbid the writers would actually do something like that), and carries on for at least another months or so … ending with Natalya winning the title and having Michelle OUT of the title picture. I've had enough of her. People say John Cena is pushed down our throats, well in that case Michelle is the female John Cena. She is the reason I do not watch Smackdown :(


	32. Mickie's Birthday Part 1

_The birthday will be split into two chapters. I was thinking of doing three, because there is definitely enough material for it but you stated that you like longer chapters. And this one and the next one are definitely long ones. Enjoy!_

_Thanks to all the reviews from before :)_

Ah the day of the unwanted birthday party has finally arrived. Excited? Yeah a little bit, but mostly because of my new outfit. Dreading would be the best word to describe my feelings right now. Sure it was still early in the day, but I was nervous about later tonight. I didn't know what to expect honestly, and I _hated_ surprises… with a passion.

Well at least I did have at least half of a day to work up to it. I needed to be grateful to my friends for this. They were so enthused for tonight, that even though I was disappointed Randy wasn't going to be there, I was going to enjoy this party even if I had to force it upon myself.

So the question is, what am I going to do with my day up until then? Before I had time to even contemplate the knock sounding on my door pulled me back to reality as Ted and I both turned our heads to glare at one another.

"Ted!" I said sternly, making an extra effort to sound mother-like.

"Come on!" he whined, "I always have to open it!"

"Fine to ensure the choice is fair, I'll flip this coin," I said as there was another rap on the door, "heads I win, tails you lose."

"I think that's fair," he pushed himself into a sitting position.

I flipped the coin, "Its tails . . . you lose."

He sighed, "I have no luck."

He headed towards the door but stopped to look back at me. I thought for a moment that he was going to realize the trick I just pulled on him but instead he said, "Next time we use my lucky coin."

I had to try my hardest to stifle the laugh, but I managed to maintain a serious face. I cleared my throat as there was another knock on the door, "Okay."

Ted continued on and opened the door to reveal a very impatient Randy standing on the other side.

"Take your time why don't you," he muttered as he stepped in out of the hall.

"We had to flip a coin," I shrugged my shoulders and turned back to the Fashion magazine I was reading on the table.

"Lazy asses," he muttered, taking a seat in the chair opposite me.

"Yeah I lost this one but next . . . hey! You cheated . . . _I win, you lose_ . . . that's not fair Mickie!" Ted cried out, and forcefully flicked the TV off with the remote before turning to face me with crossed arms.

I doubled over laughing at the expression on his face. As he would say it was simply . . . _priceless_!

"Took . . . you . . . long . . . enough," I spoke in between the laughter. "Went right over your head!"

"As do most things when it comes to Ted," Randy added as he pulled the magazine over to survey it, and upon realization it was a fashion magazine he shoved it back towards me.

Ted narrowed his eyes, "It's not your birthday anymore, so I'm ignoring you."

"Oh come on Teddy you don't mean that! You love me too much; you could never ignore me . . . at least not for long."

He crossed his arms, "Watch me," he said in defiance.

I lightly slapped Randy on the leg, "Ooh he's playing hardball," I whispered loudly. "Ten bucks says he'll be talking to me within the hour to complain about _something_."

"Ten bucks?" Randy scoffed, "Don't be so cheap."

Ted and I exchanged glares for what felt like forever, until finally he blinked. 

"You blinked!" I shouted, jumping to my feet.

"No I didn't, my eye twitched, I call a redo," he shouted, taking a step forward.

"Since when are you two having a staring contest? " Randy asked the confusion evident on his face, "I didn't even hear you make the challenge."

"We didn't have to… I guess you could say it was a silent agreement," I shrugged my shoulders as if this was obvious.

"Yeah, pretty cool huh?" Ted said proudly as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

I smiled and held my hand out palm up, "And I believe you owe me ten dollars," I said to Randy.

"Promise to split it with me?" Ted enquired, "We could start up a betting business, and seriously we could rig the entire thing, makes loads of money off of it!"

"Ohhh I like that–" I was about to share my enthusiasm when Randy held his hand up to silence us.

"No, no I did not come here for you two to come up with another one of your stupid ideas. I came up with a plan for today… for this afternoon before I have to catch my flight. Anyone up for the beach?" he enquired with a grin.

"Hot girls in bikini's, sand castles, blue water, hot girl's wearing barely a thing, tanning, swimming and did I mention hot girl's wearing barely a thing? Do you _really_ need to ask?" Ted said, the excitement almost spilling over.

I chuckled, "Sure that sounds fun," I agreed. "Is Cody coming with us?"

Randy nodded, "Yeah he's just getting all of his shit together." He stood up, "Which I should also probably be doing, okay so we meet in the lobby in say fifteen minutes?"

After we agreed, he left Ted and me to get ready for the day ourselves. I grabbed a tote bag and started throwing in anything that I thought I might need.

A day at the beach… sounded almost perfect right now. The sunny coast was almost parallel to how I was feeling right now, so it seemed almost fitting. I was ecstatic about spending a day with my Legacy group, and so I packed my bag with enthusiasm and excitement for the big day ahead.

Ten minutes later I had my two piece bathing suit on underneath a pair of dark jean shorts and a bright, royal blue tank with a scoop neckline. My long hair was already in lose curls, so I pulled it into a lose ponytail and a pair of big sunglasses were perched on top of my head waiting for when I would require them.

I slipped on my simple white gladiator sandals, slung my purse over my shoulder and with my tote in my right hand I followed Ted out of the door and into the hallway.

Always being an over packer, I brought everything I thought I might potentially need. A towel, a hairbrush, an extra bikini, sunscreen, a reading book, my Ipod, a hat, my camera and Ted had even talked me into bringing the entirety of my make-up collection and an extra pair of underwear – which I thought was weird but disregarded it all the same.

After meeting the other two in the lobby, we piled into the car – Randy was driving – and we set course towards the beach. I just loved it when Raw brought us to Miami. So many memories throughout my career – well in any city really – not mention the fact that it is just such a beautiful and breathtaking place. The reality that it is warm and sunny all the time just makes the visit all the more worthwhile.

After only fifteen minutes of driving – imagine being so close to the beach all the time! – I finally got an entire glimpse of the Ocean, and despite not being my first time by a long s hot it was still astounding nonetheless.

Finding a parking spot a good deal a way – everyone was enjoying the last days of summer before school started up again – we set course for the beach, beginning our 'fun in the sun' day and opting to eat later rather than sooner.

"Hey guys, I have a friend who… owns a yacht around here? Do you mind if we stop by and say hey?" Cody asked, looking from all of us in turn.

"You know someone who owns a yacht… why did we not know this sooner!" I exclaimed.

He merely shrugged his shoulders still waiting for a response from the three of us.

"Yeah sure," Ted said, his voice a little more high pitched than usual, "Definitely, we can definitely do that for you buddy old pal!" He clamped Cody on the back before chuckling nervously.

Randy sighed, rolling his eyes, "Yeah sure," he muttered, throwing Ted a dirty look before following after Cody.

That was… _odd_. Maybe Ted had gotten too much sun already.

"Hey you okay?" I asked, running to catch up to him.

"Yeah definitely, it's… really hot," he muttered.

"Yes," I sighed, "But I just love it!"

Ted offered me a smile as we continued after the other two, Cody leading the way but also paying attention to his cell phone at the same time. Finally after walking for about ten minutes – passing many different people, some spending the day getting in a good workout, other playing various different beach sports, some simply tanning and hundreds of people swimming in the ocean – we finally came upon a massive white yacht sitting apart from the beach docked in the harbour.

There were a variety of crew members bustling around, obviously preparing for a voyage and I spotted members aboard the yacht too, all sporting white, pressed uniforms. I wondered what the name meant… if it was in reference to someone or something special or if it was just a generic name.

"Wow Cody, your friend must be loaded. This thing is huge!" I exclaimed, not being able to tear my eyes off of the beautiful vessel in front of me.

From first glance it consisted of three decks, and there seemed to be some sort of towers evident… probably for satellite communications of some sort... and for sure I noticed a satellite dish. There were jet ski's and speedboats evident, as well as various other equipment that I couldn't make out from so far down. All in all, this cruiser appeared to be relatively done up… whoever owned it was incredibly lucky.

"Yeah," Cody chuckled nervously as he continued forward, leading us up the inclined ramp to climb aboard.

Randy followed Cody and then I was about to climb up after him, but Ted nudged me out of the way and cut in front of me.

"Men first," he shouted, grabbing my hat off my head and throwing it a few feet behind us.

"Ted!" I cried out, as he scampered up the ramp after the other two guys.

Grumbling curses, and vowing to shove his head in a toilet if the opportunity presented itself, I retrieved my hat before pursuing the three men who had disappeared onto the ship.

Before I even reached the top, I was met with an overwhelming spectacle aboard this beautiful ship.

"SURPRISE!" the voices of at least thirty inhabitants shouted in reference to me.

I was honestly so taken aback by this turn of events that I fell backwards, and had to seize the railing in support so as not to plunge into the ocean below us. I heard a few gasps, but I managed to maintain my balance, stepping fully onto the vessel before surveying any of the people in front of me.

Superstars and divas from both rosters as well as a few who weren't with the company, such as Kelly's sisters, and a handful that I didn't know – male and female, were all gathered in a group, drinks in hand, waiting to surprise me with a party I knew nothing about.

Maria, Eve, Maryse, Nikki and Brie, Gail Kim, Natalya, Alicia, Layla, Tiffany, Serena, and even Jillian Hall were present, representing the divas of the WWE. For the superstars there were John, Dave, Mike, Kofi, Evan, John Morrison, Tyson Kidd and DH Smith, Santino was in attendance next to Zack Ryder. Also present was Dolph, CM Punk, Chris Masters and Jack Swagger from the Smackdown roster.

To my right Randy, Cody and Ted had formed their own group and were staring at me, grins on their faces, no doubt awaiting my reaction.

"Traitors," I hissed at them, which only helped in giving them a reason to chuckle.

I turned my attention back to the two divas who were no doubt responsible for this and who were approaching me… rather cautiously, "You don't happen to have any sharp objects on you?" Kelly asked, attempting a joke.

"Should we pat you down just to make sure?" Melina spoke, "Surprise!" she added uneasily.

"And I thought dinner and clubbing was bad," I chuckled, "I should've known!" I exclaimed.

I had to admit this liner was beautiful! To my right took you along a narrow passageway leading to the aft of the yacht and what appeared to be a stairway to take you down to the bottom deck… no doubt where one would go to get in on the water toys available. To my left was a passage to the front of the bow, where I could faintly make out sunbathing chairs and what appeared to be a Jacuzzi. Somewhere around here I imagined there would be a staircase that led to the upper deck, and all of a sudden an overwhelming urge to explore the yacht overtook me.

I brought myself back to reality knowing there would be time for exploring later, "Thank you for coming together to celebrate my birthday with me, it means so much!" I looked from each guest in turn displaying how touched I truly was that these thirty plus people delayed going home early so they could spend the night with me.

My eyes rested on Randy last, and I told him – without words – how much it meant to me to have him here along with the rest of the people who I had come to consider family despite knowing how possibly uncomfortable it was for him. He simply nodded and offered me a small smile before turning towards Ted and absorbing himself in a conversation.

"So what do you think?" Kelly beamed, stepping forward as her and Melina lead me away from the group.

"I'm thinking this looks really expensive," I said hesitantly.

I knew that this entire day must have been costly, and I had offered countless times throughout the week to give the girls money to help out with whatever they were planning – even shoving a blank cheque into Kelly's purse, which she found and tore up – but they wouldn't let me give them a penny. They kept saying that they weren't the only ones who had chipped in, and instead of making me feel better, it made me feel worse.

And then I find out that it was much… much worse than what I had anticipated. Beautiful – but way too much to spend on one person.

"Mickie James, this is your birthday, you're thirtieth birthday nonetheless, it's important and _this_ is nothing in comparison to how much we love you!" Kelly informed me.

"We would honestly rent out the Taj Mahal and throw a huge party… if that were possible," Melina added, as we advanced upon the front of the yacht, finding out I had been right to assume the Jacuzzi at the front.

"But I mean… this just seems so pricey you guys. You could have at least let me chip in for it," I demanded as we all gazed out into the ocean as the crew scurried around to set sail.

"Well you'll be happy to know that we didn't have to spend a penny on the yacht apart from fuel money and catering," Kelly said proudly as she angled her body to face me, leaning against the railing.

"What do you mean? How did you manage to score a yacht?" I asked sternly, folding my arms over my chest.

I turned my gaze on Melina waiting for an answer, "Kelly's dad happens to be really good friends with the owner of the company who charters yachts for special occasions, so he's allowing us to use it for your birthday party. Neat huh?"

I shook my head, laughing. "You two got lucky with that one!"

"No what was lucky is that we happened to be in Florida for the show, otherwise we would have had to have done some boring old dinner and clubbing," Kelly informed me, sighing with relief for effect.

Melina gripped my arm, excitement showing in her expression, "You want to hear the details about this _amazing_ yacht?"

I laughed, "Please do tell, it's stunning! I swear I had a minor heart attack when I first realized we were getting to spend the day here!"

"Well it's a luxury superyacht with accommodation for thirty-six guests, eighteen cabins of course. But for like party uses, I guess it can hold up to like… two hundred and fifty guests?" Kelly turned to Melina for confirmation.

Melina nodded her head, "I think that's what he said. Anyway, there's a master suite, a VIP suite, eight double suites and then 8 twin suits… all with ensuite facilities. There's satellite television, access to the internet–"

"Ooh it's fully air conditioned," Kelly cut Melina off, jumping with excitement.

Melina giggled, shaking her head before turning back to me, "Sundeck and Jacuzzi with plunge pool. Uh, oh there's a spa, saunas _and_ steam rooms. A beauty salon," with each word her eyes grew bigger and I'm pretty sure they mirrored my own. This was definitely a luxury yacht, and it was top of the line… the girls _really_ hit the jackpot.

"They have a gym, which come on we won't be worrying about tonight," my raven haired friend giggled before continuing, "They have water sports and toys, like speed boats, a bunch of jet skis, water skiing, and diving equipment. Like honestly, you don't get much better than this."

"Oh and it's got a thirty-six person crew catering to our every needs, so basically we're on vacation for the next twenty-four plus hours," Kelly said, squealing with excitement.

"I honestly don't know what to say. I've never been on a yacht before… So what's the plan?" I asked.

"Basically do what you want for the next seven or so hours. Food is prepared whenever we want, so we'll all just eat lunch when we feel like it. Dinner and gifts we figured should start around eight and such, and then after there's going to be a DJ and dancing to finish off the night," Melina explained simply.

"You of course get the master suite, and we have already planned who gets what rooms. Not everyone is staying, so we have a boat to take them back whenever they're ready to go, but most of the superstars are remaining. Rooms are already assigned, like really do what you want for the rest of the day. We packed a bag for you; Ted brought it by earlier along with your beautiful dress you bought. The salon is available for all us girls to get our hair and make-up done," Kelly basically explained every question that had popped into my head.

"I never would have expected Ted to be so sneaky, I mean I had a feeling something was up, he kept acting weird… and not Ted weird, but weird for Ted weird. He convinced me to bring my make-up, he kept me from going into the closet to retrieve my dress to try on again, which now makes sense because if I would have gone in the closet, the dress obviously wouldn't have been there. Remind me to punch him later," I teased.

"This is so exciting! Tonight is going to be the _best_ party we've ever had!" Kelly exclaimed as she pulled both of us in tightly for a group hug.

"In all seriousness you guys, thank you, really. I mean it is over the top, but it's not like I'm being forced to sit in a room and retrieve birthday wishes and gifts from everyone."

"No… that's later," Melina said with a smile. "Go have fun… on the yacht or in the water or whatever you feel like! If we don't get an opportunity to hang out before, let's say we meet in the salon at six alright? And you're _welcome_," she told me. After agreeing to the plan I left the two girls alone in search of the traitors known as my Legacy group.

Ten minutes later, after stopping for a few brief discussions with a group of the divas and then John and Dave, I found them snacking at the buffet, clearly not having visited their rooms yet, as their bags were still slung over their shoulders.

"There she is, the woman of the hour!" Ted shouted out, opening his arms expecting a hug. Instead I surprised him with a punch to the stomach causing him to double over in pain.

Cody attempted to dodge the punch I threw his way but I still managed to catch him on the arm, disregarding the fact that I barely caused any damage.

Randy on the other hand sat perfectly still on his newly acquired stool knowing what was coming and obviously not caring as he enjoyed what appeared to be one of many sandwiches. I didn't even bother punishing him as I knew it would do no good. Instead I slumped into the seat next to his.

"A little warning would have been nice," I pouted loud enough so all three could hear me.

"First of all… _ouch_!" Ted complained landing a punch of his own on my shoulder, almost knocking me over, "and telling you would have defeated the purpose of a _surprise_." He sat in the stool next to mine as Cody took the one on Randy's right.

"Yeah well you know, _all_ of you, how much I _hate_ surprises, no matter _how_ much of a nice gesture it is. And you," I turned to Randy, "should have told me of all people!" I scolded him before turning to signal the bartender for a Pina Colada.

I grabbed the last sandwich on his plate and took a bite of it, purposely ignoring the look of disbelief I knew he was sending me.

Instead of doing anything he wiped his hands and face on a paper napkin before tossing it onto his now empty plate.

"I was threatened, much like every other guy here, that if I told you I would get my balls cut off and normally, as you know, I wouldn't let anyone intimidate me, but something told me I'd be better off keeping this one thing from you than pissing Melina off in _this_ situation," he admitted.

I shook my head in amusement, "Oh she is not to be messed with when it comes to special events. She's a perfectionist."

"So I've gathered," he muttered.

Taking the first sip of my drink, I savoured the taste for a brief moment before jumping off my stool, Colada in hand and tote in the other.

"Let's go find our suites so we can check out all the activities this super yacht has to offer!" I nodded in the direction of the exit.

I strolled alongside Randy as the other two lingered behind arguing who would win if they had their own yachts to race. My bet was on Cody, Ted got cocky way too easy.

"I assume you're one of those guests who will be leaving early…" I asked after stopping briefly to ask a crew member for directions to our cabins.

Descending the staircase to the bottom deck we finally reached the hallway that held all the suites on the ship.

"Gotta catch that flight on time," he said simply. "We'll have some fun before I leave though," and offering a reassuring smile he lead the way down the corridor. We dropped Cody off in his double suite that he shared with Eve, and then Ted stopped off at the twin suite he was sharing with Maria (two twin beds of course). Randy and I continued in silence reaching the end of the hall and entering into the huge master suite that would be my place of residence for tonight. It was a tad depressing considering I had the biggest suite, but I was staying in it alone.

The floor was covered in wool carpet with interesting designs etched into it, the roof and wall were various panels of different shades and types of wood. Directly to my left there was a wooden desk with a matching cushioned chair and in the center of the room was the place of the massive king size bed covered with a soft, and expensive looking bedspread and comfortable looking pillows. On the right there was a half circle sofa with cushions matching the theme of the room, and bedspread, and a coffee table littered with magazines surrounding a porcelain tea set.

There was also a TV opposite the bed and a mini refrigerator directly under the monitor enclosed behind cupboard doors.

Across from the table and chairs, on the left there was a door which led to the ensuite. It was beautifully made and cleverly stocked with everything guests could possibly require – toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, shower and bath accessories, and even a stock of feminine supplies.

"This is beautiful!" I exclaimed, sitting down on the bed and placing my bag at my feet.

"It's certainly something else. I've never been on a cruise before," Randy said after exiting the bathroom having just checked it out for himself.

"Is it sad that we make great money and we don't have time for a proper vacation?" I asked, leaning back on the bed.

There was silence in the room for a few seconds, both of us lost in our own thoughts, trying to decide what our opinions were on the matter.

Finally Randy lay down on the bed alongside me and broke the silence. "No. I love what we do. We get to travel all over the world and no other job could provide that feeling you get walking down the ramp every night. Whether it's good or bad reactions from the crowd… you just know you've made it if there _is_ a reaction and that feeling of success… its something you'll take with you for the rest of your life."

Rolling over on my side I placed my head in my palm for support, "I couldn't have said it better myself. Sometimes its hard being all over the place, but it's worth it every single time I step into that ring."

"It's passion at it's finest… such a powerful thing, as lame as that sounds," he chuckled lightly.

"I don't think anyone on this yacht would consider that lame although they might be shocked that you of all people would voice it, you man of very little words," I teased.

"Less talk, less drama," he stated simply.

"And yet you still manage to get your fair share of it… funny how that works."

He turned his head to look at me momentarily before sitting up, "Are we going or what?"

"You couldn't stop me if you tried," I said playfully, and attempted to stand but he snaked an arm around my waist, pushing me back onto the bed gently.

"You wanna bet?" he leaned his body over mind and watched me intently, the hunger in his eyes unmistakable.

It was a challenge… one I was more than willing to accept.

Using the strength from my legs I wrapped them around his waist and was successful in flipping him over so that I was now on top, straddling him.

"What are we betting on?" I asked coyly, winking down at him.

"That's entirely up to you, it's your party after all," he grinned.

I smiled, "If I'm successful in seducing you, you have to stay and engage in a torturous dinner where half the guests don't like you."

He chuckled, "As tempting as _that _sounds, I'm very strong minded. Your charm won't work on me, but… I'm willing to allow you to try."

"Oh I'm sure you are, but I'm not doing anything unless we have a deal," I folded my arms across my chest, attempting to play hardball.

Instead of saying anything, in one swift motion he caught me off guard and had me flipped over and once more he was on top and in control.

"You do often forget the size disadvantage on your part. Don't hint at a man if you aren't going to follow through with it… no one likes a tease," he said with a grin.

My heart was pounding once more at the sudden movement but mostly because of the close proximity in which we were in. He leaned down and our lips brushed light causing a tremor to go through my body.

"Randy?" I whispered.

"Yeah?" he said just as quietly, keeping his composure unlike myself.

"I give up, you win," I muttered, not tearing my gaze from his.

He smiled slightly, "I always do."

Without another word he closed the distance between us as his lips crashed down on mine. His hand travelled down my body, resting on my leg as the other snaked around my back, pulling me slightly off the bed so he could remove my t-shirt.

His lips found mine again, kissing me fiercely until we broke apart momentarily as I wasted no time in removing _his_ t-shirt. After planting soft kisses along my neck, he moved lower tracing a trail down to my abdomen. I could comprehend nothing other than how _good_ this felt. The sensation I was feeling – no one has _ever_ had the effect on my body that Randy has.

I inhaled sharply, suppressing a whimper, as he placed one last kiss on a sensitive area on my side before his eyes locked with mine once more and he smirked, clearly at the reaction he had instilled in me. I lifted my body slightly, and he allowed me to gain the position on top, once more straddling him.

He placed his hands on my thighs, caressing them softly as I leaned down to capture his lips with mine again. His hands explored every inch of my body and I was about to remove my bikini top when the door was shoved open admitting the remaining Legacy men.

I was caught off guard to say the least, and emitting a high pitched scream I tumbled off the bed to the floor.

Cody groaned, "Oh my god, given history don't you think you should lock the door?"

"Given history don't you think you should learn to knock!" Randy shouted.

I sat up to see he was sitting up himself staring daggers at the two men. Finally he turned to face me and standing up he extended a hand to pull me to my feet.

"Never thought of it like that," Cody shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey is anyone in the hall?" I whispered.

Ted turned his head to check, "No," he reported.

"Then shut the door before someone does come into the hall," I hissed.

"Can't you like hang a sock on the door or something or say 'hey guys we plan on having sex, give us a few minutes!'" Cody exclaimed.

"You know we don't _plan_ these things. You two are the only people in the universe who _always_ walk in without knocking! Like learn from your mistakes," I said defensively.

"Not only that… a few minutes Cody? Whose sex life are we talking about here? I can last a hell of a lot longer than–"

"Okay!" I put my hand up, "That's _hardly_ the point. From now on would you _please_ knock!"

Cody glared at Randy as Ted stepped forward, "Yeah you have a deal, I don't know if I could put up with walking in on that once more…"

"Good," I smiled, "Now that we have that figured out, let's hit the water."

Not bothering to pull a shirt back over my bikini top, I drew my hair into a loose side ponytail and after Randy changed into a pair of shorts we headed out to start our day on the ocean with Cody muttering bitterly about how he can last longer than a few minutes.

I stopped quickly in the gift shop after an idea popped into my head and I picked up a disposable waterproof camera, wanting to document every part of my experience today.

We approached the small clutter of men who were seemingly in charge of the water equipment and they helped us prepare four jet skis to take out on the water all the while tutoring us on how to use the equipment properly.

Once we were instructed efficiently and the lessons were burned into our brains, we were finally allowed to climb aboard the jet skis, life jackets on, and eager to get going. After snapping a few pictures of the guys, and to their dismay, asking one of the crew politely to take a group photo, we finally started up the jet skis and hit the open water.

It was such an exhilarating experience and, I was sure, one that I would never forget. It wasn't only because I had, unbelievably so, never been on a jet ski before so the experience was new to me, but it was mostly because of Randy, Ted, and Cody. I loved these moments with them, granted we spend a lot of time on the road together, but today will be categorized under the 'rare special moments' grouping.

I was also happy to report that I willingly accepted Ted's racing challenge, I of course won. Just something more to rub in his face when he's being an idiot… not that that's such an uncommon thing. But I love the guy regardless of his flaws, like he loves me despite my weaknesses.

It's weird to say, considering we have only been friends for a few months, but Ted can honestly be classified as my other half in a friend manner. Melina and Kelly will always be important to me, but Ted and I just click together, and that shows in how quickly we bonded. What was weird was that Ted was a guy, and although I had John and Dave, I was never able to be as close with any guy since… well since Randy back in our Evolution days. And although the bond isn't the same as mine and Randy's… it's stronger. There are no feelings involved and I'm confident to say there will never be romantic feelings between us, and for that I am thankful.

From the get go there was chemistry between Randy and me, it just took us awhile to figure that out, and when we did it made me wonder how we didn't realize it sooner. We complement one another, like we were made to be together and no other human being would be a good enough fit for one of us as the other.

"Hey we should probably head back hey? In case anyone else wants to have a go with these," I asked Cody as he pulled up alongside me.

"Yeah that's probably a good idea, because Ted and I told Eve and Maria we would meet them for lunch," he informed me, running a hand through his soaking wet hair.

I pulled the elastic out of my hair and squeezing the excess water out, I pulled the hair back into a pony on top of my head. "Okay flag the other two down and we'll head back, get changed and then you can do whatever from there."

"Today's been fun so far hasn't it?" he asked with a smile.

"The best and its not even half over," I agreed.

"At the risk of sounding like a female… or Ted, I have to say that I love our group moments. I mean believe it or not we had fun before you came around, but life is so much more entertaining now. Fun isn't only when we go out to the clubs and pick up women, its in our locker room, when we eat out, our drives to and from the various arenas, in our hotel… all in all life on the road is much more enjoyable."

I patted him on the arm, "I don't think you sound like a girl. I'm glad you think so, I mean that's a huge compliment coming my way."

"And Randy is the biggest difference. He opens up now and isn't always angry. He pisses me off sometimes, but the guy deserves to be happy. I've been travelling with him for a year and I've never seen him this way. Its nuts the effect you have over him. I can understand completely why you two dated in the past," he paused for a moment, watching Ted and Randy make their way back to us. "Do you think you'll ever be together again? I mean you practically already are."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know and for now I don't care to. I'm happy how life is and I don't feel the need to change it. There's potential and we both know I want it, but I'm not going to rush into anything and I'm definitely not going to try and push him. His friends and trust means far too much to me."

"Well for what it's worth, I'm happy for you regardless Mickie. And you know Ted and I will always be here for you no matter what," he promised leaning over to put his arm around me in a brief embrace.

We followed the other two back to the yacht and hopped off the jet skis so that the Dynasty (Tyson, DH Smith, and Natalya, and Evan Bourne, who had been waiting, could have a go.

"Okay let's go meet the girls and get a bite, I'm starving," Ted exclaimed before turning back to me, "You two coming?"

I looked at Randy, "I'm not hungry yet."

"Yeah me either, I ate too many of those sandwiches."

"God if you two want to go have sex just go, you don't have to lie about it!" Ted exclaimed, and then looked around guiltily to make sure no one heard.

I chuckled, "Actually Teddy," I threw my arms around his neck, "I was thinking of taking that," I turned us around to point, "boat out for awhile. And then when you are done stuffing your faces, we'll come by and pick you up."

Randy crossed his arms, "Yeah that's right."

"Okay deal so if you're still out in an hour we'll join you. See you later," Cody said.

I waved in farewell as we watched them head back up the stairs to the second level deck.

Randy waited until they were out of earshot before he leaned down, "So we're _not_ having sex?"

I rolled my eyes playfully punching him on the shoulder, "No! We're going to enjoy the ocean."

"It is possible to do it _anywhere_ Mickie," he grinned at me.

"And it's also possible to get caught by _anyone_," I spoke sternly.

"We'll see," he said mischievously.

Nudging him playfully I went ahead to make plans for the speedboat, and ten minutes later, with Randy behind the wheel, we were gliding across the open water. With my hair, now out of the elastic, flying back in the win, I moved to sit at the front of the boat, enjoying the breeze on my face. There were tiny islands in the distance and we were close enough that I could see a secluded beach area to the left, thickly covered by trees, without a hint of life.

I couldn't help but smile as I turned back to find Randy staring at me, with an actual smile of his own, not a smirk, a _smile_. It was such a beautiful image, one I knew I would take with me forever. He was happy, and I could tell that from one glance at his expression. It made _me_ happy knowing that I was apart of this… of these rare moments.

"What?" he asked as I approached him, standing with my back to the front.

"Nothing," I said, "You just seem… happy."

He released the throttle and let go of the wheel, allowing the boat to slow down by its own accord as he moved closer so he was directly in front of me.

"I _am_ happy," he shrugged his shoulders, "it's not like it's such an alien thing to me."

"Maybe not but it's not like you express it that often. Sometimes we can't tell if you are, so it's nice to be able to see it once in awhile," I admitted truthfully.

"You're being honest; I may as well do the same. A lot, not all, but a lot of my happiness these days is because of you," he paused for a moment where the smile slipped off his face, "Mickie I need to tell you–" but before he could finish his sentence, the boat gave a startling lurch and he tumbled forward into me, knocking us both over.

He landed on top of me causing me to emit a huge grunt in pain as his two hundred a forty pound body crashed onto mine.

"Holy shit Mickie are you okay?" he asked, concern heavy in his tone as he shifted his body so he was no longer constricting my air flow.

"Yeah," I grunted, "just be lucky you weren't on the bottom, you would be unable to have children by now."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again. When I nodded my head, he lifted his own to survey what had caused the disturbance. He leaned back to twist the key to the boat off.

"We must have hit some shallow land," he leaned down and looked at me, concern still evident on his face.

Looking at his expression, a smile grew on my face and without warning I exploded into a fit of laughter.

He grinned down at me, "We seem to fall a lot don't we?"

I nodded my head slightly, the amusement melting away, "Not only physically," I said in reference to the ups and downs that formulate our history together.

"We seem to always be capable of getting back up, so that's something," he shrugged his shoulders.

I offered a small smile, "Silver lining I guess." I paused for a moment, just listening to the sounds of the waves around us, rocking the boat, as Randy continued to lean over me. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You said you needed to tell me something," I reminded him, "you know before the boat knocked me on my ass."

"Oh yeah, I just," he hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I wanted to thank you for not giving up on me. I know all the negativity and not really having friends, I know I bring that upon myself, but its nice to have someone in your life that puts up with your shit because they see something in you that no one else does."

He continued gazing into my eyes, until his eyes travelled down to my lips, as if he was studying my face. "of course it's also a pain in the ass to have someone know you better than anyone especially when you're like me and enjoy your privacy."

I punched him in the arm lightly, "Just couldn't hold off on the insult could you?"

"Nope, tried _very_ hard, just can't not be myself… it's too hard. You know… there isn't anyone here to bare witness to any acts we may commit in this boat," he hinted, raising his brows suggestively.

"No way! We promised Ted and Cody we'd be back by now."

"Oh come on, I was just being nice to you! I gave this long heartfelt speech and you deny me? That's why I'm never nice!" he said dramatically.

I laughed, "Only an arrogant person would say that. Jerk!" I hit him in the arm again.

"Fine," he pushed himself to his feet and extended an arm to tug me to mine, "Your loss."

"Not in the least," I said. "I'm driving back," I informed him.

"I'm thinking, for my own safety, I should probably swim back," he teased.

"Ha-ha-ha," I said sarcastically as the engine roared to life.

I backed us slowly away from the shallow area we had unknowingly run into, and was in the process of turning the boat around when Randy yelled for me to stop.

"Why?" I asked.

"I'm terrified, I've decided to swim back," he exclaimed, jumping onto the seat he had previously been sitting on and diving into the water.

"Randy!" I screamed. Running to the side, I peered over the edge and couldn't see him anywhere despite how clear the water was.

"Looking for me?" I heard him shout, and turning around I found him on the other side of the boat, treading water with a grin.

"You idiot!" I yelled, picking up the life jacket from the seat and chucking it at his head, to which I missed.

He merely chuckled, "The water is warm, are you coming in?"

"No!" I shouted, crossing my arms stubbornly, "I have half a mind to leave you here!"

He shook his head in amusement, "You wouldn't… you'd miss me too much. Besides everyone would ask questions about my suspicious disappearance."

"Three quarter of the people on that yacht don't like you!" I shouted.

"Who cares about them? I'm talking people on a larger scale. For one my family… and two WWE management will want to know where their _champion_ disappeared to," he said smugly.

"Well to them I would give some sob story about how I couldn't get to you in time to save you from the killer… fish?" I said enthusiastically.

He snorted with laughter, "We'll see how long that story sticks. Come on it's nice in here. How often do you get to swim in the ocean?"

I hesitated, pretending to be mad. Finally I undid the button on my jean shorts, allowing them to slide to the floor of the boat so I wouldn't get them wet and after turning the keys in the ignition to off, I jumped and cannon balled into the ocean.

I swam for the surface, and when my head broke free of the water I immediately wiped the water from my eyes before whirling around instantly to find Randy.

When I couldn't see him in any direction I called his name a few times. Jerk! He probably swam to the other side again.

Without warning there was a small splash behind me, before a pair of arms snaked around my waist. I let out a small scream of surprise, before hearing Randy chuckle in my ear.

"_So_ unnecessary," I said rudely.

"And yet… entertaining," he chuckled again.

I pushed away from him as I started swimming towards the tiny island that we had, stupidly enough, run into with the boat. It took me a minute until finally I felt the sand in between my toes. It surprised me again to realize that Randy was so close, when he grabbed my arm and whirled me around to face him.

I was caught off guard when his lips found mine, but I wasted no time in wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him back. Bring my legs up, I wrapped them around his waist and deepened the kiss, the water enveloping us like a blanket. The passion that developed from a kiss with Randy never failed to surprise me, and right now was no different. If anything it was more profound because of our setting – it was a romantic situation of such we had never experience before. A secluded island somewhere in the ocean, well it was definitely something new.

He brought us forward, as the water became shallower and placing me upon the shore he continued to pay attention to other areas of my body with his lips. My blood was flowing quicker and my heart was beating faster with every second.

He came up to eye level again and this time there wasn't a hint of amusement evident on his features. His face was filled, not only with lust and desire but also _need_. In that moment I knew that I wasn't just something to occupy his time, I was something _more_. The thought was so overpowering that I was fearful that I might actually cry.

"Randy?" I whispered instead.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I," I paused for a brief moment as he waited expectantly for me to continue, "I, I need you," I finally said. It wasn't what I was thinking nor what I was feeling, and I was sure he knew that, but instead he brought his lips down to mine again.

Despite realizing the feelings I had tried so hard to suppress, and knowing I should have stopped, I couldn't force myself to put a stop to this perfect moment in time. It was as if, in this moment, we were the only people on earth, and I would have had it any other way. I couldn't comprehend anything or anyone else other than the man I was with now and the beautiful moment we had found ourselves in.

Lying on the beach in his arms, our swimming garments scattered around us I couldn't help the feeling of bliss that had enveloped me. This moment was beyond perfect… indescribable and I didn't want it to ever come to an end.

"Tell me a secret," I said quietly.

"A secret? Why?" he asked, continuing to caress my arm.

"I don't know, I guess I just want to feel closer to you," I told him, not knowing how he was going to react. I figured I was going to drag this honesty thing out as long as I could.

"Is it possible to be closer than we are now?" he chuckled, "We're lying on a beach, unclothed and you're in my arms, it doesn't get more personal than that… unless it isn't good enough for you," he teased.

I lifted my head so meet his gaze, "You know what I meant, and for the record, despite the possibility of you potentially crucifying me for it, I'm going to say I like being in your arms."

He was silent for a moment, "A secret huh? Let's see… oh I have a good one. Do you remember when we missed our flight a few months ago?"

I nodded my head… god that felt like an eternity ago. I could barely stand him back then.

"Well do you remember the rental guy? The grouchy older man behind the counter?"

"Yeah he wouldn't give me a car when there were like so many available. I bet he had something against women or something but what does this have to do with anything?"

"I knew you would have found out about the flight eventually… that there wasn't going to be an early enough flight as we needed and that you would be looking to snag another rental. So I paid the guy to deny you a car, and then I played my part rather well after that if I do say so myself," he said smugly.

I lifted my upper body slightly off the ground and looked at him in surprise, "Why would… why?"

"You amuse me Mickie, _especially_ when you're pretending to hate me. Not only that but I _love_ irritating you to no end, its entertaining and if I'm being honest… I find it very cute."

I stared back at him, my jaw slightly agar, "You did not pay him! Why didn't you just offer me a ride?"

"Are you kidding? Things weren't the same as now, that would have been–"

"Showing weakness?" I scoffed, "Only you."

He chuckled, "It was by far the most entertaining fourteen hours I'd had in a long time before that… except for the emotional PMS part."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm glad we can be friends Randy."

He laughed quietly, "Once again, you're lying in my arms, naked and you use the term friends… interesting."

"Well if we aren't friends than what are we?" I asked, interested in his opinion on the subject.

He remained silent, "Friends," he agreed.

For now that was more than enough for me. I was being honest when I told Cody that Randy Randy's trust was more important to me than anything right now.

"We should probably go before they send out a search party for me," I said.

"For you?"

"Come on, no one on that yacht misses you," I teased.

"I can sense some joking, but you're probably right." He seemed unaffected by the statement.

I smiled, "Come on, Ted and Cody would be lost without you."

"More than likely," he shrugged his shoulders.

I sighed and pushed myself to a sitting position, "Back to reality," I muttered as I twisted my body to search for my bikini pieces and five minutes later we were both back in the boat and were on course back to the yacht.

"God we've literally been sitting here for thirty minutes!" Ted shouted throwing his hands in the air.

"Sorry we short of lost track of time," I smiled up at the two boys sending a playful wink. Man I need to stop hanging out with guys, I'm starting to brag about getting laid. How horrible is that?

They surveyed me for a second before Ted gasped, "Oh my god, you guys had s–"

Before he could finish that sentence, Cody had brought his arm up and pummelled Ted in the gut with his fist, causing the blonde to double over in pain… for the second time today. His face went beet red and fell to his knees.

I looked up at Cody in confusion and realized the reason he did it was because Maria and Eve were approaching them.

I sent a brief sympathetic look to Ted as the girls enquired what had happened.

"Nothing, Ted was being an ass again. Let's go shall we?" Cody jumped into the boat and then helped both Eve and Maria in after him as Ted struggled to his feet.

"We have _got_ to stop doing that to him, we might cause some serious damage," I muttered to Cody and Randy.

Finally Red seemed to have gained his composure back as he hopped into the boat a minute later and came directly towards me.

"I deserved that," he said ashamedly, "But for my comfort sake you didn't… do it in here did you?" he whispered.

I smiled and shook my head, "No you're safe."

"No were you safe?" he said.

I sent him the death glare and he chuckled nervously. "Well that's a relief; it would have been awkward having to explain _why_ we weren't taking this boat out."

"Relax and sit back," I glanced at Eve briefly to see she was still looking uneasy, glancing at Randy every now and then. "And tell Eve to quit with the awkward glances," I hissed, surprised to find myself irritated by her actions.

Ted studied my face, "You okay?"

"No, god Randy isn't going to massacre everyone!"

He only chuckled, "A little touchy are we? Look Randy doesn't mind, neither should you."

I sighed, a smile creeping onto my face, "You're right, sorry. Let's get going."

He slung an arm around my shoulder and turned us to face everyone else, "Let's hit the water ladies, I can hear it calling my name!"

He left me to take a seat next to Maria, as Randy steered the boat away from the yacht. We drove for a good half hour before we pulled out the water tube and Cody and Eve took the first turn, followed by Randy, then me and Maria, and Ted, instead of using the Ted, decided to be the first one to test out the water skis.

"Ten bucks says he wipes out!" Cody exclaimed as Randy started the boat forward.

I laughed, "You do realize that if he wipes out he could get injured."

Cody hesitated a moment before shrugging his shoulders, "Meh it'd still be funny."

"I'd like to see you out there," Eve said playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"And what if _I_ wipe out and get injured?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist in return.

"I've still got my sexy nurse costume from last year. I'd just nurse you back to health," she winked playfully.

I heard chuckling behind me and turning I found Randy laughing in amusement. Eve, Maria and Cody had also turned to see what the disruption was. Randy, not realizing we heard him, faced us with surprise at our attention being on him.

"What?" Cody asked.

"Nothing," Randy said coldly and without explanation he turned back to face the front of the boat.

I sent a reassuring smile to the three and stood up to approach Randy.

"What was that?" I asked quietly.

He smirked back at me, "Nothing. Just amusing is all. You don't happen to have a sexy Halloween costume do you?"

"Hmm let me think… a naughty schoolgirl outfit, although that was from two Halloweens ago, might fit a little smaller now," I said cutely.

"I'm thinking that would be to _my_ benefit," he remarked.

"You'd have to be pretty lucky," I smiled.

"Well it just so happens that I am."

"Hey Mickie , how's the birthday party going?" Maria called out, offering me a smile.

I turned around to face her sending Randy one last playful grin, "It's been great so far. It's so beautiful out here and the yacht is… it's just incredible. Have you two been enjoying the day?"

"Hell yeah, it's like a mini vacation. Sun, surf, tanning, boating, it's definitely something I'm going to milk for all it's worth," Maria said with a giggle.

"I wish we could do this more often. Getting everyone together it's just great we're all such good friends," Eve exclaimed.

At this, I heard Randy scoff behind me. "Apart from Cody, who you're screwing so that hardly counts, and Maria, would you really classify yourself as being friends with any of us?"

I turned to face him, shocked at his words. "Randy," I gave him the stern 'shut up' look.

"What a man can't speak the truth?" he slowed the boat to a stop, allowing Ted a chance to make his way back.

Eve faltered and then a confidence came over her that I've never seen her have around Randy, "No, not when it's you and your pessimistic remarks. And I'm _not_ friends with _you_."

Randy crossed his arms, amusement etched onto his face. "So you _are_ friends with Mickie? I've seen you talk to her about twice in the last few months."

"Randy stop," I said more sternly this time to which of course he merely ignored me.

"Look who's talking!" she laughed bitterly. Cody tried to stop her but she shoved him a little and took a daring step forward. "None of the superstars want you here! No one can stand your anger problems and think your little tantrums are pathetic," she spat.

Randy simply chuckled, "Is that supposed to bother me? I've more than paid my dues, and I will keep paying them as long as I am in this company. Who are _you_ to talk to me like that? You've been here what, two years? You have no respect _or_ passion for this business; this is merely a job for you. So why don't you talk to me where you aren't as insignificant as you are now."

"Randy." It was Cody who spoke this time, "dial it down," he said respectfully but with a hint of anger seeping thought. I knew he was only being protective of Eve.

"Or what Cody? You'll make me? Nice try, I'd love to see _that_ happen."

Eve looked right pissed, "Why do you let him treat you this way huh! It's clear he's nothing but an arrogant jerk and has no respect for anyone else. Just leave you'll make this entire experience more enjoyable by doing so!"

"I don't owe you a favour," Randy hissed back. His eyes darkened as he took a step forward – he was in full Viper mode. Oh shit.

Cody took a step forward as well, positioning himself in front of Eve protectively as he and Randy came face to face.

"You better teach her some respect Cody," Randy snarled.

"Man, just stop being such an–"

"Stop it!" I shrieked. "Just fucking… stop!" I said trough gritted teeth.

I placed myself in between the two Legacy members and was successful in pushing Randy back a few steps, just as Ted finally grabbed onto the side of the boat, shoving the ski's back in the boat as he heaved himself back in.

"Thanks for the help you guys!" he said sarcastically, obviously not feeling the tension. He struggled to his feet before finally noticing Randy and Cody staring daggers at one another.

"Hey what's going on guys?"

I shook my head in disbelief and turned away, frustrated with everyone on the boat.

"Cody's girlfriend has spend the last five minutes running her mouth about me," Randy hissed, not taking his eyes off him.

"You started the entire thing. Sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong. Like I said do us a favour and–" Eve started.

"Shut up!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in frustration. "Enough!"

Ted looked at me, concern evident on his face. "Hey Micks, what's wrong?" he walked forward and tried to wrap an arm around my waist but I only shook my head.

"Randy," I said, but he ignored me. "Randy!" I said more loudly causing him finally look down at me. "Please stop," I pleaded, "Just stop okay?"

He finally took in my expression, and his face softened. He took a step forward, "Mickie I'm sor–"

I held my hand up to stop him as I turned my attention on Eve. "You're right, Randy is arrogant and I'll even go as far as to say he's an asshole. But you _don't_ know him, and I'm quite confident that you never will. And maybe you and ninety perfect of the guests don't want him here, but it's _my_ birthday party and _I_ want him here, because trust me when I say that he would _not_ be here otherwise. Now if you have a problem with that, and I don't mean this disrespectfully, than you can leave because if I have to choose between Randy, who is a really great friend, and anyone else… I will choose him every time."

I paused briefly before continuing, "Just like I would choose Ted and Cody over anyone else. And that doesn't mean I don't appreciate this party and everyone coming here for me, because I _do_ with all of my heart, but these three guys are my best friends… my life and they've been with me every step of the way for the last four months."

I sighed and turned away as silence enveloped us for awhile and no one moved.

Turning back to face Eve I only spoke once more, "And Cody, Ted and I put up with Randy's shit because of loyalty and friends. Randy is one of the best assets the WWE has today and we can learn _a lot_ from him. Not only that, but we know he is a good person and maybe that's not evident on the surface, but he is. It's sad that you'll never get to experience that."

There was another brief silence until Ted, of course, broke it. "Well said James… despite that fact that I don't know what just went on while I was still in the water." He clamped me on the back, "And we love you too Mickie James, the best addition to our little group. As for Randy," he turned to face the Viper, "we have nothing but love for our fearless leader," he spoke, patting Randy on the shoulder.

I was unsure as to how Eve was going to react until finally she emitted a sigh and met my gaze again, "I'm sorry. This is your party and I should have controlled my anger better."

I offered her a small smile, "I don't blame you, by now I would have tried to murder him."

I heard Randy scoff once more so I turned to face him, "Is that not what got you in trouble in the first place?"

He put his hands up in defeat and leaned back against the side of the boat.

Cody took a step forward, "Sorry man but I couldn't just let you speak like that to my girlfriend… you understand."

Randy glanced sideways at me quickly before turning back to Cody, "Sure don't worry about it."

I cleared my throat and shot him a very stern look that basically said 'apologize or I'm going to kill you'.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed, "I'm sorry about what I said, to both of you," he said confidently.

Cody grinned, "Wouldn't expect anything less from the Viper."

"Thank god we aren't a group and have to spend time together, I might have killed myself by now," I muttered, not realizing it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

They all stared at me in disbelief, except Randy who merely chuckled. "No offence, I mean clearly we all, Randy and Eve, don't get along and that would be torture for the rest of us."

"Touché," Maria agreed. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

Ted chuckled, "You amuse me James, I need a hug."

I open my arms as he came forward and threw his arms around me. "Now let's get the hell out of here," I muttered.

It only took us a few minutes to get back to the yacht, and once we were off, Eve stalked away without a goodbye, Cody following after her.

Maria turned to me, "I'm sorry about that Mickie, really. Eve was being ridiculous. And for the record I don't have a problem with Randy, when he come sup in conversation, I usually walk away or keep to myself. I just wanted you to know because not everyone has an issue with him. He's never given me a reason to hate him so it would be petty of me to do so," she leaned in closer. "And between you and me, he kind of had a point earlier. Although I could have worded it much nicer," she giggled.

I smiled at her gratefully, "Thanks Maria, that means a lot. I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Definitely," and after I told Ted to meet me in my room in an hour, he and Maria ambled off as I turned to face the Viper.

"Was all that necessary?" I enquired, crossing my arms.

"Probably not, but that didn't stop me from doing it. I was tired of Eve's attitude, acting likes she's important."

"Maybe she isn't to you, but she is to Cody, and Cody's our friend so maybe you will think about that before you attack her next time. Cody's always been good to us, we need to do the same," I advised him, as we started walking.

"Why do you always make yourself seem at fault, when it was completely my doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"You grouped yourself in with me. Cody's always been good to _us_… _we_ need to do the same," he said.

"I don't know, sometimes I feel responsible for other peoples actions I guess," I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing what else to say.

"You shouldn't. You're a good person; you don't deserve to take the blame for other people."

"It's what I get for sticking by what others deem a 'lost cause' I guess. Besides, I don't care anyway. I don't care what others think of me," I shrugged my shoulders again, proving my point.

"You shouldn't, now let's go get something to eat. I'm fucking starving," he muttered.

After ordering ourselves what was a delicious meal, we met Ted and Cody back in my room and decided we were going to take out the scuba diving equipment. Eve, who was apparently furious at Cody, and Maria went back to hang out with the other divas and superstars and weren't going to be joining us until later… for dinner.

It was beautiful under the ocean, something I had actually experienced before, but that didn't make it anything less than amazing. It was breathtaking to see all the different kinds of sea creatures, and plants that live under the ocean. What a wonderful experience it was, much like everything else that had taken place today, and one I wished we could have experienced longer!

After our scuba diving experience, we spent the rest of our time lounging around at the bow of the boat in the huge Jacuzzi that was surprisingly empty of any other superstars. I couldn't take the heat from the sun and the heat of the water too long, so I spent most of my team lounging on the sun beds, darkening my tan. At some point I drifted off into a dreamless sleep because the next thing I knew, I was being shaken away by Ted.

"It's time for Randy to go Micks, he has to be at the airport soon," he said to me quietly.

"Already? God I can't believe I fell asleep. What time is it?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes, and realizing how exhausted I felt.

"It's just after five, come on, let's go back to our rooms and get changed. We can walk Randy to the boat." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, supporting my tired body all the way back to the room until he passed me off to Randy and promised to meet us in my room in ten minutes.

There was silence while we both put on some clothes over top of our swimwear, mostly because I was too tired to say anything, but also because I didn't know _what _to say. Finally there was a knock on the door as Ted poked his head in.

"Ah, see I'm not incapable of knocking," he said smugly with a huge smile on his face. Finally Cody, clearly impatient, pushed Ted causing the door to open all the way and admitting both into the room.

"Ready to go?" Cody asked Randy.

"Sure am, I still have to head back to the hotel, so I definitely should have left by now. Let's get going," he motioned for us to go, and we followed him out the door closing it behind us.

We reached the bottom deck where there were two crew members waiting to escort anyone who needed to back to the mainland.

Cody turned to face Randy, "Have a safe flight man; we'll see you in a few days."

"Yeah don't worry I'll take care of Mickie, she and I can get rid of some of this sexual tension that has been brewing between us lately," Ted smugly.

I scoffed and punched him in the arm as Randy merely chuckled, "_Behave_ Ted. I don't want to have to kick your ass when I get back, and we both know I'm quite capable of that."

"We'll meet you later okay Mickie?" Cody said, patting my arm and then literally having to drag Ted back up the stairs.

"You could always stay, I mean guaranteed Eve has already told the story of today to all the divas, and that's going to make things much more awkward."

"Oh and having me here will make that less awkward?" he chuckled. "I think I'm doing you a favour by leaving."

"Maybe, but really they give me the biggest room and I have to sleep in it myself. How depressing is that? Maybe I'll crawl in with Ted, do you think Maria would mind?"

He smiled down at me, "I can only kick Ted's ass if he does something without your consent. Crawling into bed with him, would be putting ideas into his head."

I laughed, "You have a point, what a great friend you are. Anyway, you should probably go before you miss your flight."

"Yeah, I'll see you in a few days alright? Have fun tonight, you deserve it."

"I deserve to be tortured against my will?"

"That's _your_ way of putting it. You'll have fun, I promise," he said.

"I hope so; they all did this for me. The least I can do is enjoy myself! Now get going. I don't want to have to hear you bitch about missing another flight!" I gave him a little push.

He chuckled, "Okay I'm going. Have fun okay!"

"Yes, yes I promise. You too… with whatever you are rushing home for."

He surveyed my face for a moment, and the expression on his face really made me wonder what he was thinking at that moment.

Then in an instant it was gone and replaced with amusement, "Don't let Ted drink tonight… I would honestly actually feel bad for Maria."

I laughed, "I won't, god knows that would reflect badly on me somehow."

He leaned down and kissed me on the top of my head gently, "I'll see you soon."

I tried to force a smile, but I had a feeling I wasn't pulling it off as well as I wanted to. I watched as he climbed into the boat and leaned against the railing as he sent me one final wave before he disappeared into the distance. I didn't move for a few minutes while I found myself wishing, to my dismay that I had been on the boat with him. I instantly felt guilty because of all the effort my friends had put into this evening.

Cursing myself I pushed away from the barrier and turned to find Ted standing there, with a comforting smile on his face.

"What are you doing? I thought you were going back to your room," I said as I approached him.

He reached his arm out and placed it around my waist guiding me towards the cabins, "I thought you might need a friend."

I smiled up at him and wrapped both arms around him briefly, "Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm _fine_."

He smiled, "I'll pretend to believe that. You know he wants you to enjoy tonight right? But above that, Mickie I'm quite worried about you."

"Why?" I asked, confused at his words.

"You seem to be getting awfully attached, and I don't think he wants anything more than what you guys share. Don't get mad, I just don't want you to get hurt Mickie, I care about you far too much."

I was silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

"I know, I promised myself I wouldn't, I just… it's hard you know. Things are just so great right now, but I told Cody today, the most important thing to me above anything else is Randy's friendship and his trust. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize either."

"I hope so, because if he hurts you I might have to kick his ass," Ted said threateningly.

I snorted in amusement, "Yeah okay! I appreciate the gesture, but we both know how _that_ would go down. And it wouldn't be in your favour."

He feigned insult, "Thanks for the support, and if I _did_ happen to lose it would be because Randy is psycho, like really how do you fight someone who isn't all there?"

"He's all there, he's just more determined than anyone else. He's almost like a robot, its kind of crazy I'll admit. But hey it's the reason he's at the top of the business."

Ted chuckled, "So what are you going to do now?"

"Um I think I'm going to attempt a half an hour nap, and then I have to meet the girls in the salon."

"A nap sounds good right about now. All those water sports are fun, but I'm literally beat. Maybe I'll do the same since I don't have to get ready for at least another couple hours."

"I have a _huge_ bed all to myself! Please say you'll join me!" I pretended to plead.

"Okay but I can't promise I will be keeping to my own side of the bed!" he warned.

I chuckled, "Remember Randy's threat DiBiase. He's a good enough friend that I will get him to beat you up if you get fresh with me."

"What is this… the fifties?" he mocked me.

I only chuckled as I pushed open the door to my room and flung myself on my bed not bothering to use the blankets to cover me up. I instructed Ted to turn off the lights and he lay down beside me, remaining on his own side of the bed, both of us drifting off.

When I woke up I wasn't sure how much I had slept, but I did find myself in Ted's arms. It was strangely comforting, but not in the way it was when Randy had his arms around me, but comforting in its own way. Ted was a great friend, and I knew that he would always be around to look after me like an older brother.

Grabbing my cell phone off the bedside table I took in the fact that it was already six thirty, I was a half hour late to meeting with the other girls. Crap! Slowly and quietly I distanced myself from Ted, not wanting to wake him, and crept out of the room shutting the door behind me gently.

"Mickie! Where have you been?" Kelly called out once I entered the salon.

"Sorry I was taking a nap, it's been an eventful yet exhausting day!" I replied.

She smiled at me, "So you enjoyed yourself then?"

"Definitely, I had a blast today. But I haven't had the chance to shower yet unfortunately."

"No problem, the spa is right through that door there and they have showers you can use. Come on I'll show you." She grabbed a hold of my hand and led me past a few of the other divas, who I offered greetings to, and showed me where I could take a shower.

It only took me about fifteen minutes to shower, as I knew I needed to hurry up so I could get around to getting my hair and make-up done. Drying myself off and wrapping a complimentary robe around my body I hurried back into the salon, and hopped in one of the chairs to get started on my hair.

The lady asked me what I wanted done, and I finally settled on sexy waves and I got my hair cut so I had thick side bangs. Make-up was next and when I was finished I was rocking the smoky-eye look. I felt incredible! My hair felt lighter, after the trim, and the cosmetics the aesthetician had used, felt so weightless and light on my face despite having used quite a bit of it. I was honestly ecstatic to put my dress on!

"When do we get to see your dress Mickie?" Brie called out as soon as I stepped out of the chair.

"Yeah I heard that it's a stunning dress. I've been excited to see it ever since," Maryse spoke up, offering me a smile.

"I love it and its designer. I got it on sale though, which makes me love it even more! I can honestly say I've never been so excited to put on a dress as I am tonight! You will all be seeing it soon and I hope you like it as much as I do… if not I could care less because I adore it," I said with a chuckle.

"Well in that case I'm more than excited to see it," Melina spoke, coming up and giving me a hug.

"I've gotta get back and make sure Ted and Cody are ready, and then get my dress on myself. I promised them I would show them as soon as I got back… Cody has yet to see it," I told her.

She smiled at me, "See you soon babe."

"See you all in a bit! I can't wait to see what everyone else is wearing. Talk to you later," I called out as I made my way to the door receiving various shouts of farewells.

I hurried back to my room and opened the door to find Ted still on my bed, snoring away. Chuckling to myself I jumped on the bed, causing him to fly a few inches into the air. It had the desired effect as he opened his eyes and bolted upright into a sitting position.

"Hey sleepy head, you're going to be late for the party. Have you even had a shower?" I enquired.

"Yeah I had a quick one before we walked Randy to the boat… Micks you look awesome. I love your hair, and the make-up… sexy!" he exclaimed.

I giggled, "Thanks DiBiase, but you should probably go and get dressed now. Pick up Cody on your way back and then we can meet Maria and Eve and we can head to dinner together."

He agreed and was out the door in the next instant. I remained sitting on the bed, picking up my cell phone and finding a new text message – from Randy.

_I had a great time today Mickie, and to be honest it was hard to leave you. Please have a great time tonight and if not for me or for you, for your friends who put this together. See you soon. _

He had sent it about an hour ago. I smiled to myself and held my phone to my chest. Right then I promised myself I was going to have a good night… _for_ my friends just like he said and also because _he_ wanted me to.

I sighed, placing my phone back on the bedside table and forcing myself into a standing position. I walked over to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open to find all of my necessities for tonight all hanging neatly or placed on the shelves. I even found a new cute summer dress with a price tag still on it. I smiled; Melina and Kelly really are something else. They probably bought the dress for me to wear tomorrow.

I grabbed my dress for the evening, the strapless bra and matching underwear I had bought for tonight (Ted going through my underwear… kind of weird, but I am thankful none the less) and disregarding my robe to the floor I set to work pulling all the garments on.

My dress was an amazing coral pink color with a corset bodice and beaded waistband. The ruffle shredded skirt was short in the front and long in the back. It made me feel like a princess, but not in the teenager fairytale way. It just made me feel beautiful.

I put on my matching dangling earrings and bracelet and then I grabbed my silver, strappy stiletto heels and had them on only seconds before the door opened up, and Ted and Cody walked in.

I stood up, smiling, "So how do I look?"

Neither of them said a word as they continued to gawk at me, apparently both at a loss for wards. I started shifting uncomfortably under their scrutinizing gaze.

"What you guys? Do I look bad? Great it's my birthday and I look bad…" I went to turn around but they both grabbed my arm.

"No, no, no, no!"

"What then?"

"Mickie . . ." Ted looked as if he was at a loss for words, "Mickie you look incredible."

"Agreed," Cody said, "And that's saying a lot because you _always_ manage to look good."

"Awe Cody that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"

"Don't get used to it," he winked at me.

"Teddy you are always nice to me . . . ninety percent of the time." I threw my arms around him.

"God I saw the dress on you a few days ago and it was amazing then… now its like… wow I'm at a loss for words! That _never_ happens! Seriously Micks we haven't gotten there yet, but you are going to be the best looking person there . . . apart from me of course," Ted said.

"Oh of course! That's wishful thinking on my part!" I walked across the room and grabbed my clutch off the bed.

"Let's get going," Cody spoke up after checking his phone for the time, "Eve and Maria are waiting in the corridor."

"Well let's not keep them waiting," I said.

Cody headed out the door but Ted stopped me.

"Hey I don't want to see any moping tonight," he said sternly.

"I'm not . . . see," I pointed to me mouth which I curved into a smile, "_this_ is a smile."

"That is a creepy, 'I'm pretending to be happy' smile. I can see right through it James. Enjoy this for yourself; I know that's what Randy would want."

"Yeah we've already talked about this. So . . . tonight is about me . . . yay," I said sarcastically.

"It _is _for you Micks, _you_ deserve it."

"Thanks DiBiase, who knew _you_ could be so nice!"

"People are just full of surprises," he said with a smile.

Cody poked his head back in the door, "Hey you two losers coming?"

**So theres the first part of the birthday!**

**Let me know what you think :)**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, I really appreciate it!**

**I'm going to post a picture of Mickie's dress on my profile if you do want to see it … if not that's okay.**

**Sorry for taking longer to update than usual. I rewrote this entire birthday experience, and I am much happier about it than what I had previously planned.**


	33. Mickie's Birthday Part 2

_Thank you to… Grits0205, __UnbelievinglyRandom__, __emma217__, DiivaLover, __xxmindyloverxx__, __XxFutureWWEDivaxX__, __tvrox12__, __54hlrgirl__, __Claire O'Mack__, Animal-Viper-Cena Fan, Jen, Emily, Grace, __Unfablous__… for all the wonderful reviews :)_

We walked along the corridor and bumped into Maria and Eve who fawned over my dress for at least five minutes, I had a feeling the latter was forcing herself to be nice, until finally Cody cut in and insisted we get going.

"Mickie babe, you look beautiful! Of course like usual," Kelly whispered in my ear after we entered into the dining room to find all the other superstars and divas awaiting our, or unfortunately _my_, arrival.

"Thank you. You do too!"

Kelly was dressed in a strapless fuchsia color dress that had a floral pattern, a flower accent on the front and a bubble hem.

Next up was Melina, who was wearing a deep purple strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and a beaded waistband. The bottom of the dress was feathery and soft… something so different and just adorable. It complimented her darker skin tone.

She pulled me in for a hug, "Happy Birthday baby girl," she whispered to me.

"Thank you Mel. We finally made it to thirty together. I love you," I told her.

After receiving hugs from the Nikki (who was wearing a strapless blue dress with floral accents on the hem), Brie (who was wearing the same dress as her twin but in a rose pink color) , Maryse (who was dressed in a hot pink bandage dress… the style she pulls of so well), Natalya (who was wearing a black strapless mini dress with a hint of sparkle in the material) and Gail (who was wearing a lilac color flowing mini dress with sequin accents on the top) I continued on to our table which took up a huge portion of the dining area and consisted of a handful of superstars – John Cena, Dave Batista, Mike, Tyson Kidd and DH Smith to name a few who all in turn wished me a Happy Birthday as well as Kelly's two sisters – Kathryn and Jennifer.

At the next table there were various other superstars and divas that all waved and shouted happy birthdays in my direction as well. Among those were John Morrison, Alicia, Santino, Zack, Dolph, Phil, Chris Masters, Jack Swagger, Tiffany, Rosa Mendes, Layla and Serena. Jillian, I noticed, pretended she didn't see me. Well what was the point in coming then?

Nikki, Brie, and Gail all took seats at the next table as Ted, Cody, Maria, Eve and I all followed Melina, Kelly and Maryse back to the first table.

"Mickie! Happy Birthday girl . . . you're almost as old as me!" John shouted as he pulled me in for a hug.

"Now that's something every girl wants to hear," I laughed, "Thanks buddy."

"By the way Micks, you look amazing tonight."

"Thanks champ," I said, beaming up at him.

"Mickie James, the woman of the hour . . . and might I say a fine looking one at that," Dave boomed as he pulled me in briefly for a bone-crushing hug of his own.

I smiled at him, "Thanks for coming. How are you?"

"Never better," he winked at me, "Seriously Micks, age really does you justice."

The dining room on this yacht was beautifully done and every piece of furniture complemented the next. There were candles placed along the center of the tables, giving the room a romantic atmosphere. The windows overlooked the ocean and it was beautiful because we could watch as the sun was setting. There were plants in the window panes and beautiful pieces of art hanging on the wall. Above both tables was a huge window, so that once the sun was gone we would be able to see the beautiful stars. The dining room had been built very well, giving the desired effect anyone would hope to come across on a yacht – romance and beautiful surroundings.

Although I was more than grateful for the party, I still felt like something was missing. Actually I didn't feel . . . I _knew _what was missing – Randy Orton. I _also_ knew how ridiculous I was being considering he wasn't my boyfriend. The fact is things _are_ different whether we like it or not and by different I mean better. If anything this is as good as things could be between us.

"So Mickie how does it feel to be the big three oh?" Mike called out interrupting my thoughts.

"Well you'll know in a few months when it's your turn, so I'll save you the surprise."

"Yes we are already planning a romantic couple of days," Maryse said as she linked her arm with his.

"Oh ah yeah, I have one planned too," Ted spoke up causing everyone to turn and stare at him.

"Uhm Ted?" Maria said quietly.

"Oh not with you," he said dismissively. Maria narrowed her eyes as I cleared my throat and nudged him, ". . . it's with, yeah never mind." He took a gulp of his drink.

Cody, I noticed, shot Ted a weird look, "So anyways . . ." and he branched off into a different topic of discussion as I leaned over to my priceless friend.

"Hey what's going on?" I whispered.

"Oh nothing, nothing just trying to . . . fit in? I've been drinking," he said quickly.

"Oh yes that does tend to be a problem," he shrugged his shoulders and then nodded in agreement.

I looked up to see that Maryse was the only one who was paying us any attention until she abruptly turned away and started up a conversation with Mike.

While everyone separated into their own conversations, I appointed myself to smiling and nodding whenever someone mentioned me, but I was lost in my own thoughts once again.

Was I really deluding myself into thinking that maybe just maybe we could give things another shot? I mean I've said it before, it would be hard and to have certain reminders . . . well one could say it would be torturous, but I know that it is worth it. I know that for a fact because of what happened between us today. The beautiful time we spent on the beach… it changed my opinion on the matter. If we were still capable of something like that… what was holding us back from trying again?

We ordered drinks and then our meals while we discussed the plans that would take place after dinner, when I would be opening my presents, and our next pay-per-view – Breaking Point. Finally after we finished our meal, which seemed enjoyable, to everyone else anyways, I wasn't paying much attention and was on my fourth cocktail, which oddly enough wasn't helping to distract me at all, Melina jumped to her feet.

"So presents?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, good idea," Kelly said in agreement as she followed Melina to her feet.

The occupants from the other table pulled their chairs over and crowded around our table to watch as I opened all of my gifts.

"You're going to be happy with the gifts this year Micks. Most are quite sentimental and _very_ memorable," Kelly informed me.

"My kind of gifts," I smiled and then downed the rest of my fifth cocktail, "Okay who's first?"

Well," John spoke up as he glanced around the table, "I'll go."

He handed me a birthday bag with a signature John Cena t-shirt inside, but this one had my face on the front right next to his.

"Oh my gosh! Oh I love it! I can't believe you remembered! I told you this would make money! I wish I could wear it next Monday!"

"Why can't you?"

"Hello, we wouldn't allow her into Legacy . . . no offence," Ted said.

I narrowed my eyes at Ted but then turned my attention back on John with a smile on my face, "Cena I love it! Thank you," I gave him a quick hug.

"Okay here's mine . . . it's totally the best!" Ted said as he handed me a small velvet box and another small silver box, followed by a much bigger box wrapped rather nicely in birthday wrap.

I opened the small one first to find a cute, simple silver locket that when I opened it up, had a picture of Ted's face in it.

I chuckled, "Classic! I love it DiBiase, now I can take you with me wherever I go!"

"That _was_ the idea," he said matter-of-factly.

Then I opened the silver box to find a pink wristband that said 'Team Jameswoggle'.

I grinned, "This makes me so happy to know that you _actually_ listen to me and that stuff does not, in fact, go in one of your ears and out the other."

He sent me a smile as Kelly spoke up, "I'm confused."

"Oh yeah, well the first time I ever talked to Ted, he claimed Legacy was the greatest team in the WWE and I made a joke that Hornswoggle was going to be upset because we were in a 'team'," I looked at everyone, "Er right it's kind of one of those you have to be there moments. Hmm, what's this?"

I picked up the last bigger box and opened it to find such a beautiful Coach purse. One that I had actually been eying up on the website just last week!

"Now Teddy, you had to have seen me looking at this last week. I didn't know you could be so sneaky! First you manage to get all my belongings onto this yacht without me realizing, and now I find you have been peering over my shoulder when I'm on my laptop."

"There's a lot you don't know about me. I'm a man of mystery," he said casually.

I heard laughter to my right, and I looked over to find Cody cracking up in amusement.

"Thanks DiBiase," I wrapped my arms around him in a long embrace, "You are such a great friend," I whispered.

I pulled away, "Cody?"

"Ah yes well don't be expecting anything like these it's just something simple," he said muttered.

"I couldn't imagine anything better," I gave him an encouraging smile as he handed me a picture frame that Eve pulled from her purse. It was a picture of the four of us in the ring last Monday when I was officially incorporated into Legacy. It was the picture of us with our hands held high above our heads.

"I thought it would be a good gift to have. You know a new part in your life. The start of something new so to speak," he explained.

I stared at him in amazement.

"Stupid?" he asked sceptically.

"Cody it's so sweet. Thank you so much. I never thought I'd be this close with you. Honestly you keep on surprising me. Come here," I gestured for him to come over as I stood out of my chair to pull him into a hug. Moments later we felt someone embrace the both of us.

"Ted?" I questioned.

"What it's a Legacy group hug," he said casually, "That was so sweet Cody, I never thought you to be the type!"

Cody and I laughed as both guys wrapped their arms around me again.

"See birthdays don't have to be that 'torturous'… or so you would say," John spoke up.

"I never had a doubt in my mind," I offered him a smile.

Next up was Maryse and the divas who I honestly never expected anything from considering we weren't exactly all that close. The gift was a full day at a specific spa chain in the states. Oh I can't wait until I can use this. I'm not extremely materialistic, but hey who wouldn't enjoy a _free_ day at a spa?

"Thank you girls! You have all become like a family to me. Thanks so much for being here tonight," I looked at all of them individually.

Maryse was the first to speak, "Mickie we just love you, and we are _so_ glad you are back on Raw."

"Yes we missed you so much while you were gone," Brie added with a smile. All the other divas nodded in agreement.

"We were so happy to find our energetic bubbly diva was coming back," Nikki exclaimed.

"And as for us," Serena gestured to the Smackdown ladies, "We have missed you over the last few months!"

"I miss you guys too! It's so hard to leave a place after being there for so long!"

All of the divas, after a few superstars moved out of the way, from both Smackdown and Raw came and pulled me in for a huge group hug… that is of course except for Jillian and… Eve.

"Okay so mine, Kelly's and Dave's are together technically so here you go. I hope you like it," Mel spoke as she handed me two wrapped boxes as the rest of the women were taking their seats again. One was slender and in the shape of a square but it was a lot bigger than the other one. The other was more rectangular but thicker.

I opened the rectangular one first, to find another Coach box but instead of a bag it was a pair of heels.

"Oh how do you guys know these things? I was so close to ordering these online and having them shipped to my house as a surprise for when I got home!"

"Well we're glad you didn't and we hoped that you would like them," Kelly said.

"Honestly we had a tough time deciding what shoes to choose, but we figured you would like these the most. Now open the next one," Melina said eagerly.

I tore the paper off the thinner one to find my final present was an album put together by my two best girlfriends of me time in the WWE over the years. I opened the cover to the first page.

"Oh this was taken the night we met Kelly . . . we went out for drinks to celebrate her new position!" the three of us all looked much the same, but things had changed so much, "That was about three years back."

"That feels so long ago!" Melina said.

"It's been three years and I still love you two like I did then!" Kelly exclaimed.

"Awe us too," I said as I grasped both of their hands briefly. I turned back to the album and flipped to the next page.

"This was Mel's birthday of '06, although being the great friend I am, I'm _not_ going to disclose how old she was then," I looked at my raven haired friend and sent her a wink.

"Oh you are a true friend Mickie James," she said with a smile.

"That's me. Awe this was my farewell party!" I turned to the next page as the divas all crowded around me once more, "Such a sad day!"

"Yeah I remember you guys were crying every five minutes, I'm surprised you were able to pull it together long enough to take a decent picture," Cena spoke up causing everyone to chuckle.

"Oh you're just so sweet. However was I so lucky to end up with you?" Kelly said sarcastically.

"You should have figured that out sooner," he said with a wink.

"_You_ would have had to be very lucky," she teased. They leaned into each other for a quick kiss.

I had to smile at how far all of us had come since then. I remember that farewell party well. Randy had showed up…drunk, and we had gotten into a huge fight, well it was mostly me shouting at him as he appeared not to care. He had been saying nasty things to me all evening, and I just shuddered thinking of the hatred that I had witnessed in his eyes.

"One of the super shows . . . 2008 I think?" I turned next to a picture off all of us Divas (not all that were here tonight or even with the company anymore) – from both shows huddled in for a group picture.

"Yes I think it was the end of that year sometime," Melina informed me.

"Awe me, Nikki, and Brie!" I exclaimed.

"Ooh our spa day! Who was it . . . I think every diva from both rosters give or take a few were all there. It was such a great day just to relax and have fun with one another," Nikki spoke.

A moment later a sound to my right made me look to see that Cody's cell phone was ringing. He pulled it out of his jeans pocket and muttering an apology he excused himself from the table, coming back five minutes later with a smile on his face. I looked at him questioningly, but he only shrugged his shoulders and gestured for me to continue.

We went through more pictures of me and various superstars, few were recent and most were from a year or two back and even a few from the early years of my career. A number from clubs, shopping trips, girls' days, concerts, backstage, autograph signings, vacations, and other various pictures from different periods in my life. There were a few of me, Dave, Paul, Ric and Randy from our Evolution days as well. There had to have been at least fifty pictures and it took us about a half hour to go through them all because there were always stories to go along with each one.

Everyone was laughing at a picture taken last year of me, Dave and Cena with our bodies buried in the sand at a beach in California, from when we were spending a few days at Melina's house, when I flipped to the last page and the smile faded from my face. On the last page of the album, there was a picture of me and Randy at a WWE charity black tie event back in 2005. It happened to be my favourite picture of the two of us from back then. I remember Melina running up and telling us to smile for her. I had told him he should make a funny face just to make her angry (because Melina was a perfectionist), and he said no because he was sincerely afraid of what she might do.

We both started laughing and turned to look at each other just as Melina took the picture. It turned out nicely as we were both staring at each other with smiles on our faces. It hurt to see this picture.

Upon everyone else realizing the same thing they all fell silent.

"We just . . . we just thought he's such a big part of your history it seemed fitting. I'm sorry if . . ." Melina spoke quietly, trailing off.

"No, no I'm . . . glad you did. God we seemed happy hey?" I whispered.

"You were babe. I was there for it, the way you looked at each other. This is a good reminder, one that you should have. What you had was special, and _that's_ what you should remember if anything," she said.

"Yeah well past is past, Orton's a dick now. Just because he's nice for once in awhile, doesn't mean he's changed any," Mike said harshly.

And I may as well be in the ring, because I feel as if I was just sucker punched.

"Mike . . ." Maryse said softly, clearly embarrassed.

"What? Everyone else is thinking the same–"

"Buddy, it's her party alright. That's all between Mickie and Randy," Cody spoke up as he grasped my shoulder in a gesture of support.

Ted took a hold of my hand, "Yeah, you don't really have a–"

Ted cut off abruptly and I looked up from staring at the picture in front of me to see what had stopped him. I followed his gaze and the sight would have knocked me off my feet if I had not been sitting. Motion out of the corner of my eyes told me everyone else had turned to look but I paid no attention. Randy Orton held my gaze and as far as I was concerned nothing else on this planet mattered.

"Randy?" I whispered.

He smirked back at me, "Looks like I missed the party.

_Randy's POV_

Cody smiled and then stood to shake my hand. He was the only one who wasn't completely surprised as I had called him to ask him to send a boat to come and pick me up.

"No man, you're right on time," he spoke.

"This is certainly a surprise . . . but a good one," Ted said as he stood and grabbed a chair to place in between him a Mickie.

He gestured for me to sit down. I could feel everyone else staring but was in no mood to give a damn. I was here for one reason and that was Mickie. Watching her as I walked in, I could tell something was off and seeing the familiar sorrow in her eyes made me want to hold her.

Thinking of how I let her down, forced me off the plane and into a cab to catch the boat out here. I couldn't keep myself from thinking of the wonderful day Mickie and I had spent together, as well as with Ted and Cody… it was honestly something I didn't know I was still capable of. And our time on the beach, although I would never admit it out loud, I hadn't wanted to leave. It had been such a long time since I considered something that personal so perfect. I knew I couldn't abandon her on such a big night nonetheless, and I knew that I couldn't leave.

I hadn't had a chance to call home but I knew Laura was going to be disappointed because we had plans to go for a late movie. However I knew I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I missed Mickie's big night.

"So what's everyone talking about?" I took the chair but while someone (couldn't tell who) stuttered an answer, I looked on the table to see some sort of picture book opened to the last page that held a picture of Mickie and I from years ago – the days that were the happiest for us . . . so simple. Ignoring the emotion building inside I turned to face Mickie.

"Sorry I'm late," I smirked at her.

She smiled back at me, "Don't worry about it. I'm glad you came at all. But I . . . Randy you had a flight, what happened?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Someone told me the food here was good."

She gave me a stern look so I leaned in so that I was closer to her, "You look beautiful Mickie. I'm sure you've been told already, but you do."

She stared at me for a moment before looking down at her hands, "Thank you," she whispered. I knew she wasn't only thanking me for the compliment, but also for showing up.

I fought with myself the entire way to the marina because I knew how inappropriate everything was between Mickie and I and I also knew that if I did show up everything was going to change, but I came anyway.

This type of change was good for the now and for my selfishness, but in the long run it was going to do more harm than good and yet I wouldn't, no I couldn't turn back. This was what I wanted for years, and it was going to happen at the expense of others. I'm beginning to think that I may be as bad as everyone seems to think, but just for different and _much_ worse reasons.

_Mickie's POV_

"I'm going to use the ladies room, I'll be right back."

Pushing my way through the small crowd consisting of both superstars and divas in the event room, I finally made my way to the empty washroom. Taking a deep breath I surveyed my appearance in the mirror. It was as if a smile was permanently fixed on my face. All I needed for my birthday was the man who could drive me crazy one minute and make me happy the next.

I know that I said it was impossible, but I couldn't help my feelings for him and it seemed that they just became stronger everyday... especially taking into consideration the overwhelming sense of need I felt for him on the beach today. When he showed up at the restaurant and my eyes met his… for the first time that evening all of my fears and problems vanished for that moment and it felt, even if it was just for an instant, as if everything was going to be okay.

But deep down in that place called reality that I tried so hard to ignore, life at this time was far from _okay_ because I was a mess. And as much as he might want to think otherwise, Randy was as well and both of us needed to figure this out if anything was ever going to be normal.

I stared back at myself in the mirror and made the decision that all of that mature, 'right thing to do' stuff was going to have to wait until later. I knew that I was being a coward but I just couldn't help myself, I didn't want to live in the future. I wanted to remain in the moment and this moment, although it was so far from being so, had the appearance of being perfect, and for _now_ that was good enough for me.

As for the actual party, it was of course beautiful. Melina, Kelly and a few other Divas had apparently helped to decorate the place all day and to my complete horror they had a picture of me blown up and hung from the ceiling! Over the last couple of hours I had made many attempts to tear it down, but given my obvious height disadvantage (yes once again it was unfair to be short) you can imagine how _that_ went. One area of the venue had a table filled with finger foods, the bar was in full stock with more than one bartender, and the dance floor was as usual crowded with the superstars, divas, and a few friends who had joined us after dinner, having arrived on the boats sometime after Randy had.

With one final look in the mirror, I pushed my way through a group of rather drunk divas who had just entered and slipped back into the loud party room. After searching for about ten minutes I finally found who I was looking for – leaning against the wall near the second and less populated bar area, Randy spotted me approaching and sent a smirk my way.

"I thought you must have gotten lost," was the first thing he said.

"Awe did you miss me?" I teased as I came close enough so I was standing in front of him.

"Not in the least, I enjoy my alone time."

"Can you really be alone in a room full of fifty or so people?" I questioned him.

"I've perfected that skill over the years. I'm not much of a people person," he shrugged his shoulders.

"And here I thought you were just shy," I teased him.

"Funny," he said sarcastically as I sent him a smile.

"So since I'm the birthday girl, I think you owe me a dance now given that you've been avoiding the dance floor all night."

"Oh so _now_ you're the birthday girl when you want something? An hour ago you were complaining about all the attention," he said.

"That's exactly why I'm asking _you_ to dance. Everyone stays away from me when you're around, see?" I gestured that the part of the room we were standing in was quite empty. "You must have known there was a reason behind me inviting you," I smiled and sent him a wink.

"I'm sure that was the _only_ reason," he said sarcastically, "I'm pretty sure you were worried about who would drag Ted back to his room."

"You caught me!" I snapped my fingers in mock disappointment before crossing my arms. "Besides, should I _really_ have to? It _is_ my birthday!"

"I wouldn't have known it was your birthday if it wasn't for the huge poster hanging from the roof," he was teasing me now.

"You just had to remind me!" I exasperated.

He leaned down, "If I may be so bold, it happens to be my favourite picture." And _now_ he was mocking me.

"You just get funnier and funnier don't you? I _will_ get that thing down if it's the last thing I do!" I promised.

He set his empty beer bottle down on the counter and placed his right hand in his pocket, "I guess I can allow one dance, since I didn't get you much of a present." He grabbed my hand with his left one.

I smiled, "I didn't expect–"

Before I could finish telling him that I didn't expect nor want anything from him he turned my right hand palm up and placed in it a familiar looking piece of jewellery he had pulled from his pocket.

Why did this look so familiar? I inhaled sharply and tilted my head up to meet his gaze. His face was expressionless, but his eyes told a different story. In that instant I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

_Flashback_

"_See it wasn't that bad! You were all stressed out for no reason," I said dismissively to Randy before grasping his hand and intertwining our fingers while we strolled down the street away from my parent's house._

"_Is your family always that nice? Or was today just a special occasion?" he inquired._

"_I would hardly classify you coming over for dinner as a special occasion," I joked before continuing, "but yes my family is really laid back and . . ." I stopped walking to pull him closer to me, "they loved you." I reached up to give him a quick peck on the lips, "Just like I do."_

"_Of course they did," he said arrogantly before smiling, "you have a wonderful family Micks, I know where you get it from now."_

"_Well," I flipped my hair over my shoulder, "I don't mean to brag but," I let out a fake yet very dramatic sigh, "I am pretty awesome."_

_A smile grew on my face and I met his gaze again just in time to see the amusement playing in his eyes._

"_Oh you think so do you?" he pulled me into his arms and then lifting me off the ground he threw me over his shoulder._

"_Randy," I screamed through my laughter, "put me down!"_

"_Mickie we both know who carries the awesome in our relationship and it's not you. So all you need to do is tell me that and I will put you down," he told me as he started walking slowly._

"_Never! That would be like giving in to terrorists and I sir am a loyal patriot!" I said theatrically. I lifted my head to see a few residents of this neighbourhood abandon their yard work and stare at the commotion that was us. I chuckled to myself, how weird we must look!_

"_Well then you are staying up there forever!" he said casually._

"_You'll get tired eventually," I stopped squirming and crossed my arms awkwardly._

"_I'm a wrestler; I could do this all day!"_

"_Oh yeah?" I challenged_

"_Watch me," he called over his shoulder._

_I smiled again, to myself, and let my arms dangle as I started squirming again but this time I did so more forcefully._

"_Mickie, I'm gonna–" he said worriedly but before he could finish he lost his footing and fell forward. Luckily he was able to aim for the grass and he positioned himself so he fell beside instead of on me._

_I lifted my head to take in his surprised expression and then fell into fits of laughter. I could see the confusion spread across his face but it quickly faded into a smile and eventually he was chuckling along with me. After the laughter died away I rested my head against the soft grass. The sun felt nice and warm on my face – this was the perfect summer's day._

"_I thought you were big and strong?" I teased without meeting his gaze._

"_Well when you started flailing around the neighbours probably thought I was trying to abduct you or something," he said indifferently._

"_Oh so you decide to drop me?"_

"_It was an accident, but I mean you were getting a little heavy," he teased._

"_Are you calling me fat?" I narrowed my eyes._

"_Mickie your body is sexy; entirely yours and I love every part of it and will love you no matter what. You will never be able to get rid of me that easily."_

_I didn't know what to say so I pulled his lips onto mine and wrapped my arms around his neck. After a few moments I pulled away, "What if I joined some religious cult and had to shave my hair off to offer up to some god or something?"_

"_First off, do people really do that?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders as he continued, "And second, as long as you didn't try to convert me and also if you wore some type of hat or wig around me, that would be nice."_

_I laughed and then punched him in the arm. I pushed myself into a sitting position and glance around. The owner of the house whose lawn we were lounging on was staring out the window. Shaking my head in amusement I stood up and sent them an apologetic wave._

_I looked down at Randy who had his arms behind his head, "Come on," I said while extending my hand, "We've got ourselves an audience."_

"_We've always got an audience, why are you all of a sudden worried about it?" he sat up._

"_These people are no doubt friends or acquaintances of my parents which means that stories are more than likely passed around . . ."_

"_Good point," he muttered and then grasped my hand so I could help pull him to his feet._

_We continued walking in silence for a few moments._

"_I'm tired, why couldn't we have driven from your house to your parents?" he complained._

"_Oh don't be a baby, it's not going to kill us to do a bit of walking," I mocked him._

"_Well considering how much you've been working me the last two days I think I deserve a break," he winked at me and pulled me towards him to wrap an arm around my waist._

"_First of all we should enjoy the days we have alone, and second of all if you're not up for it, I'm sure I could work something out by myself," I said coyly._

_He raised his brows, "Don't say that in public if you expect me to behave myself," he said seriously._

_I chuckled, "That's what I thought."_

_We turned a corner and noticed in the near distance a table with two chairs set up at the end of a driveway. As we got closer I observed two girls who couldn't have been much older than eight years old sitting in the chairs._

_I approached the set up and read the sign hanging off the front of the table – 'Bracelets for sale $2'_

"_Are you interested in buying a bracelet?" the brunette child asked me. I could see the excitement grow on her face at the prospect of making a sale._

_I smiled down at her, "Oh yes I would love to buy one of these beautiful bracelets."_

_Letting go of Randy's hand I searched through the ten bracelets sitting on the table, "These are amazing girls, did you make them?"_

"_Yes," the blonde one of the two spoke shyly. She looked up at Randy quickly before turning away and blushing._

"_My mom bought us both a jewellery making kit for our birthdays which happen to be only two days apart. So we decided to make bracelets," the brunette explained loudly._

_I smiled once again, "Good choice. I can tell you two are best friends. How long have you known each other?"_

_The two girls looked at one another before the blonde spoke up, "Since we were babies,"_

"_Yeah our moms are best friends, so of course we are too," the other added._

"_I can see that. Well that's very special. It's nice to have a friend who knows everything about you. So I'll take this one."_

_I picked up a bracelet made with different coloured beads – light pearl colors in the form of blues, pinks, yellows and a few white ones as well as darker versions of the same colors. In between each colourful bead was a smaller silver coloured one. The bracelet was stretchy and had one small charm hanging off the bracelet in the form of a silver key. I dug around in my pocket and pulled out a few bills. Some were dollars bills but I disregarded those and handed the girls a twenty dollar bill instead._

"_Here you go. This bracelet in my opinion is worth much more than two dollars. Thank you so much girls."_

_Both girls stared at the money with surprise before turning to stare at me._

"_This is a lot of money," the blonde said._

_I laughed, "And this bracelet is well worth it."_

_The brunette jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around my waist._

"_Oh," I said._

_She pulled away, "Thanks so much!" she chimed._

_I smiled at her, "No problem. Good luck with the rest of them."_

_I turned to face Randy to find he was looking at me with an expression of incredulity. I started walking again and he hurried to keep pace with me._

"_What?" I questioned him._

_He grinned at me, "How did I end up with such an amazing girlfriend?"_

"_You got lucky," I stated._

_He pulled me into his body again and embraced me for a few moments before I pulled away still fingering the bracelet in my hands._

"_I was sure you were going to go for the bracelet with the heart charm or at least the butterfly one."_

"_I thought about it, but I realized this one was more appropriate," I looked up to meet his gaze._

"_Why is that?"_

_I smiled and grabbed his hand to slip the bracelet quickly around his wrist._

"_Seriously? There's pink on it!" he exclaimed, "And I mean it's a bracelet, and dudes don't wear bracelets," he cleared his throat._

_I smiled up at him and played with the charm hanging off the chain, "It's the key to my heart Randy, and it belongs to you," I whispered._

_He stared down at me in silence as his expression softened. He drew me close to him once again and planted a soft kiss on my forehead, "I promise to look after it," he whispered._

_I knew with confidence that he would do just that._

I picked the bracelet up out of my hand and surveyed it for a few moments. The tears threatened to fall but I blinked them back and sniffled instead. There was no smile on my face when I turned my attention back to the man in front of me. The promise made five years ago had been broken on both our parts and the man standing in front of me was not the same man from that memory.

. . . And yet he had kept the bracelet all of these years. It was such a small gesture, but the bracelet had meant everything to me, to us. Why was he giving me this now?

I studied his face for an answer, but I got nothing. His expression was impassive and expressionless – nothing at all like it once was.

"Why–" I began but was interrupted by a tapping on my shoulder.

I turned around to come face to face with Jillian Hall.

"Jillian what are you–"

"Look at you," she cut me off and I could tell she was drunk because she was slurring her words, "All happy and smiley tonight. He," she gestured to Randy behind me, "seems to have that effect on women, but how often is it ever really genuine?"

"What are you talking about?" I enquired while watching her down the rest of her drink and place the cup on the bar to be taken back by the bartender.

I shoved the bracelet into my clutch for fear of losing it.

"What am _I _talking about? Like you don't know about Randy and his favourite sport – the divas," she stumbled a bit but managed to remain standing.

I shifted uncomfortably and crossed my arms, "Get the point Jillian," I said impatiently.

She smirked at me and slowly took a step forward keeping an eye on her footing, "Things seem to be so perfect for you right now, but you're fooling yourself Mickie James, he's only going to screw you over. It's what he does."

Glancing briefly to my right I took in the forms of Ted, Cody, Eve, and Maria approaching us.

"Mickie what–" Cody began but was cut off by me.

"You make it seem like you know him Jillian . . . you don't, so get over yourself." I went to walk away but she stumbled forward to grab my arm and hold me in place.

"It may be hard to imagine but he and I had a thing a few months back," she nodded in Randy's direction.

"I would hardly call it a thing," Randy spoke for the first time.

She looked at him and smiled, "Still," she shrugged her shoulders, "it happened." She emitted a girly giggle.

"What Randy does on _his_ spare time, really isn't any of my concern," I snarled.

"Keep telling yourself that," she whispered in my ear before giggling again.

I finally wrenched my arm out of her grasp only to see that Kelly, John, Melina and Dave had joined the group of confused onlookers.

"Oh Mickie I'll get to my point just for you, and the rest of your friends standing here," she gestured to the small group of people that had formed around us.

"What I'm getting at is those nights we would spend together, it was actually before you showed up," she smiled briefly before it turned into a scowl, "and _then_ you showed up, and we didn't get together as often after that, but when we did, _trust me_, he didn't have very many nice things to say about you."

I glared at her. Why was she doing this and in front of all of my friends? And then it dawned on me. Jillian had _always_ been pleasant to me during our years in the WWE _until_ I came back to Raw.

She had feelings for Randy.

Oh what a silly girl. I mean she was absolutely beautiful, but she couldn't have possibly believed anything would have continued beyond hook-ups with the Viper did she? He didn't do relationships; and once women started to understand what went on in the mind of his, the better off they all would be.

The _only_ reason I was able to play his stupid game was because for the most part I understood him, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to stop me from getting hurt. Once again, the sick pleasure I got from pain had taken over my life.

Jillian's scowl turned into a smirk, "You wanna hear? No?" she leaned in, "Well I'll tell you anyway," she whispered and then winked.

"Jillian," Randy's voice was a hiss and I was surprised to see that it had no effect on her like it normally would – the bonus of alcohol becoming a person's liquid courage.

She turned her attention to him, "What's the matter Randy? Scared it might screw things up between the two of you? Don't worry I'm more fun than Mickie is anyways," she sent a wink in his direction this time.

"Vindictive _and_ delusional, not very good traits Jillian," Randy snarled.

Her eyes narrowed and any hint of amusement vanished from her face, "What? You don't remember telling me how much you couldn't stand her? That you don't know how you ever dated her and that it was _by far_ the biggest mistake you ever made. You claimed she wasn't worth any of 'the shit' you had to go through! Any of this _ringing_ a bell?" she shouted.

Each word she spoke was like a separate blow and I found myself resisting the urge to cry for a second time tonight. I was tempted to turn and face the man who had disappointed me once again, but I forced myself to keep my focus on the diva standing in front of me.

How could he have confided in her? There was a chance she was lying but he hadn't denied it.

She smiled back at me and reached forward to push the hair away that had fallen in my eyes, "Awe betrayal hurts like a _bitch_ doesn't it?"

I slapped her hand away. I wasn't going to give her the chance to gloat and I definitely wasn't going to embarrass myself at my own birthday party. This was for Randy and I to deal with behind closed doors and the last thing I wanted was for Jillian to feel satisfaction from starting another bout of public drama. I put on my best game face; I was _not_ going to be humiliated.

_Randy's POV_

I couldn't understand for the life of me what was going on in Jillian's head but at this point the only thing I gave a damn about was what was going on in Mickie's. I remember saying all of it but I also remember what mine and Mickie's relationship was like back then. Coming across each other after not having had a_ real_ discussion in years was hard and throwing the last few months of our relationship into the mix can I really be blamed? But if I know Mickie, what had been said wasn't as much of a problem as who it had been said to.

If I do recall correctly that night I had gotten pretty wasted after running into Mickie her first night back and Jillian had shown up at my door. It was one night that I said anything to her, not more than one occasion like Jillian had made it out to be. That was also the last time I hooked up with her, but apparently I hadn't ended it soon enough. This year I had a string of bad luck with women.

"So . . ." Mickie bowed her head and took a step towards Jillian, "let me get this straight," she put her hands together, "The times you hooked up with Austin Powers here . . ." she jerked a thumb in my direction. I rolled my eyes and smirked, same old Mickie.

". . . You spent the time discussing me. Forgive me, but I hardly consider that something to brag about."

She had a point, if Jillian thought she could compare to Mickie in my eyes, she had another thing coming. I was getting sick and tired of this shit, why did I seem to end up with the clingy, whiny broads?

Jillian's eyes narrowed but she remained silent.

"You see Jillian, you come up to me at my _own _birthday party none the less and think you are going to embarrass me in front of all my friends," Mickie motioned to the small crowd that had gathered to the right of us, "well you are sadly mistaken. Like I told you before, what goes on between Randy Orton and me is between the two of us and I am getting _so_ sick of people trying to stick their nose in what doesn't concern them."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "_I'm_," she pointed to herself, "sleeping with Randy Orton, not you or anyone else, and I'm not dating him. There it's out in the open, say whatever you want. Call me what you want – a tramp, a sell-out or call me pathetic because I just _don't_ care anymore. The fact of the matter is Jillian, _you_ meant nothing to him and don't feel bad, you aren't the only woman he's used, but at least _I_ can go to sleep at night knowing that regardless of him not admitting it or the times he denies it, I _mean_ something him – I always have and I always will. And that Jillian Hall is _much_ more than you can say for yourself."

I didn't know what to say or think or how to react because she was right, about all of it. The problem was that I didn't know what to do anymore because this wasn't just about me this was also about–

"Aghhhh," Jillian cried out, which brought me to my senses in time to see her tackle Mickie to the ground. I heard screams come from a few girls standing in the group gathered near us. I guess Jillian didn't take too kindly to Mickie's words of . . . wisdom?

"Ted, Cody!" I ordered while making my way over to the two Divas rolling on the ground both trying to gain the upper hand.

Both men came to my side and we were trying to work out how best to go about this but before we decided, Jillian had grabbed a hold of Mickie's hair and was tugging on it viciously.

Mickie let out a cry of pain and that triggered something in my head. I lunged forward and snaked my arm around Jillian's waist to pull her away. I grabbed her hand and disentangled it from Mickie's hair to stop the pain she was inflicting. She was flailing around but I managed to get her a good distance from Mickie.

"Jillian get a hold of yourself!" I hissed and upon hearing me she stopped moving.

Ted and Cody were helping Mickie to her feet as Jillian muttered a curse and stumbled off. I saw Ted bend down to scoop up Mickie's clutch and hand it to her as she smoothed out her dress.

She tried fixing her hair as she turned to Ted and muttered something in his ear. He gave her a sympathetic glance and reached out to smooth out her hair.

I think it was at that moment she noticed how much bigger the crowd had gotten and the embarrassment crept onto her face. I wanted to wrap an arm around her and was about to approach her when she turned her gaze upon me. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and hatred – two things Mickie didn't deserve to feel. Once again I had let her down.

She took a few steps towards me with Ted and Cody following but I think she had reached her limit. I witnessed the tears form in her eyes.

She turned and ran down the two steps that lead away from the bar and headed towards the exit ignoring all the shouts from her friends.

"Mickie," I muttered and went to run after her but was stopped – to my surprise – by Ted and Cody.

"Man just let her go," Cody said quietly.

"You've done enough," Ted added. I had never seen him more serious.

"This is between Mickie and me," I snarled, "stay out of it." I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Randy this was her birthday," Ted sighed.

"No shit," I said. They both stared back at me and I turned to see the crowd of on-lookers had dispersed.

I put my head in my hands and then rubbing my one hand over my face I turned and kicked a stool over. The bartender shot me a dirty glare but hurried off to help someone when I sent a glare back.

I turned back to face my two friends, "What the hell am I supposed to do? I didn't tell Jillian to come up and say all of that shit!"

"You caused her more pain and humiliation and on such a special night no less," Ted said.

I whirled around to face him, "No, no . . . no this is _not_ my fault! I didn't even remember saying that shit until she brought it up. I didn't mean it. You know it, Mickie knows it, hell everyone knows it!"

Was there one girl on this planet who was a good lay and didn't get all clingy after a hook up? I mean what the hell happened to a good old fashion one night stand? Casual sex with _no_ strings attached.

"Look I need to see her," I looked to Cody for support.

Cody looked to Ted and shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'it couldn't be any worse than what just happened' causing Ted to roll his eyes.

"You better apologize," he threatened.

"Ted?" I spoke.

"Yeah?" he said rudely.

"Don't tell me what to do," I hissed.

Ted's tough guy expression broke, "Yeah . . . sure . . . right."

I turned to head towards the exit but I whirled around to face them again, "You know you two aren't the only ones who care about her. But she's lucky to have you."

Cody mocked cleaning out his ear, "Ted, did he just say something nice?"

"I _think_ so, but I might've heard him wrong, you want to say that again just so we can clear up the confusion?" Ted teased.

I smirked and sent then the middle finger.

"And he's back," Cody remarked.

I turned my back to them and started pushing my way through the crowd towards the exit when I looked up to see the huge poster still hanging over the dance floor.

_Mickie's POV_

I wiped a tear from my cheek and pulled my blanket up closer. My hands rested on top playing with the bracelet Randy had given me less than an hour ago.

I can't believe anything that just happened. I mean I guess I deserved to be attacked considering how rude I was, but it didn't make any of it less humiliating. Everyone had witnessed it and I probably made it worse by letting the tears fall and by running out like a child. But facing everyone seemed almost worse by comparison so I did the only thing I could think of – getting as far away as possible.

For me that was locking myself away in my suite, relieving myself of my dress and throwing my body under the covers of my safe hotel bed.

I wasn't mad at what had been said. Could I hardly blame him for feeling that way? Back then I would have said the same thing, but for him to relay all that to a diva he was merely screwing, that's what was wrong with this whole situation. And for her to come at me on my birthday in front of all my friends . . . I don't care if she has 'feelings' for him, it wasn't right.

I wiped another tear from my cheek as a knock resounded on the door.

A moment later the door opened up and Melina poked her head in, "Hey I came to see if you were okay?"

I offered a weak smile, "Yeah I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me Mickie Laree, I know when you're lying." She came forward and sat on the edge of my bed, placing a hand on my arm in comfort.

I pushed myself into a sitting position, "Really, I'm just embarrassed is all."

She just continued to look at me, surveying my face. "What did you come here for Melina?"

"I told you–"

"Yeah maybe you wanted to check on me, but I know the reason you're here. It's about what I admitted tonight isn't it. Go ahead let me have it," I said more rudely than I should have.

She emitted a sigh, "Mickie are you really sleeping with Randy?"

I raised my chin up, "Yes."

"Are you two dating? I mean sometimes it seems as if you are–"

"No we aren't and to be honest I'm not thinking about it. Randy and I are friends again, sure friends with benefits, but friends none the less. I want him in my life Melina, I _need_ him in my life."

"I don't want to sound like your mother, but do you really think it's a good idea? I mean with all of your history involved. If he really wanted a relationship he would have engaged in one by–"

"So what… you're saying that he's using me for sex?"

"No of course not. He cares about you; I can see it by the way he looks at you. He may think he's hiding it but he isn't. I mean maybe before it seemed like he didn't but things are different now aren't they?" she enquired.

I nodded my head slightly, not meeting her gaze. "Yes," I said quietly. "Things are a lot different. We're getting along and my feelings for him are becoming stronger everyday. It's just confusing is all."

"I'm just worried that maybe he doesn't want a relationship with you… don't get me wrong he cares about you, but he's had his chance and he hasn't taken it. I don't want you to get hurt Mickie," she said softly and sincerely

"I understand that, but this is my life okay. I make mistakes, especially when it comes to Randy because I'm basically blind around him, but I need to make these mistakes on my own. I just… nights like these, when I find out something I didn't know, it just makes me wonder about him. He's so different, that sometimes I can't get a read on him. There's just so much he isn't telling me, I just don't know what it is or what to make of it all."

She smiled at me, "The important thing is that he _does_ care about you. Who cares what Jillian said, she's just jealous. Randy gave us enough money to pay for all of the catering, and the DJ. He didn't even know what he was paying for… he just insisted on giving us money. He also firmly told me that I wasn't supposed to tell you that because you would probably kill him, but I think you deserve to know."

I looked up at her, "Thank you."

She placed a soft kiss on my cheek before standing up, "I insisted on coming in here before him, but he's actually waiting outside."

She said goodbye and opened the door to exit before Randy strode into the room closing the door behind him.

"I thought you might show up," I said quietly.

I saw the sympathy in his eyes (something that I wasn't used to anymore), "Mickie, I'm," he cleared his throat, "I'm sorry about what happened. I had no idea she was going to bring that up and to be honest I have no idea _why_ she did."

I stared at him before throwing the covers off me and standing up, "She has feelings for you Randy."

"What? No we spent a few . . . nights together," he said dismissively.

"They were obviously pretty amazing to her, and nothing to you. How can you do that? How can you just shut yourself down?" I pleaded.

His face hardened, "I just can. I wasn't looking for a long term relationship. I made the rules clear to every woman, why am I to be held responsible when it's their feelings that get in the way?"

"Because you know how to manipulate people Randy, how to play them, and you don't care if they get hurt," I said calmly.

"It's not _my_ problem!"

I bowed my head in silence before bringing my head back up to face him, "I can't say I blame her. I've been back a few months and I'm already struggling with my feelings for you."

For once I was sure he didn't know what to say. I swore I saw a hint of regret and sadness flicker through his eyes, but my eyes must have been playing a trick on me once again.

"You can't say I don't care Mickie, I _don't_ care about those other girls, but I _do_ care about you and when you're hurting it kills me to see it. I don't know why this is or rather I do and I don't want to acknowledge it. I don't want to bring up the past, or to have to think about it," he was silent for a moment. "Mickie there's something I need to tell–"

"Do you remember when we bought this?" I lifted the bracelet up to eye view, "How happy we were together? Everything seemed so simple."

"Every relationship is simple five months in," he said quietly.

"Yeah but do you think things could ever be like that again?" I knew it was a silly question but I was hoping that he would give me a different answer than the one I had given myself.

He shook his head slightly, "Not between us. It would only be harder. Do you see why we can't pursue this?"

I sniffled again, "Yes." This was another lie. I was willing to give it another go, despite the obvious pain that would come with it, but if Randy wasn't ready for it, or if he did not want to, than I wasn't going to push him on it. I wanted him to be happy, even if that meant sacrificing my own happiness.

"I'm sorry again . . . for tonight."

I forced a smile and shook my head, "Don't worry about it, it's not your fault. Are you . . . are you going to stay?"

He was silent for a moment, "I have an afternoon flight, so I should probably head back just in case I oversleep or something."

I nodded my head without meeting his gaze, "Yeah of course. Thanks for coming tonight. Good night." I turned and placing the bracelet on the nightstand, I crawled back into my bed and turned my back to him.

I heard him sigh, "Mickie . . ." the bed sank down behind me under his weight. He leaned across my body, "Are you upset?"

"Why would I be?" I said indifferently.

There was silence for a moment as he moved off the bed. I heard footsteps and I lifted my head slightly to see him walking towards the door. My heart sank as the door opened, but when I didn't hear it close I turned my body. Randy was standing outside the door and he appeared to have a good grip on something. He finally came back into the room with a huge long round thing in his arms. I sat up, it wasn't . . .

"You didn't," I narrowed my eyes.

He smirked at me, "I did."

He let the object unroll, and taking up a good portion of the room was the poster that had been hanging above the dance floor in the event room.

"I was going to use it as a bribe if you didn't forgive me when I apologized," he said with a grin.

"But how . . . did Melina let you take it?"

"I told her it was going to help you feel better."

He dropped the one end so it fell to the floor as he walked over it to come to my side again, "As much as I'm going to hate to see you destroy it, if it helps I _will_ allow it."

I smiled up at him, "Tomorrow I will go to work on it. Thank you," I said sincerely.

"You know Mickie as hesitant as I am to say it, things are different, all you have to do is ask."

I was confused until he pulled his shirt off, followed by his jeans. He climbed into bed beside me after turning off the lamp and turned onto his side. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to his body so my back was against his front.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

"You still seem sad… would it help if I told you another secret?"

I turned my body over to face him, "You have another one?"

"One more," he spoke. "It's another from our road trip… just before we got into that bar fight, do you remember when I asked you to dance with me so I could get the women to leave me alone?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you remember what song was playing?" he asked.

I thought for a moment, "Yeah, Madonna's Crazy For You."

"You asked me if I remembered that song–"

"Yeah and you said 'Madonna isn't my idea of a good time'. What about it?" I enquired, curious as to what he was about to tell me.

"I lied Mickie. I remember that song just as profoundly as you do – from my family reunion of 2004. I didn't want to tell you I remembered, because like I said I hate having to bring up the past. It was like a slap in the face of painful memories. Women aren't the only ones who remember moments like that, guys just pretend like they don't care," he explained.

I stared at him, "God you are just full of secrets. Next you're gonna tell me you paid those guys to attack us in the bar to make you look tough or something!"

"In case you forgot, I was getting my ass handed to me. You had to help with three of the guys. That hardly makes me look tough," he muttered.

I laughed quietly before turning back to face the wall, with my back against his front, "I'm glad you told me that, and I'm happy that you remembered that. It's such a small thing, and it _is_ in the past, and we _aren't_ dating, but it still means a lot to me. So thank you."

There was silence until I turned my head to face him again, "Melina told me about the amount of money you gave them for tonight."

"Does anyone know how to keep secrets around here?" he exclaimed.

I offered a small smile, "Why? I mean you weren't even going to be here, and you just give Melina, what appears to be, a pretty steep amount of money."

He sighed, "I wanted you to have the best birthday Mickie – no one deserves that more than you. You're a good person whether you believe it or not. And all these people came to celebrate you… do you really think this many people would show up for anyone else? You've made your mark in the WWE, and it's a good one at that."

We were silent and still for a moment not knowing what else to say until Randy started moving around. I didn't know what he was doing, but I remained in my position not really curious.

"Happy Birthday," he whispered in my ear as he grabbed my hand and slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.

Things may be far from perfect and we may never be able to have a real relationship again, and if this was as close to one as we could get, than I was more than willing to settle for it.

**The end of Mickie's birthday! Please let me know what you think :)**

**Is it better that Randy came back, or should he have gone home? What is your opinion?**

**I really expected Randy to come out at the end of Monday Night and be all like "Cena may not be able to touch you, but I can" and then RKO Wade Barrett. That would have been the perfect end to Raw! I feel so bad for Cena ahh! **

**Oh and what are your thoughts on the supposed botch in Randy's match? Everyone is making such a big deal out of it and blaming it on Randy. He was way out of the way, Justin overshot the 450 and landed much farther than he would have normally. **

**Anyone else want Nattie to win at Bragging Rights? I hope she does – Canadian pride and all :) And also because she deserves it a lot… she has tremendous skill and potential.**

**Lastly I get to go to Raw in Calgary on Monday! I'm so excited! Last time I went it was Smackdown in 2005, and I got to see John Cena which was wonderful. But after being a fan of Randy for almost 7 years I finally get to see him live, I'm so stoked :)**

**Anyways please read and review, I appreciate all of your support !**


	34. Setting up a match for Breaking Point

I'm late, I'm late! Oh shit management does not condone lateness in any situation. Maybe I'll get lucky and they won't notice. I threw open the door to the arena and hustled through the hallways as Raw's pyro went off and 'Burn it to the ground' played throughout the arena. The fans were nuts tonight as their shouts and cheers filled the entire arena.

So I bet you are wondering about the fate of the huge life size poster of me. I had my fun with a pair of scissors and honestly it took me half an hour to finish cutting it into little pieces much to the dismay of an on looking Randy Orton. What I didn't contemplate before hand was how much of a mess it was going to be, and when I went to ask Randy for help cleaning it up, he said he needed to get to the airport and then hurried out the door yelling a good bye over his shoulder. What kind of friends do I have? I mean Ted nor Cody showed up until _after_ I finished cleaning up, and I had a feeling that Randy had pre warned them about staying away from my suite. It took me the better part of an hour, but to be honest it was worth the pleasure I felt while going at it with the scissors. You may think that sounds weird, but that picture was _horrifying_! I mean okay it was a pretty good picture, but I hate that kind of attention!

We got to spend another few hours on the yacht before we had to head back, so Ted, Cody and I indulged ourselves in the jet skis for an hour or so, and didn't have much time for anything other than the Jacuzzi afterwards. Cody also took advantage of the available free food, and well you know Cody he wasn't feeling so good afterwards. Suffice to say it was a wonderful twenty-four plus hours of birthday party fun!

By the time I finally made it to the Legacy locker room (after stopping in the costume department) the first match of the night had already started. Without pausing to take a breath I barrelled through the door of our locker room.

"Mickie where the hell have you been?" Ted shouted upon noticing me.

"I–"

"Yeah we thought you died!" Cody cut me off.

"Thanks for putting that image in my head," I said sarcastically, "My cell phone died!"

"I had to tell everyone you were going to be late because you had food poisoning and a crazy bout of diarreah," Ted explained.

My eyes widened, "You didn't!" I gasped.

"I'm afraid he did. I _told_ him you were gonna kill him," Cody said matter-of-factly before pulling on his Legacy t-shirt.

"Ted!" I shrieked, "I'm going to kill you!" I charged forward and tackled him to the floor with ease because he hadn't been expecting it. Before I could throw any form of slap, hit, or punch, I stopped moving abruptly because I was stunned at what I was witnessing.

Ted was emitting multiple very girly screams and yelling every once in awhile "Cody help me!"

"What is going–" Randy rushed out of the bathroom but stopped dead when he witnessed Ted on the ground and me on top of him.

I backed up slowly to position myself by Cody, still shocked at Ted's reaction.

We all tilted our heads to stare and moments later Ted unwrapped his arms from his head and lifted it to survey us.

He jumped to his feet and cleared his throat, "What's up?" he asked in a very deep voice.

"What–" Cody started.

"the hell–" Randy continued.

"was that?" I whispered.

Ted's eyes widened, "She caught me off guard!" he cried out. He cleared his throat again, "I mean, I have a cold so my voice is all messed up . . . because of my sore . . . throat?"

Randy, Cody and I exchanged looks of disbelief before erupting into laughter. Cody and I were doubled over laughing as Randy managed a chuckle.

"Oh Ted," I continued laughing and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm not even mad anymore!" I informed him between fits of laughter.

He raised his chin up in a proud gesture, "That was my plan!" he placed his hands on his hips.

"Yeah sure," I said dismissively as I walked past him to dig through my bag. I turned around to find all three men staring at me now, "What?" I shifted uncomfortably.

"Where were you Mickie? You know the rules about being late," Cody reminded me.

"Yeah they frown upon that around here," Ted said matter-of-factly.

I glared at Ted, "Yeah I know it's not like I planned it. I went for my hair appointment, and the lady was running late, so I ended up leaving, got stuck in rush hour traffic, got to the hotel to find you three morons left me, got stuck in some more damn traffic, and here we are," I took a deep breath, "_and_ I didn't even get my hair done!"

"That's the stupidest reason ever! You better go with the diarreah excuse," Ted said.

I glared at him once more, "Thanks very much," I added sarcastically.

"Seriously Micks punctuality is kind of a big deal," Cody said seriously.

I stared at them, "Hello! I've been in this business for six years and I've been late _twice_! _Twice_!" I repeated for good measure, "So you two newbie's better not lecture me!"

"I wouldn't get on her bad side," Randy muttered.

"Yeah listen to him," I gestured to Randy, "I can't believe I said that." I shook my head, "I need to change," I muttered and stormed into the washroom passing Randy on the way who was shaking his own head.

I pulled on my new wrestling attire that I had just picked up. It consisted of black tights that had the word Legacy across the butt in yellow lettering. The boots were a pair of nice signature female wrestling boots that were both black and yellow in color. And the top was a yellow with black straps bikini top halter. Obviously the color yellow would be swapped out every once in awhile to keep the attire fresh and different. But I chose yellow first because the official logo of Legacy is also yellow.

I stepped back out into the locker room, "So?" I called out while doing a little twirl.

All three guys eyed me up and down for a moment causing me to smile.

"Why didn't we ask for a female Legacy member a long time ago?" Cody said while still staring as if his eyes were glued to me.

Randy slapped the back of his head, "One because she doesn't fit in and two . . . _focus_!"

"Sorry," Cody muttered, "Can you blame a guy?"

"Yes," Randy and I spoke at the same time.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes and turned away as Randy sent a wink in my direction.

I was folding my street clothes when Ted approached me slowly, "Mickie?"

"Yes Ted?"

"If you and I were standing side by side out there, who do you think everyone would say is prettier?" he asked.

"Hmm that's a tough one. I'm gonna have to go with . . . you!" I slapped him encouragingly on the shoulder.

He breathed a dramatic sigh of relief, "Oh phew, I was worried for a second."

I giggled, "I'm no competition for Ted DiBiase," I winked at him.

He offered me a smile and put his arm around my waist to turn us to face Cody who was once again absorbed in his cell phone and Randy who was pulling on his wrestling boots, "Aren't we a good looking couple?"

Both men exchanged looks this time, "No," they both said bluntly together and then turned back to their previous tasks.

"Come on," Ted cried out.

"Ted," Cody replied while looking through his bag, "I shudder thinking about what your kids would look like."

"Hey!" Ted shouted. But he turned to survey me for a moment before scrunching up his face, "Yeah you're right."

"Hey!" it was my turn to protest, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ted chuckled, "I'm just kidding James. I think you are very attractive, and in no way do I think we should ever date." He turned to Randy and gave him a thumbs up.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms; I wasn't touching this one with a ten foot pole.

"Ted must you always act so idiotic?" Randy muttered,

"Who else do we have as entertainment around here? You? You spend all your time practicing your 'scary faces' in the mirror, Cody wastes his time baby talking on the phone with Eve–"

"I do not–" Cody went to protest but was cut off by Ted.

"I heard you last week Rhodes and blondie over here–" he gestured to me.

"Ted I'm not blonde," I pointed out.

"Yeah well brunettie doesn't sound nearly as cool, anyways Mickie is just . . ."

"Perfect?" I offered.

"Who are you kidding? You're like four foot nothing, and that detracts from anything _good_ you happento have going for you!"

"Hey!" I said again, "I'm not short… I'm… vertically challenged."

"That's every short persons excuse. My point is you're all boring, therefore I took it upon myself to be the entertainment that is lacking in this faction," he said matter-of-factly.

"Practicing my 'scary faces' in the mirror?" Randy questioned.

"He doesn't do that, it's natural to him . . . which is much worse now that I think about it," I said. "_And_ I'm five foot two . . ." I crossed my arms, "And a half!" I added for good measure.

We all turned to stare at Cody.

"Hey I do _not_ baby talk on the phone. You aren't going to listen to this moron are you?" he protested.

Before we could answer there was a knock on the door. Ted was the one to answer it revealing an older looking man wearing a headset.

"Ted and Mickie? We need you for your backstage segment that airs in ten minutes."

I jumped forward to grab my Divas title, "I almost forgot, let's go Ted."

We followed the man through the hallways to an area bustling with crew members, a camera man, the segment director and a waiting Kelly.

She smiled upon noticing me, "Hey," she gave me a hug, "Hey Ted," she offered him a smile.

"Okay everyone, positions!"

On-Air

I watched as Kelly was engaged in a conversation with one of the ladies from the costume department. Once Brenda (the lady who also happened to be head of the department) had walked off, Ted and I approached our blonde on-screen adversary.

"Look who it is Ted, its Kelly Kelly!" I said dramatically before chuckling.

"Didn't you . . . kick her ass last week?" Ted smirked as Kelly crossed her arms and glared at us.

"No," I said slowly before snapping my fingers, "Oh wait yes, yes I remember. She wasn't much of a challenge, can you hardly blame me for not remembering?" I paused to exchange a grin with Ted, "Oh where are my manners? How are you Kel? Are you doing okay because I mean," I looked from side to side pretending to make sure no one was listening, "I heard you were all upset about the beating I gave you last week. I mean, can you blame me?"

I repositioned my title on my shoulder and pointed to it, "I _am_ the Divas champion, and I _do_ have a reputation to protect. I can't go around hanging out with trash the likes of you." Ted and I laughed as if this should have been obvious.

Kelly's facial expression grew angrier with every word, and she took a step forward while I took my own step back pretending to be frightened as Ted moved closer causing Kelly to back up with intimidation.

"Personal space, Kelly. It would be appreciated if you would respect that," I snarled.

Her intimidation then grew to that of defiance, "You think you're so great because you've aligned yourself with Legacy . . . a group consisting of nothing more than arrogant cheaters?"

"You watch your mouth blondie, or you just might live to regret ever opening that mouth of yours," Ted hissed.

"Prove me wrong then Mickie," she eyed Ted before turning back to me, "Face me for the Divas title at Breaking Point." She smiled at me and raised her eyebrows awaiting an answer.

I fake laughed for a second before I aggressively shoved her back against the wall resulting in her falling to the floor in pain.

"Trash belongs on the floor." I bent down to put my head near hers, "You aren't worth my time or this title Kelly, keep dreaming." I stood up and smirked at Ted before we both stepped over her and continued on our way.

After 'cut' was yelled, I turned to head back in Kelly's direction.

I offered her a sympathetic smile, "You okay?"

"Sore, but hey at least it was believable," she offered.

I wrapped my arms around her, "Thank you. I appreciate you letting me shove you into hard walls."

"What's up James?" the familiar voice of John called from behind Kelly as he approached the three of us. "Hey babe," he whispered in Kelly's ear as he put an arm around her waist and planted a kiss on her cheek.

She smiled back at him and in that moment I could tell how much they really loved one another. I had to look away remembering how I had that once but then lost it.

"Hey Cena," I finally said while punching him on the shoulder in greeting.

He grinned at me before turning his gaze on Ted, "Hey man," he extended his hand which thankfully Ted accepted.

"What's going on?" Ted replied.

"Just preparing to get as much revenge on you Legacy members tonight as I can manage," John said with a chuckle, "Speaking of, Mickie I like the new uniform."

"Thanks," I turned to Kelly, "What about you? I trust your opinion more," I did another twirl.

"Mickie you definitely look hot!" Kelly exclaimed, "Being a heel is already working out for you so well!"

"Yeah it's a good uniform except the promotion on the back," he winked at me, "Best looking member of Legacy though."

I chuckled and turned to exchange looks with Ted, "One for Mickie, zero for Ted. Sorry buddy." I patted him on the back in comfort.

"That's just one opinion James!"

"What's that?" Kelly enquired.

"It's just a joke we have going on, nothing important," I said with a smile.

Kelly smiled, "You guys ready to go for later?"

"Yeah Kelly and I aren't going to be an easy challenge," John added giving her a little squeeze.

"Somehow I doubt that," an icy voice spoke from behind the two. I looked over their shoulder to find Randy in his wrestling attire, with his WWE title slung over his shoulder. Damn he takes his character way too seriously; I didn't even notice him approach.

John turned around to face Randy.

I exchanged a worried glance with Ted who gave me the look that said 'Don't worry he knows how to behave'.

Randy turned his gaze on Kelly and made a show of staring her up and down, "From what I hear, Kelly's pretty easy."

I rolled my eyes, sent a glare to Ted who shrugged his shoulders, and darted forward to position myself between both men just as Cena took a menacing step forward.

I turned to face Randy, "Hey!" after a moment he looked down at me, "Stop acting like a child," I muttered.

"I'm all man babe," he smirked causing me to roll my eyes again as he made a show for staring _me_ down this time.

"Mickie why do you let him treat you that way?" John asked enraged.

Randy turned his gaze back to John and sent him a smirk that would be worthy of a 'getting under someone's skin' award.

I sighed. I had endured this lecture already from him, Kelly _and_ Melina – all at the same time I might add. You can imagine how that went down. They told me it was a dangerous situation to be in, and that Randy may care about me but I was only going to get hurt because he was selfish. It was annoying having to fight off three of my good friends, but I was successful. I honestly regretted shouting to every guest at my party that Randy and I were sleeping together again, but it was an in the moment kind of thing. All three of them had cornered me, which was weird because John usually wasn't that type. I guess it just goes to show how serious he thought this whole situation to be.

I sent Randy another warning look before turning to face John and Kelly.

"He doesn't . . . treat me badly John. This," I gestured to right now, "is merely him attempting to be cocky but instead he has come off as being a douche. He's doing it to piss you off and clearly it's worked.

I turned to Kelly next, "I'm sorry; I'll see you guys out there later alright."

John finally tore his gaze away from Randy's to place it on me, "If you ever need anything Mickie, just ask us alright? And as for you," he looked at Randy again, "don't get too comfortable with that title because at Breaking Point it's coming right back to me."

"There's a difference between fantasy and reality Cena," Randy replied.

"Oh don't worry; you'll be getting a good healthy dose of reality tonight, _trust me_." After pausing for a moment but not tearing his gaze away from Randy's, "Come on Kel," he said and then turned and walked past Ted leading Kelly away after she sent me a weak smile.

Watching them walk away I swing my arm back and elbowed Randy in the stomach. This time it only hurt me a little and I was satisfied when I heard him grunt in pain.

"Really dude? And he's supposed to be our almighty, fearless leader," Ted shook his head and slapped Randy on the shoulder before continuing past us.

"Let her try that to you. She seemed to have perfected it since last time," Randy called after him.

Ted turned around, "I'm not in the doghouse," Ted chuckled before continuing on.

"Must you always act like a jerk?" I exclaimed once Ted was out of ear shot. I stood up for Randy against my friends, and this is how he repays me.

"Hello, it's kind of in my job description," he said as if this wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.

"This wasn't part of your job Randy."

"Sure it was, we were talking about the WWE title today. It's like what the fans would expect to see on TV. We always gotta be in character, you should try it. I love bitch Mickie, it's so sexy," he said.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, "So you've said… a million times… Randy the only thing you did was embarrass me."

"How!"

"Everyone knows about us now, so when you go around eying up and flirting with other girls, _I'm_ the one who looks bad," I explained.

"I didn't tell you to shout it out to everyone," he said calmly.

I narrowed my eyes, "You just don't get _anything_ do you? The only thing you care about is yourself."

I went to storm after Ted but he grabbed a hold of my arm and pushed me against the wall.

I crossed my arms, "What?" I asked rudely.

"First of all . . . sorry, and second of all you can't accuse me of caring only about myself," he said sternly.

I sighed, "Fine that was a little far-fetched, but Randy I don't want people thinking I'm pathetic alright? Because I'm not, I'm just clearly sick . . . in the head."

He laughed sarcastically, causing me to smile weakly.

"This whole size disadvantage I have going on, really isn't fair," I gestured to how he had me trapped against the wall.

"I'm rather liking it," he leaned down so his face was level with mine and our lips were an inch apart. I inhaled deeply and my mind grew cloudy. I couldn't move and I seemed to be incapable of tearing my gaze away from his either.

Just as I was about to finally kiss him to break the tension, he pulled away and chuckled, "And I also rather like the manner you conduct yourself fin when I'm near. It's such a turn on."

I narrowed my eyes once more and pushed him away as he continued to laugh. I made it a few steps before he caught up and spun me around.

"You want to make fun of me some–" I started but was silenced when his lips found mine briefly.

"Happy?" he muttered.

"No, ew!" I chuckled to myself, "Come on, we have a match to prepare for."

"How about we–"

"We aren't preparing that way!" I told him firmly.

He shrugged his shoulders, "It was worth a try."

"Where's Cody?" I enquired.

He shrugged his shoulders again, "Who knows, probably baby talking with Eve."

"Do you think he really does that?" I asked.

"The old Cody I'd say no, but ever since you came around he's turned into a chick. But then again Ted _does_ like to lie about this kind of stuff, so I guess we won't know unless we catch him doing it."

We passed a group of divas who turned their attention on us as we passed. I had to work hard to ignore them and continue walking. Randy seemed to have already perfected that ability.

"I don't know about you, but I'd rather not catch him doing it if it's all the same."

"Ditto."

"Did you just say ditto?" I asked sceptically.

"Yeah . . . why?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Just sounds weird coming from you."

"I'm full of surprises," he claimed.

"Isn't that an understatement," I muttered as I chanced a quick glance behind us to find the Divas still staring.

Is this the way things were going to be around here? Other superstars and divas whispering and exchanging knowing glances every time I walked by? Oh boy, I really didn't want to adapt the attitude of Randy – a cold hard exterior. I like to think I wasn't programmed that way, but I knew for a fact that I would do whatever it takes to protect this pathetic thing I have going on with Randy.

'_I hear voices in my head they council me they understand they talk to me'_

It was mine and Randy's first entrance together. He didn't change much about his – he still maintained his slow, menacing walk to the ring. I on the other hand had to slow my entrance right down, and I kept sending smirks to members of the audience. I climbed the steps first as Randy watched me do so, and then he climbed in after me. He mounted the second rope as I hoisted my title above my head from the center of the ring.

Bob Barker, tonight's guest host, had called Kelly to his room after watching mine and her segment in the back and he told her he thought what happened last week was unfair. He wanted to give her a chance to get her redemption so he booked the main event as a rematch from last week.

Moments later John's music hit creating a mixture of cheers and boos, as both he and Kelly burst onto the ramp full of energy.

When Kelly entered I made a show of taunting and then laughing at her. She grew angry and tackled me to the ground. Staying with my heel character, I screamed and put my hands up in defence. Seconds later after clothes lining John to the outside, Randy pulled Kelly off me and shoved her aggressively to the canvas. He pulled me up as the bell sounded and Kel and I started off the match.

I grabbed a handful of her hair to bring her to her feet before kicking her in the midsection and delivering a pretty vicious uppercut followed by a clothesline. She tried crawling to the corner to tag in John but I grabbed her leg and dragged her back to the center of the ring. I wrenched both her right leg and arm to bring them together to cause pain to her back and side and when she was screaming; I brought my knee back and jammed in into her side. I did this a second time before letting go and pushing myself to my feet.

"Come on Kel, get up!" I bent over to yell as I slapped the back of her head. I turned to send a smile to the crowd, but instead of the boos I heard cheers.

Confused, I whirled around to find Kelly crawling to her corner. I gripped her ankle to try and drag her back but she used her other leg to kick me in the chest. I fell back and instead of tagging out, she demonstrated her own clothesline followed by a hurricanrana pin which I managed to kick out of.

The both of us crawled slowly to our respective corners, where I got the tag on Randy first, but John received a tag from Kelly half a second later. I rolled to the outside and pulled myself to a standing position to see that John had gained control. But by the time I managed to pull myself back onto a standing position on the apron, Randy had turned the match around and gained the upper hand.

He executed the body slam, back breaker, and finally the vicious DDT off the second rope. He slithered down and started pounding the mat waiting for John to get up so he could execute the RKO. Cena stumbled to his feet, but managed to counter the RKO, when both men went for a clothesline, knocking one another down.

It was time for Kelly and me to get back in the ring. Randy initiated the tag first but John only a second later. My blonde opponent took me down first and then sent me into the corner with an Irish whip followed by her signature handspring back elbow smash. I fell to the ground, on all fours and I knew she was about to go for the K2 but moments later she fell herself, face first into the mat. Randy had snaked an arm around her ankle, and when she tried running he tripped her.

After this John attacked Randy and they brawled at ringside. Keeping my attention on Kelly we both struggled to our feet. When we were both up she ran at the ropes but instead of delivering a move of her own she caught a back elbow of mine.

I went to distribute a kick to her midsection but she caught my leg, spun me around, hit her own kick to the midsection and finished with the K2.

Moments later she picked up the pin fall, but her celebration was cut short as Randy slid into the ring and grabbed her by the hair. I rolled onto my stomach and then onto my knees before I slammed my hands on the canvas in frustration. I angrily pushed myself to my feet, grabbed her by the hair once more and then slammed her back onto the canvas once more.

Demanding a microphone, I pulled her to her feet again and pressed my face close to hers.

"You want to challenge me at Breaking Point for my Divas title? You're on! But don't run around whining after I mop the ring with you!" I shouted at her.

I dropped the mic, let her go and then executed a perfectly placed roundhouse kick.

"Give me my title!" I yelled to the referee.

He handed us both our titles as I demanded him to raise our hands to the crowd's disapproval. We exited the ring as John came in to check on Kelly. He stared us down but then turned his attention directly on Kelly. Randy handed me his title and ran back down the ramp to deliver a shocking RKO on a surprised John Cena.

We were still being booed as we exited to the backstage area.

"You know Mickie, it seems to always surprise me at how good you play a heel."

"It does seem to come quite natural to me," I shrugged my shoulders. "Where's Ted and– Oh there they are. Good luck boys," I offered them a smile.

"You did great out there James," Ted claimed as he gave me a quick hug.

"Thanks," I said, "There's DX's music, you're up next, get going."

The Legacy boys were involved in a dark match to face off against John, Hunter and Shawn.

"Yeah maybe we'll win this _one_," Cody spoke loudly and sent an accusatory glance in Ted's direction.

"First of all, DX distracted me, and second of all . . . I got nothing," he hung his head in shame. Ted and Cody had lost their non-title tag team match tonight against Carlito and Primo.

I was smiling as I strolled back to our locker room. It's really funny how life works isn't it? I mean in such a small time – the first half of this year – everything surrounding me had changed.

My younger brother got married at the beginning of this year; to a wonderful woman might I add. My baby sister graduated from University. I was drafted back to the Raw brand to become the Divas champion. Reuniting with my friends was a great feeling, but becoming friends with Ted and Cody definitely takes the cake. They had both become brother figures in my life, and I had a feeling they were going to be around for a long time.

Creating a – maybe not so – healthy relationship with Randy is the biggest change out of everything. After two and a half years filled with hatred, pain and resentment, I never thought it would be possible for us to get to the stage that we are at. And despite what popular opinion would have one believe, it wasn't only _about_ nor was it because _of_ the sex. I honestly believe Randy and I would have gotten to this point sooner or later, but our attraction to one another just made it sooner. In no way do I consider it healthy or even close to a real relationship but I can feel something there, and that's what I have to hold on to.

Later that night after the dark match, which if you wanted to know the boys lost, they had all gotten changed waiting to shower when we got back to the hotel, and we had all piled into the car with Ted driving.

"I'm hungry," Cody called out.

"What a surprise," I responded.

He shrugged his shoulders before opening his mouth to speak again, "Let's eat I need some comfort food. Two matches in one night I lost," he pouted.

I shrugged my shoulders too, "I'm in."

"Me too," Ted called back from the front.

We all waited for a fourth response but when it didn't come I spoke, "Randy?"

"Hmm?" he looked up from his phone to look at Ted first and then back at me with a questioning look.

"You coming to eat with us?"

He glanced back down at his phone, "No I'm tired. I'm just gonna take a shower and go to sleep," then he brought his attention back to his phone.

"Okay . . ." I responded before continuing, "Who are you talking to?"

"No one," he replied before shoving his phone back into the pocket of his jeans, "I was downloading some new apps."

"How fair is that?" Cody muttered.

I turned to glance at my backseat companion, "You know you could do that too if you would upgrade to the iPhone."

"No, I mean if I had asked who he was talking to or even Ted, we would have gotten a 'none of your damn business' or 'last time I checked my business wasn't a concern of yours'. In a really bad-mannered tone I might add," he replied before crossing his arms over his chest.

Rolling my eyes I let out a chuckle as a smirk grew on Randy's face in the front seat.

"Yeah but you aren't sleeping with him. So you don't get special treatment," Ted reasoned.

I pulled myself from the back of my seat, reached my arm up and punched Ted directly in the arm, "Idiot," I muttered, "Besides Randy doesn't give special treatment to anybody."

"Are you sure? I was under the impression I made you feel pretty special during our little get togethers," he turned slightly to grin at me again.

"Okay enough with the sexual references, they get tiring after awhile," Cody complained.

"Not to me, watching Mickie get embarrassed every time is worth it," Randy responded.

All I could do was roll my eyes and turn to stare out my window at the passing cars and various buildings that were a part of our route back to the hotel.

"How cute, you two are so coupley," Ted joked.

"Whoa no way!" Randy and I both shouted at the same time.

Randy rolled his eyes, "That's not how it is," he responded casually.

"Pretty defensive," Ted stated simply with a chuckle.

Stupid Ted for bringing up the word 'couple' when it pertains to Randy and me. As good as it sounds, somewhat, I don't want to be scaring Randy away. I guess a part of me would really love to be in a relationship with him, to try it again. No doubt it would be hard for normal people, but considering everything that went down it would be even harder for us to do it. That's also why I knew I shouldn't get involved with him. And yet I didn't listen to myself!

"So Ted have you changed your mind about telling us who you hooked-up with?" I called out from the back seat.

"Nope," was all he gave us.

"Buddy I don't understand why you won't tell us," Cody inserted himself into the conversation. I knew for a fact that he and Randy were just as curious as I was.

"Ooh maybe he won't tell us because it's someone embarrassing like . . ." I couldn't think of any diva who Ted would be ashamed of hooking up with.

" . . . Mae Young!" Cody shouted out. We both burst into laughter as Ted shot us dirty looks in the rear view mirror.

Both of us stopped laughing simultaneously and then I glanced over at him, "Disgusting mental image?"

"Yeah," he muttered and then we both turned away from each other in repulsion. I glanced up at the passenger seat and Randy seemed oddly detached from what was going on right now. It didn't look as if he had heard a word of what we were saying. Something was definitely up with him; I just wish he would tell me what it was.

**Okay so in comparison to the last chapter, I'm sure this one is pretty bland, but not all of the chapters can be exciting or else the exciting stuff wouldn't be as exciting haha! We do get to see more of Mickie as a heel in this one though. Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews from last chapter, once again I appreciate it immensely!**

**Please read and review, I really love your feedback!**

**So Raw was just amazing in Calgary! The Hart Dynasty (of course being from Calgary) got a HUGE standing ovation, but not as big as Brett did when he came out after Raw went off the air! Randy got a huge one as well, Canadians like him just as much as everyone else :) Vickie, as you could probably tell, got the most heat from the crowd, I honestly barely heard a word she said.**

**Randy beat Sheamus and Wade in a triple threat for the WWE title in a dark match, and then Nexus stormed the ring to attack Randy once more, but he and Brett fought them off and then Randy asked the crowd he we wanted to see "Brett put this motherf*cker (Heath Slater) in the sharpshooter" to which we all screamed our approval!**

**The best part for me was when 'Voices' hit the speakers and Randy came out for the first time of the evening, I was literally shaking haha it was such a great moment.**

**I felt sooo bad for John though, you could tell how much he wanted to help Randy :( I hope that he gets out of this Nexus thing (if he gets 'fired' it will only be for a little while) and then when he returns, he will kick Wade Barett's ass!**

**Nattie better win this Sunday, and finally shut LayCool up once and for all. And if she does win I hope she keeps the title longer, Michelle needs to get out of the title picture and give the other divas a chance to shine.**

**Sorry for the long author note! I have one more thing to tell you. After the show there was a group of people outside, and we saw Heath Slater getting into his car so they started a 'Wendy, Wendy, Wendy' chant, and well he was really pissed off at that. John Cena may be really hated by a lot of people, but damn he sure gives good insults that stick! (For example, the human jar of mayo Sheamus!)**


	35. Ted's Secret

"Mickie, remind me _why_ we are up so early!" Ted shouted out from somewhere behind me.

I stopped jogging to allow him to catch up with me, "Ted, you act as if you aren't a professional athlete!"

"Well no offence but I got like _maybe_ three hours of sleep last night," he whined as I gestured for us to continue walking. "…and the night before."

"Maybe you should stop 'sneaking out' and for the sake of it tell me where you are sneaking off to," I stopped to wait for an answer.

"Nowhere you need to worry your pretty little head about," he bent over, panting like a dog. Like_ really_!

I rolled my eyes, "I _will_ find out DiBiase," I pointed at him for good measure and started walking again. "To answer your question we're warming up before we hit the gym, all the while enjoying this beautiful French city!"

"We _could_ have enjoyed Montreal at lunch time when I was _well_ rested."

I patted him on the back, "You'll feel better once we hit the gym and then maybe you can have a nap after lunch."

"Oh you're so generous mother," he muttered sarcastically.

I chuckled and stretched my arms in front of me while stifling a yawn, "Fine Mr. Grumpy pants, let's head back to the hotel to start our work out. Jeesh Ted, I just wanted to spend time with my BFF!"

"Awe Mickie you're so . . . can you please stop saying BFF? It makes me sound like a girl, and you know me, I have a rep to protect!"

"Damn! Where's Cody when you need him? He would have insulted you by now," I said with mock disappointment.

He sent a glare in my direction before starting to walk again making me jog to catch up. We set course back to our hotel chatting about later.

Tonight was WWE's September Pay Per View – Breaking Point. It was being broadcasted live from Montreal, Quebec. We flew into Canada a few nights ago and participated in house shows as well as a press conference for the PPV itself.

The four of us have actually been having a good time in Quebec over the last few days. On Friday (the day after arriving here) Ted and I were quite successful at getting Randy and Cody to come bowling with us. Okay so that was a lie, we practically had to drag them out the door, but I guess that _still_ makes us victorious. Yesterday afternoon we spent a good few hours training in the gym, as well as in the ring to prepare us for tonight. We had another hour booked for the ring this afternoon but that wasn't for another few hours.

Last night however, the boys and I, intent on relaxing for one evening, went out for a nice dinner at a low key restaurant, and had quite a bit of fun teasing Ted about who would _possibly_ be interested in him. Suffice to say it was quite an entertaining night.

Another big topic of discussion that took place, much to my dismay and now that I think about it… boredom, was about how much they loved French women, and in particular our hostess _and_ waitress.

"_Like Maryse, she's pretty hot," Cody brought up._

"_Yes Maryse… just everything about her is incredible!" Ted smiled as he stared off into nothingness._

Like honestly, could we have one conversation that didn't have to do with hot women? Would it kill them to bring up hot men every now and then? Talk about selfish friends!

"_You know, yeah Maryse is gorgeous, but she's only from Quebec. I mean Quebec and France are just completely different… country-wise and dialect wise. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the appeal usually for the women of France," I said._

"_I __**am**__ correcting you, because you __**are**__ wrong. Guys like women. Period. France, Quebec it really doesn't matter when they are whispering sweet French nothings in your ear. Sure we like our women to be attractive and some are more so than others, but that's just the way of the world. You all can't be perfect like Maryse," Ted looked at me._

Yeah he basically told me I wasn't as attractive as Maryse, what a friend eh?

_I narrowed my eyes at him, "Thanks Ted."_

"_Hey I just tell it like it is, it doesn't mean I love you any less!"_

"_And you?" I turned my attention to Randy. How much worse could the night get?_

_He merely shrugged his shoulders, "I don't hold any particular interest in Maryse. I kind of find her annoying, __**and**__ she wasn't anything special in the sack either." He tilted his glass in my direction, winked, and then took a sip._

_Ted's jaw had literally dropped, "You're kidding right? You think Mickie can hold a candle to Maryse?"_

_Even Cody turned to stare at Ted in surprise, "What the hell man?"_

_Ted smiled nervously obviously just realizing what he said. "Sorry," he muttered before averting his eyes._

_Cody shook his head in disbelief as Randy continued staring at Ted._

"_Actually I do. Seems I'm the only one who has had them both, and trust me there's a reason Mickie is sitting at this table and Maryse isn't. That's all I'm going to say."_

Yup and that was how that conversation went. Randy, surprisingly and not so surprisingly, had defended my honour against the man I never would have expected him to have to. I mean, I'm not stupid, obviously something is going on with Ted and it has to do with Maryse, but she's dating Mike, so what exactly _is_ going on?

By this time Ted and I had entered the lobby of our hotel and instantly made a beeline towards the gym. I really had been wasting my money on my membership to Gold's gym over the last few months, not always making it my first choice.

When we pulled open the door, I observed quite a few other superstars and divas that all apparently had had the same idea as us.

"And you were complaining about it being too early," I scoffed. I was in the process of shoving Ted over to the weights area when I heard shouting from behind us.

"Mickie, Ted!" I turned to see Maria had just entered the gym after us.

I smiled, "Ria, hey, good morning! How are you?" I noted the fact that she looked so bubbly this early in the morning – she was honestly one of the best people to be around. She was quite like Kelly in that sense, always seemed to make situations that much better by her tremendous ability at exuding positivity.

"I'm great! What a beautiful morning." She leaned in, "Means the pay per view is going to go great tonight." She turned to Ted, "Hey Ted," she quickly looked away after saying it and I noticed her cheeks had pinkened slightly.

"Hey," Ted grumbled before turning away to head in the direction we had previously been set to go.

"Oh," Maria said quietly. "Did I say . . . something wrong?"

I cursed Ted silently and offered a warm smile, "No, no he's just grouchy at me because I woke him up too early. Ria…" I paused as she turned her attention back to me, "Do you… do you like Ted?"

"No, no I just… well we had a good time at your birthday party and I actually felt something there you know? And I mean, I just assumed he had a good time too, so I've kind of been waiting for him to ask me out again… which he hasn't." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was genuinely disappointed. Stupid Ted!

I placed a hand on her arm in comfort, "He told me he had a good time as well, so maybe I could talk to him–"

"No, don't tell him. That would be embarrassing," she chuckled quickly. "How many years out of high school and the process is still the same… how silly."

I smiled again, "I'll just see where his head is at. You two would be cute together and I would love to see it, so I can't promise I won't bring it up. It's purely a selfish decision!"

She giggled, "Fine, just keep me in the loop okay? But as for now I better head over there to Nikki, she still hasn't let go of the last time I was this late. Talk to you later."

I watched her walk a few steps before another thought popped into my head. "Maria?"

She whirled around to face me, "Yeah?"

I took a few steps forward, "Why don't you ask _him_ out? There's nothing wrong with that. You're a strong, independent woman."

She stared back with a hint of a smile, "I'll think about." She offered a small wave before she turned and strode off in the direction of the Bella.

I turned the opposite way and set out in the direction of my very rude friend Ted, who was about to get a mouthful from me for his rude behaviour.

"You were right," he started upon noticing me, "I feel so much better–" But before he could finish I reached out and slapped the back of his head.

"Hey!" he rubbed the placed where my hand had made contact. "What was that for? You are so damn hormonal sometimes, it's almost better to avoid you altogether!"

Okay to be honest I have never been sick of Ted and his attitude before, but these last few days he was really getting on my nerves!

"That was for you being a jerk! Maria _likes_ you," I hissed, "and you say 'hey' and then walk away?"

Surprise passed across his face, "Were you _supposed_ to tell me that?" he asked.

"I didn't promise her I wouldn't, but that isn't the point Ted. What's with you these days? You've been insulting me, you were rude to Maria, and you've been _annoyingly_ secretive."

He put his head in his hands, "I don't know. Everything's been crazy lately. I haven't been getting a proper amount of sleep, and I just feel like everything is off."

"Talk to me kid! What's going on with you?" I crossed my arms and waited for what I hoped would be a full confession.

He was quiet until he finally looked at me, "Does she actually like me?"

I sighed, "She said she isn't quite sure, but she thinks there is potential for something _to_ happen. You told me you had a good time, so why don't you ask her out again, and just see how it goes."

"I don't… I don't know. She's a nice girl, and I would be lying if I said I didn't have a good time, but things are complicated right now." It was him who emitted a sigh this time.

I threw my hands up in frustration, "_Why_? Talk to me Ted, it's what I'm _here_ for!"

"I can't!" he yelled, surprising both me and apparently him as well. I stepped back in discomfort as he jumped to his feet. "I'll catch a workout later," he muttered before walking off and exiting the gym.

Okay I was honestly not used to this feeling. Ted and I _never_ had problems like this, I mean _sure_ we haven't been friends for all that long, but it was such a weird feeling none the less. What is going on with him? He just seemed genuinely upset and unhappy – which was out of character for him.

I tried to force myself into a workout, something I've never really had to do before, but I just couldn't get in the mood. I managed to pull off a twenty minute workout before I gave up completely. Hoping to avoid Maria at this moment, I discreetly exited the gym and sighed with relief at not having run into anybody on my way out.

Detective Mickie James was on the case.

I stepped on the elevator and was in my room a minute later, but Ted was nowhere to be found in here. I sighed and headed for the bathroom. I was about to turn the shower on when I heard the door open up in the other room, and voices fill floated into the bathroom.

Throwing a towel around my body, I pulled the door open to find something I really did not expect this early in the morning let alone… _ever_! Ted, without his shirt, was lying on top of someone who appeared to be… Maryse – I could tell instantly from the heap of blonde hair.

Apparently Detective Mickie James didn't need to do a lot of digging.

I was far too shocked to say anything, so I closed the door gently and leaned against the counter in disbelief. What was I going to do? I definitely did not want to sit in here and listen to Ted and Maryse have sex in the other room… to be honest I would rather be subjected to some form of war torture.

It was a second later that I heard the door in the other room open for a second time.

"Hey Mickie I'm hungry do you want to– whoa!" the voice of the Viper spoke.

I rushed forward and threw the door open, "Randy?" I played it cool like I didn't know Ted and Maryse were here, "Ted?" I gasped.

Ted pushed himself off the bed as Maryse sat up awkwardly.

Randy's mouth curved into a smirk, "Maryse hey? Good job man." He patted Ted on the shoulder in a show of pride.

I turned to Randy, "Good job?" I shouted in disbelief. "He's sleeping with Maryse, whom let me _remind_ you is dating Mike, and you say _good job_?"

"Uh… yeah," he said matter-of-factly. I narrowed my eyes, "I mean… no?" he said uneasily.

"Yeah that's right… _no_! You _are_ still dating Mike right?" I turned to face Maryse.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"So what the hell is this then?" I turned my attention on Ted now.

"This is…" he sighed, "I don't know."

"That's not a good enough answer Ted! You _know_ this isn't right. How can you do this to–"

"Mickie goddamnit, I really wish you would stop putting yourself in where it doesn't belong!" he exploded causing both Maryse and I to flinch. "I never once judged you when it came to Randy, and I wish you would extend me the same damn courtesy. How can you be so critical of me when you are allowing yourself to be used and are screwing him because you can't control yourself! Who are you kidding here? It's _never_ going to be like it was!"

I was speechless… I didn't know what to say. He had taken this entire situation and turned it around on me. How could Ted, the guy who I depended on for _so_ much, say the things that haunted me every day?

Randy took a few steps until he was standing in front of me and facing Ted.

"Hey man was that necessary? First of all our business is none of your–"

"Maybe you should take your own damn advice," Ted interjected.

"Don't… interrupt me again," Randy hissed. He was in Viper mode now, "Second of all Mickie cares about you. Why, I have no fucking clue considering you're acting like a dick, but she does."

"This is my life, so both of you… just back off!" He picked up his t-shirt and stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

I flinched again at this sudden movement.

"Sorry," Maryse muttered before following him quickly out the door.

"Are you okay?" Randy asked quietly after turning around to face me.

"Yeah I'm fine," I lied.

He reached out and brushed a tear away, "You don't look okay."

I hadn't realized I'd been crying.

"He's just embarrassed Micks, don't worry he'll come around."

"That's no excuse. I care about him and I don't want him to get hurt," I shouted. "I can't believe he said those things. Is that what he really thinks of me? That I'm pathetic?" I whispered this time.

"No of course not," he pulled me into his arms. "Ted loves you alright, he's just upset."

"But it's true. I'm pathetic," I whispered more to myself than to him. I pushed away and turned my back to him.

"Mickie you're not pathetic, you have to stop calling yourself that. Look you'll talk to Ted later and you'll work things out."

"I'm not pathetic? How many times have you said the exact same thing… that I was pathetic?"

He looked taken aback at my comment, "Mickie don't turn this around on me. I'm not the one you're mad at."

"Yeah well sometimes I can't let go of things," I said angrily.

"Yeah! I've _noticed_!" he half-shouted. "Welcome back to our history!"

It was me who was surprised at his words this time, especially considering what he was referring to.

"I," I sniffled and turned to face him again, "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Mickie wait, I'm sorry, I just… sorry okay. Yeah I used to call you that but I never meant it not once. I'm the pathetic one for trying to make you believe that you were. I don't blame you for anything from the past, and for the most part I've learned to let my resentment go. You are _not_ pathetic Mickie, don't ever let anyone tell you different. No one else understands what you've been through and they don't understand how strong you really are. So don't ever pay any attention to the morons who try and bring you down, because you deserve better."

I was amazed at his words – he honestly had a habit of surprising _me_.

I nodded my head but couldn't say anything more and before _he_ could say anything more I turned and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Leaning back against the door, a sigh escaped my lips. This feeling of being so upset with Ted was so foreign to me. He had never done anything to make me doubt our friendship and he had never made me feel so horrible about myself before.

I really wish I knew what all of this was with Maryse. I mean did he like her or was this all a game to the both of them? A game that was going to end up hurting someone.

After finishing my shower and pulling on some clothes, I left the bathroom to find Randy waiting for me on the couch.

"Hey are you feeling better?"

I smiled weakly, "You're creeping me out at how nice you're being."

"Oh sure, when I'm a jerk you complain, and now that I'm being nice you're still complaining. Can a guy ever really win?" he pleaded.

I chuckled, "Sorry, but you're too complex of a person to be classified as either a jerk or nice, there's much more to you than that." I paused for a moment, "Yes I do feel a bit better but I _would_ like to go out and get something to eat."

He jumped off the couch, "Oh thank god, I think my stomach has resorted to eating itself I'm so hungry!" He headed towards the door.

"What a pleasant thought," I muttered to myself sarcastically as I followed him out.

We stepped onto the elevator once more and it took us down one floor before opening to reveal the third floor and a couple of new passengers.

"Cody hey," I called out as he and Eve moved onto the elevator.

"Hey Micks, what's up Randy?" he asked with a smile.

"Hey man," Randy responded. "We're just heading out to get a bite to eat before heading to the arena."

I looked to the diva on Cody's right, "Hey Eve how are you?"

She brought her gaze up to look at me, "I'm good thanks," she offered without any form of a smile before shooting a brief uneasy glance at Randy.

Things with Eve I guess had never been all that normal, but she was always quite friendly. Today she seemed… distant… and it was a tad awkward. I guess she hadn't fully gotten over what happened at my birthday. Is anyone on this roster mature? Sure everyone was intimidated by the Viper, but come on he was a lot different lately!

"Hey we're going to eat too, do you want to get something to eat together?" Cody offered as he pressed the button for the lobby.

Randy and I exchanged looks and I briefly took in an uncomfortable glance that Eve sent to Cody (one that he didn't notice) obviously due to the fact she didn't want us to join together for a lunch date.

As fun as it might be, and by fun I mean awkward, I wasn't feeling very social at the moment. And had it been just Cody, that would have been fine, but I knew with Eve I would constantly have to run interference and keep up the conversation for everyone's sake. I really wanted to talk to Cody about the mess with Ted, but I wasn't going to do so in front of Eve. The less people who knew about this, the better!

I presented him with a smile, "No that's fine. I don't want to interrupt you two. But," I paused for a brief moment pondering how to put this, "I do have something to talk to you about… it has to do with Ted, so were you planning to ride with us to the arena?"

"That's a given, Legacy member must stick together," he said enthusiastically while we all exited the elevator.

"Okay and now you sound like Ted… please stop," I pleaded theatrically.

He chuckled to himself, "I'll see you two later." With that, and after Eve bid us a barely audible farewell, he took a hold of her and lead her across the lobby, and I could faintly make out some harsh whispers directed to Cody before they exited the lobby altogether.

"Why did you decline? I was _quite_ looking forward to sitting across the table from Eve Torres while she shot uneasy _and_ fearful glances at me every three seconds. Maybe she would even have gathered enough courage to get into another argument with me again, that would've been fun," he spoke sarcastically as we walked in the opposite direction to the side door of the hotel to where Randy's car was parked.

I placed my hand on the door and pushed it as Randy leaned forward and held it until I was out. I angled my body to face him as we continued, stepping off the sidewalk and starting across the parking lot, "I am still surprised every time I think about it that _Eve_ of all people had the nerve to shout at _you_ of all people. And as far as the fear towards you, the divas do kind of overdo it don't they?"

"I'd say," He scoffed, "like really, it's as if they expect me to RKO them at any given moment. I mean seriously, that kind of shit happens in the ring. Not in real life."

"Well you _are_ one of the most intimidating guys in the WWE, in the ring and out. You just have that effect," I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't find him intimidating, but on that note I _could_ understand why others did.

"Yeah well it gets on my nerves, its too much drama for me."

"You ever sleep with Eve?" I asked casually as I stopped myself from opening the door. "You know maybe that's why she hates you so much."

He surveyed me over the top of the car already having opened his door.

I shifted uncomfortably, "What?"

"That's a secret," he said with what appeared to be amusement in his eyes before he climbed into the car, slamming the door behind him.

"What?" I shouted. Opening the door, I scrambled into the car after him, "Does that mean yes? Does Cody know?"

"No," he spoke as he twisted the key in the ignition.

"No Cody doesn't know?" I enquired. "Man, do you screw everything that walks?"

He rolled his eyes with annoyance, "First of all no I don't screw everything that walks, I'm particular to women and second of all, no as in no I've never been with Eve."

"There's my surprise for the day," I muttered while pulling my seatbelt over me.

Randy only chuckled in response while he drove out of the parking lot in search of a place to eat an early lunch. We settled on a sushi place that was almost hidden by the huge buildings surrounding it, one of which happened to be a mall. After having to literally drag me into the restaurant because I had an urge to splurge (on material items of course), Randy paid for the meals we chose and we enjoyed them heartily while discussing tonight's PPV, dissing Ted, and I even attempted to get a list of the divas on Randy's _repertoire_.

The awkwardness that I used to occasionally experience when I was alone with Randy, wasn't apart of our time together anymore. It was as if it had vanished along with all traces of uneasiness. The only thing that was weird was that I _didn't_ feel uncomfortable around him anymore.

Sometimes, fleeting moments anyways, things felt the same as they did back in our Evolution days – the time in our history that we were best friends, the beginning of our period of being inseparable. It seemed so natural at times, as if nothing had ever really changed between us, but sooner rather than the much preferred later, the truth always came bearing down on me.

After finishing up our meals, I literally begged him to let me go into the mall and shockingly he approved, granted I was only allowed to go in one store. He advised me to choose wisely…

…An hour later and five hundred dollars down the drain we exited the mall while I was lecturing him about how he _never_ should have let me go into the mall.

"You were weak Randy, very weak! I am so disappointed with you!" I criticized.

He was carrying bags in both of his hands, "That's_ it_!" he stopped walking to glare at me. "Next time we aren't eating anywhere that is in the _vicinity_ of a mall," he spat. "I am _not _going to be blamed for your weaknesses!"

And without waiting for any form of a reply he stormed off in the direction of the car. After hearing him complain, under his breath I might add, rudely about me, we finally arrived back at the hotel just before one in the afternoon.

We both went to our separate rooms to get changed for the arena and then ten minutes after parting I met up with both him and Cody in the lobby.

"So is Eve like… still mad at you or something from my birthday party?" I asked him as we were strolling towards the doors.

Cody sighed, "She says she isn't but her attitude says different. She said I shouldn't have just stood there, that I should have been agreeing with everything she was saying."

Randy merely scoffed, but I kept my focus on Cody. "Does she not realize that you and Randy are best friends… that you were best friends first? I mean yeah a girl wants her boyfriend to stand up for her, and you did in the most respectable way possible, but Eve was in the wrong in a lot of ways."

"Well, she doesn't seem to think so. Its like things have changed between us. Like after we left you guys in the elevator, she lectured me about inviting you guys to come along."

"_Both_ of us? So now she has an issue with me?" I enquired.

"It was the whole you would choose Randy over her thing, and basically the lecturing her. She was even upset that Ted didn't seem affected by it… suffice to say she's not a big fan of Legacy," he said and followed with another sigh.

I put my hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it she'll come around. But to be honest I don't know what she expected… me and her were never close. I mean I don't know anything about her really. You didn't do anything wrong Cody, and she shouldn't make you choose between her and your friends."

He didn't say anything more, but I knew he was thinking about all of it. I felt really bad for him because I knew how much he cared about her, and how much she meant to him. To be honest I was rather angry with Eve's attitude and how she was blaming Cody for all of this. If anything she should be blaming me.

"So what did _you_ want to talk about?" Cody enquired from the front seat. We played rock, paper, scissors best of thirteen (you can assume I kept losing) to decide who got shot gun and Cody came out the winner.

"Oh yeah, well before we ran into you on the elevator I spent the morning being verbally abused by our blonde team mate," I said ever so casually.

"Ted? What do you mean?" he enquired.

I sighed and caught Randy's gaze in the rear view mirror, he nodded slightly gesturing for me to continue.

"The moron is screwing around with Maryse," I said bluntly.

Cody's eyes widened and he twisted his body even more to stare at me, "Really?" A smile grew on his face as he turned back to face the front, "Ted you dog! I never thought I'd say this, but I'm proud of the guy!"

"Uh dude?" Randy said uneasily.

"Yeah?" Cody was still smiling until his eyes followed to me, whom Randy was motioning to.

I watched as the smile faded off. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms, "That's what you have to say?"

"…no?" he answered quietly.

"She's dating Miz!" I threw my hands up. "Why doesn't anyone else understand that? I mean I don't exactly love the guy but he doesn't deserve to be cheated on. How would you feel if you found out Eve was sleeping with Ted?"

He was silent for a moment but then he started laughing, "Ted couldn't get Eve, but nice joke."

I rolled my eyes, "You know what I mean Cody! What if you found out Eve was sleeping with John Cena?"

"Of all the people, you had to bring up that tool?" Randy scoffed.

"You two are hopeless I swear. And for your info, John is the catch of the century thank you very much!"

"You say that because you think you _have_ to because you're friends with him."

"No I say that because I mean it! I could easily say that Ted or Cody are the catch of the century, but you don't see me saying it," I sent him a glare before turning to a protesting Cody, "I asked you a question."

"Okay I guess I see your point, but to be honest I'm just glad we got to the bottom of this. I mean all the sneaking out, staying behind when we go out for meals, insulting you compared to her, I mean it all makes sense! Either Ted is really sneaky or we're just really stupid. And I'd rather call myself stupid than believe _Ted_ is stealthy in _any_ way!"

Silence took over the car again but only for a brief period, "Agreed," Randy and I both spoke at the same time.

"So how did you find out about this?" Cody asked.

"Let's see… Ted didn't know I was in our room, so he brought her there and trust me they would've had sex had Randy not interrupted… which I forgot to thank you for by the way! So when Randy entered I exited the bathroom–"

"Mickie tried to lecture him, he freaked out and started yelling back–" Randy continued.

"And then basically he called me pathetic because I was letting Randy 'use me'," I finished with a sigh. "Hello, I'm an adult..."

"So is Ted…" Cody said slowly.

"Yeah well Randy doesn't have a girlfriend! So I'm doing nothing wrong! Besides Randy and I are friends, right?" I turned to face him as he kept his eyes on the road.

He didn't answer for awhile so I snapped my fingers, "Randy?"

"What?" he cleared his throat.

"Friends? Me and you?" I repeated.

"Yes definitely. _That_ is the difference between our situations," he said hastily.

"What a dick!" Cody shouted. "When we see him, I'll hold him down and you can hit him as many times as you like. In fact, how about you hold him and I'll do the punching!" Cody said with excitement on his face.

"You know Cody I like the way you think and I do have a vacant best friend position open, this could work to my benefit," I pretended to be lost in thought.

"In Ted's face! He doesn't fit in anyway," Cody said nonchalantly as he stared out the window.

"How do you figure that?" Randy glanced at Cody expectantly before turning back to the road.

Cody turned to face him, "Hello! All three of us are brunette's, well when freakzilla over here doesn't shave his head, and Ted's a blond. He just doesn't belong." He shrugged his shoulders.

I cleared my throat, "I vote that we _take_ a vote to kick Ted out of Legacy."

Both guys remained silent as they exchanged brief glances.

"Uh Micks, Ted actually fits in in the group," Cody said sceptically.

"He said it, not me," Randy said quickly.

"Oh and I don't fit?" I paused, "Good point, but could you at least humour me? I mean I like to think of myself as the glue that holds us all together!"

We finally arrived at the arena, in record timing as traffic wasn't much of a hassle, and after descending the stone steps we were finally in the building. We made our way straight to the ring area and started in on our hour of booked ring time. I was watching Cody and Randy from the top turnbuckle; they had started out first for about ten minutes, before I took in the figure of Ted slowly making his way down the ramp.

"We took a vote, you aren't welcome here!" I shouted.

Randy and Cody stopped what they are doing to turn and see who I was referring to. They both looked back and forth between us awkwardly as Ted dropped his bag on the ground and rolled into the ring.

"I thought you might say that," he spoke as I jumped off the turnbuckle and crossed my arms. "I come in peace."

I continued to stare sternly at him, not giving an inch. A sigh escaped his lips, "Can I talk to you Mickie… alone?"

Cody stepped to my side, "No way. We decided you don't belong because of your color and I regret, well not so much, to inform you that I have taken your spot as BFF," he said proudly.

I chuckled to myself as Randy slapped his hand to his forehead, rolled his eyes and went to lean against the corner turnbuckle opposite the one I'd been sitting on.

"Like you could compare to me!" Ted scoffed and then turned to me, "Mickie please?" He sounded sincere, so I sighed once more and nodded my head.

"Don't succumb to his blonde hair tricks Mickie!" Cody whispered, "Stay true to your brunette ways!" I chuckled once more as Cody sent me a grin and then a pat on the arm for support.

I climbed out of the ring after the blonde and placed myself in front of him, arms crossed again, waiting for what he had to say.

"I was an ass earlier," he started.

"Mhmm," I focused my attention on the tech guys setting up the announce table.

"I acted like a terrible friend," he continued.

"Yup," I muttered.

He sighed, "I shouldn't have said any of the things that I did."

"No you shouldn't have."

"I don't deserve you as a friend," he muttered.

"No you definitely do not," I said matter-of-factly.

"Are you gonna throw me a life raft here? I'm sinking… quickly," he pleaded.

I dropped my arms to my side, "Ted what you said really hurt me. You know above anybody else the feelings that I'm struggling with because I _confided_ in you."

"I know, I know. I was just feeling so guilty about the situation I'm in and to hear you lecture me, someone who is such a good person, I felt even more ashamed than before."

"How did you get in this mess?" I asked sympathetically.

"She came to find me the night you told her to tell me you had gone back to the hotel. I guess you could say we were flirting quite a bit before that and it didn't help that we were both quite drunk and when I walked her back to her room… well that's how it started. I have feelings for her Mickie, that's why it's been so hard," he said miserably.

"Does she feel the same about you?" I enquired.

"Yeah, at least I think so," he said sceptically.

"So why doesn't she end things with Mike?" I said softly.

It seemed as if it was a straight-forward answer. If you love someone, you do anything to be with that person.

"We've discussed that, fought about it actually. She says she loves him too."

"And yet she's cheated on him how many times," I asked rhetorically.

"Well…" I could tell he was going over the amount in his head.

"Don't," I said harshly, "Answer that if you don't want me to walk away."

"Oh right," he smiled nervously.

"Ted if she doesn't want to end things, she doesn't care about you like you do about her," he went to protest but I pressed on," and I just want you to be happy so I say that with all the amount of love I have for you."

He was silent for a moment obviously going over what I said in his head. Finally he let out a small sigh, "Maybe you're right. Okay I'm going to end this. It's not healthy for either of us," he said, but I could tell he was very unsure of himself.

"I'll help you okay?" I assured him, "I promise."

He offered me a small smile, "Thanks Mickie, you're too good to me."

"I'm a saint, I know," I said arrogantly.

"I wouldn't go that far," he muttered. "Seriously it feels so good to get that off my chest. I _hated_ lying to you… wait did you tell anyone?"

"Just Cody and of course Randy knows," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Mickie! Why did you– wait who am I kidding… they have no friends," we chuckled together.

"They wouldn't tell anyone anyway," I assured him.

"So you forgive me then? Honestly for the last couple hours, being best friendless has been torture!" he exclaimed.

I smiled, "Ted you were never best friendless, just more or less best friend hated you ness…" I shrugged my shoulders and pulled him in for a hug.

"So what was Cody talking about? I don't fit in because of my color? Last I checked we were all Caucasian and _very_ nicely tanned."

I chuckled, "You're the only blonde though… so we decided you didn't fit."

"Oh and yet I'm the most attractive one in the group… what does that tell you?"

"… that you're delusional?" I smiled up at him.

He offered me a sarcastic laugh, as we both climbed into the ring to join the other two who had continued practice while we were engaged in our make-up session.

"So are you gonna hold and I punch or vice versa… _best friend_?" Cody shouted out, emphasizing the last two words and looking at Ted while doing so.

"Cody," I sighed, "It never would have worked between us. I'm sorry," I said theatrically.

"Oh so Ted over here sheds a few tears and all of a sudden he's your best friend and I get kicked to the curb? How unfair is that?"

"First of all I didn't cry and second of all don't feel bad that you don't measure up to the likes of Ted DiBiase… Jr!" Ted said proudly. "Oh and one more thing… in your face!"

Cody glared at a smug Ted for a few moments until his features turned into that of a smile, "Maryse hey?"

Ted smiled, "Who's the man?"

"Never thought I'd say it, but I guess the day has come. Ted you _are_ the man," Cody shouted as he and Ted went in for a man hug.

Clearing my throat loud enough for both to hear, I folded my arms across my chest.

"I _mean_, Ted I'm very disappointed in you," Cody said quickly.

"Oh me too, I can barely live with what I've done!" Ted said dramatically.

I rolled my eyes, "You guys are _so_ immature I think I've actually lost a few brain cells over the last few months."

"And yet I just realized I don't have to listen to you!" Cody glared, "We aren't best friends anymore," he crossed his arms.

"If the childish banter is over and done with, I'd really like to get back to training since we just wasted ten minutes of our ring time," Randy called out.

We spent the remaining half hour going over match strategy and what to expect from our opponents. I had to endure a lot of teasing about Kelly, but I ignored it as best I could. I knew that Kelly was improving every time she stepped into the ring and frankly I have never been more proud of her than I have in the last few months.

To most Kelly was just a baby, a beautiful one at that, but a baby none the less. In the past few months Kelly had proved herself in the ring on more than one occasion and out of the ring she showed everyone she was just as mature as the next person. Her relationship with John was real and grown up. It had only been a few months, but they were very serious about each other. Despite her age Kelly wasn't much of a game player, and she was very wise for her years. The reason, I am sure, is because of the good heart that she has. It was the reason she got along so well with Melina and me – both of us having hit the thirty mark before she was in her mid twenties. So in spite of what _anyone_ says, I am proud to be proud of the wonderful human being that is Kelly, and am very blessed to have her in my life.

"So boys," they all turned to look at me as a smile grew on my face. I hooked a brow, "Are you ready to make this Pay-Per-View Legacy's bitch?"

Ted was the first to smile, "Hell yes!" He put his hand up so we could high five one another.

"I've never heard someone say that before but hell yeah. I'm in! We are going to rock this arena," Cody shouted excitedly.

We all turned to face Randy, who stared right back at us without a hint of an expression evident on his face.

A moment later a smirk grew there, "What the hell, let's show em how it's done."

The tag champs and I all shouted out in excitement before following Randy out of the ring and into the backstage area. I could already feel the adrenaline coursing through my body even though the show wasn't going to air for several hours. Everything always felt different during a PPV. If you didn't know it was one, the moment you walked into the arena you would be able to tell the difference immediately.

The atmosphere is unlike anything else on those Sunday evenings and you can feel the excitement buzzing through the air. The superstars want to give it their all because each and every one of us wants to have their own moment and make the best of what we are given despite what little time we may have. The management want the event to go off without a hitch, and because fans have to pay to see it, they want the live event to be perfect to give the viewers their money's worth.

For PPV's extra promotion is done, press conferences are held, arena's are decorated to the fullest extent to fit with the theme of the evening and each one has it's own special theme song.

People are right to claim the biggest and most important event of the year is Wrestlemania, and all other PPV's may pale in comparison to the grandest stage of them all, but each and every one of them is special in its own right. All of us superstars are lucky to be able to participate in the chances we _do_ get to shine.

"So Mickie who do you think is the best looking tag team champion?" Ted asked, distracting me from my thoughts of tonight.

Ted and his obsession with being told how good looking he is, it gets tiring!

"You Ted," I said idly.

"Hey! I will have you know I am a hundred times better looking than Ted," Cody protested.

"Okay I believe you," I said lazily.

"We are supposed to be best friends!" Ted whined.

"Yeah which means you are supposed to respect _my_ wishes and _not_ annoy me!" I said sternly.

Cody laughed out loud as we continued towards the exit of the arena and into the parking lot. Randy had pushed on ahead and I could only assume he had already exited the building. He was on his phone again and I only wondered if he had hurried away from us so he could make a phone call he didn't want us to hear.

My thoughts always strayed to Laura, but I wish he would stop treating me like a baby. I did not care that he was friends with Laura and I certainly did not care that he talked to her on the phone once in awhile. Besides even if I did, maybe a little bit (old habits die hard?) care, what could I even do about it? Nothing, absolutely nothing. So why take the time to hide it from me? Who knows? But to be honest I wasn't worried about it. Randy's life and who he is friends with is his own business.

"Can't win em all Ted," Cody laughed arrogantly again. "Seriously though guys I'm so stoked for tonight!"

"Tonight?" I questioned, "I'm excited for tomorrow."

Both guys turned to stare at me, and from the looks they thought I was nuts.

"Um Mickie," Ted asked, "You _do_ know Breaking Point is tonight right?"

I rolled my eyes, "Of course! But tomorrow night… Toronto… Trish Stratus… Guest Host?"

"Damn! I almost forgot! Oh I love my job! She is smokin' hot! I can't wait to tell her that," Cody said as if in a trance.

"Cody man, I couldn't agree more. Why did she leave? Did she know she would have fallen for Ted DiBiase if we had met each other?"

"Um actually, she was getting married and she wanted to go out on top," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Whatever, if _that's_ what you want to call it. But seriously, those Canadian divas have got it going on!" Ted shouted in excitement.

I rolled my eyes, "Have either of you heard of respect? Trish is a seven time women's champion! She is one of the greatest divas to enter a ring. It was an honour to be able to compete against her at all let alone my very first Wrestlemania. Despite what anybody thinks, she did so much for our division, and for that she will always be remembered for years to come."

They both stared at me dumbfounded, "And… that too?" Ted stuttered.

I rolled my eyes once more, "Men!" I muttered before speeding up my pace and leaving both men behind me.

I meant every word I said about Trish Stratus, because what I didn't understand was those people who claim she was nothing more than an overrated diva with good looks and a great body. Yes I did in fact creep the internet gossip once in awhile (I tried to avoid my own, for the sake of my sanity) and came across some sites where people were writing about Trish not ever having done anything for women's wrestling.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I wasn't the only one who respected the crap out her. I'm almost certain every other diva in the locker room does as well. To us she is a legend in her own right and _helped_ to put women's wrestling back on the map. Maybe the group of diva's today weren't as strong or as skilled as the divas they had back in the beginning of the decade but we certainly try, and it helps to have them to look up to.

I just hope that one day I can be considered one of the greats just like Trish, Lita, Ivory and any other great performer you can name because that should be anybody's goal when they enter this business – to carve your Legacy and take your career as far as you possibly can so that one day you can go down in the history books as one of the greatest performers to step into the squared circle.

**Chapter 35, please read and review as usual!**

**Thanks so much once again for the reviews from last chapter, I am very grateful!**

**So Bragging Rights is tonight! Who does everyone think is going to come out on top – Raw or Smackdown? Personally I'm for Raw these days, but I do have a lot of favourite superstars on Smackdown.**

**I really really hope that Randy wins tonight and retains the championship – I believe he deserves a longer reign, and I think the WWE title needs to stay put at least until Wrestlemania. And I hope Nattie wins the unified divas title – despite everyone thinking she will lose because she's had the upper hand on LayCool for weeks now.**

**Next chapter will be Breaking Point! Will Legacy be able to retain all of their titles?**


	36. Breaking Point

And here we are another Pay-Per-View and another title defence. All of Legacy's gold was being put to the test and quite honestly I had high hopes and a whole lot of faith in all of us. Randy and I had years of experience in the form of PPV knowledge and ring familiarity and he had an advantage over us because he knew John Cena in the ring because of the amount of times they've gone at it. But it would be unwise to undermine John because that made John just as familiar with the Viper as well.

As for my tag team champions, they were continuing their feud with D-Generation-X, but this time it was going to be a tag team no disqualification match for the Unified Tag Team championships. They boys were able to defeat Shawn and Hunter at Summerslam and I had complete confidence that they could do it once more.

As for me you know my opponent – Kelly. I can guarantee I will retain my championship tonight because I refuse to lose. I want to make my mark on the divas division and how better to do that than with the divas title?

I walked into the Legacy room and was surprised at how much of a mess it was considering the guys hadn't been here for more than a half hour.

"What happened in here?" I picked up a few candy bar wrappers to place in the garbage.

"What do you mean?" Cody asked casually.

"The mess in here," I said as if this should have been obvious.

I looked to Randy for more of an answer. He seemed to know my gaze was on him so he peered over the top of his magazine. "We're men," he shrugged his shoulders as if this was a good enough answer.

"You know you guy have been pretty mess the last couple months or maybe longer I just wasn't around to witness it, but _this_ takes the cake."

There were clothes, towels, wrestling gear, empty water bottles and bags strewn across the floor of the locker room and it made me wonder who cleaned their houses when they weren't on the road.

"Once again, we're _men_," Randy emphasized the last word.

"Oh and because I'm the woman I'm supposed to clean up?" I asked disbelief heavy in my tone.

"Yeah," Cody stated in a this should be obvious tone.

The door to the bathroom was pulled open slowly as Ted came into the room, with the entirety of his wrestling gear on and a bottle of baby oil in his left hand, unknowingly putting an end to this conversation.

"Hey guys is this enough baby oil, or does it look gross?" he gestured to his abs which were now super shiny and very hard to miss.

I chuckled while surveying him, "Ted did you take a shower in baby oil?"

He gave me the 'that is not the answer I'm looking for' look. I shrugged my shoulders, "Ask the baby oil genius over there. He seems to have no problem applying a bottle to himself every night," I gestured to Randy.

"Thanks for that," he muttered sarcastically.

"Seriously guys is it gross or does it work?" Ted asked impatiently.

"_Seriously_ Ted, I don't care. What I do care about is that you guys clean this mess up right now! I'm not your mother."

"Why do we have to? We can do it later," Cody said.

"No you can do it now. We have a segment tonight that airs out of our locker room," I explained.

"So…?" Ted said prompting me to give a better reason.

"So I don't want the whole universe to think we are slobs!" I exclaimed.

"Jeez Mom, it's just a show. Besides shooting from the hall isn't the same as shooting from the room."

"They can still see into the room you know. Some people do gain opinions of us by– you know what? Just clean it up!" I said sternly. "I be a good little worker and what do I get in return? Stuck in a storyline with a bunch of children, yay me!" I muttered to myself while entering into the bathroom.

Before slamming the door Cody was able to get a few words out, "We heard that, and you should be thankful that we allowed you to–" but the rest of his phrase was cut off with the thud of the door closing.

"I am _so_ proud of her!" I heard Ted shout from the other room. "I've taught her so well!' I placed my ear against the door.

"And what have _you_ taught her?' Cody scoffed.

"That you're a tool and shouldn't be bothered with," Ted responded.

I chuckled to myself while pulling my curling iron and beauty products out of my bad, and after undressing I pinned my hair up and hopped into the shower. After about ten minutes of being under the hot water, I had finished cleansing myself, so after turning the water off I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body.

That felt so nice for the short time I was in there. No matter my mood, a nice hot shower never failed to relax, and tonight was no different.

After applying my make-up for the night, I allowed my hair to fall onto my shoulders and after checking my iron was still hot, I set to work curling all the hair on my head. I was quite pleased when I was finished, that every curl on my head was near perfect. Smiling to myself I switched the iron off and unplugged it from the wall to allow it to cool down, while I gathered all of my products and placed them safely back in my bag.

I sighed, I don't know why but I felt so incredibly… _happy_. Life seemed almost too good to be true, and if I was being honest with myself, it freaked me out. In my experience, happiness was usually followed by something terrible.

_Stop_ it Mickie! You have got to stop thinking that way. Life does not always repeat itself and it would be foolish to think as such. What could possibly go wrong? I shook my head while smiling at how silly I was being. Things are different, and more than that _I'm_ different. Everything is going to be alright.

I checked the time on my cell phone to find that it read five thirty – which means the dark match to start off tonight's event would be starting soon if it hadn't already.

Removing my towel, I replaced it with a pair of lace underwear and the matching black lace bra. Next I fished in my Coach tote for my wrestling tights (pink lettering and accents this time as opposed to yellow) and it only took me a moment to slip them on before placing my matching (pink and black) halter top over my bra. After spraying myself a few times with my Chanel fragrance, I pulled my black elbow pads on before slinging my bag over my shoulder and exiting back into the locker room.

To my surprise the guys had managed to make the room clean in the last hour that I was in the bathroom. Maybe they weren't as hopeless as they appeared to be.

Placing my bag into the wardrobe along with the ballet flats I had worn to the arena, I was in the process of pulling on my black boots, I had bought a few months ago for in ring but had yet to wear, when I noticed Ted was staring at me.

"Okay Ted we talked about this, staring is rude… and a little disturbing coming from you," I added the last part as an afterthought.

He shook his head with disappointment, "I was merely waiting to compliment you, but not anymore. Nu uh, that ship has sailed my dear friend!"

"Awe, I'm heartbroken," I said sarcastically.

He got to his feet and stomped over to the bathroom and was about to shut the door when he poked his head back out, "Once gain, I _love_ having a female Legacy member, it's always so clean _and_ the bathroom always smells so nice." Without waiting for a reply he closed the door as I laughed to myself.

"Well I hate to agree with _anything_ that comes from Ted's mouth, but having Mickie in Legacy _does_ have its perks," Cody admitted. "And to think you thought the idea was the most ridiculous one creative has ever come up with," he chuckled to himself clearly reminiscing as I shot Randy a questioning look.

In turn he sent a glare Cody's way, who jumped to his feet, "I _did_ promise Eve I would see her before the show… gotta go!" he rushed to the door and was gone a second later.

"Stupidest idea ever?" I repeated while crossing my arms and sending him what I hoped was a stern look.

"It was an in the moment kind of thing, come on, you turned out to be quite the asset I _will_ happily admit. Not to mention you have some pretty great assets yourself," he winked at me. Switching of the TV he ambled over to me, "Did I tell you how great you look right now?"

"And here I thought Randy Orton would be too good for sucking up," I teased.

"Oh I _am_, I was just paying you a compliment, despite the facts I am capable of being quite the charmer."

"Yes when you _want_ something you are. Otherwise you're just a jerk."

"Just a jerk? I like to think I'm one of a kind. I do put a lot of work into my personality thank you. Not like the low class jerks off the street," he said while putting a hand on each side of my waist.

"Yeah that would be wishful thinking on your part," I teased as I put my arms around his neck.

He kissed my neck softly creating a tingling sensation throughout every inch of my body. Damn him!

"Now there's a visual I don't want to take with me tonight," Ted muttered sarcastically after coming out of the bathroom.

I laughed as we pulled away from each other, "Awe Teddy are you jealous?"

"Hardly! Seriously James since you joined Legacy you've become more arrogant, which…" he scratched the back of his head, "… doesn't make us guys sound so good." He paused for a brief moment, "Awe what the hell, we have _good_ reason to be arrogant!"

I chuckled, "Damn straight we do! We're so awesome we get new tag belts tomorrow night!"

Ted's face fell, "I don't want them," he crossed his arms and pouted. He reminded me of a child who has been told to go to bed, but doesn't want to.

"Why not?"

"Because hello, carrying two belts makes me seem more important… which I _am_. So really it's like taking away half my importance," he reasoned.

"It's hard to argue with _that_ logic," Randy spoke up while pulling on his own boots, the sarcasm evident in his voice.

I chuckled quietly before turning back to Ted, "The new belts will be cooler, I promise!"

"They better be! And you two better behave while I go and attempt to pry Cody away from that Eve, which might cost me my life because she is becoming crazier by the day." He started for the door before turning back with an unpleasant look on his face, "Just… stay off the furniture. I have to use it tonight so it would be appreciated if you kept it… sanitized."

He was gone a moment later not giving us a chance to respond.

I threw my hands in the air, "Drama queens, the both of them! It's like they think we are some untameable animals. Like god, I _do_ have self control!"

"You do?" He questioned me, "Well I'd be interested, or rather disappointed to witness it." He winked at me and I kindly returned the gesture with a middle finger motion.

I was digging in my bag for my cell phone charger when I came across the bracelet Randy had given me for my birthday. Smiling at the memory behind it, I slipped it back onto my wrist.

"Why did you keep this?" I asked abruptly without thinking.

"Was I not supposed to?" he asked, a small smile playing on his lips as he pulled his 'Age of Orton' t-shirt on.

I smiled, "No I mean, it's a bracelet, a girly one at that and after the break up I'm quite sure part of you hated my guts. Why didn't you toss it?"

"I'm not a chick. Throwing out items filled with meaning wouldn't give me 'closure' nor would it make me 'feel better'. As stupid as it sounds, it was been hard to part with. Sure I swore I hated you after that but contrary to popular belief, I'm not heartless. Our time together means just as much to me as it does to you. Like I told you before, guys just aren't as open about it as women."

He was silent for a moment as he surveyed my face before he approached me, "Do you want the whole truth?"

His gaze was so intense that my first instinct was to look away, but I trusted him, so I kept my eyes trained on him. "Yes," I said firmly.

"You told me it was the key to your heart. I guess I kept it in hopes that it was the only one out there and that I would be the only one to possess it. You see Mickie, I know that I had lost you, but I never wanted anyone else to have you, so I kept it." He finally broke the gaze, "Stupid hey?" he chuckled.

I smiled, "It's not stupid, it's actually really sweet. Randy, I'm glad you kept it, it could never belong to anyone as it did to you."

"Well that's not up to me anymore. I gave it back, the decision is yours again," he offered a smile as if this was what I wanted to hear.

It's definitely not what I wanted to hear, but what did I really expect? I was just now realizing that that was the reason he had given the bracelet back. If he wanted a relationship with me he would have pursued it already. Maybe it was time to give up on the hope that maybe he would change his mind…

…But then again if he didn't want me, what was going on between us? We were practically dating anyway. We went out for meals together, shopped together and every now and then he would kiss me for no reason. Not to mention how often I woke up in his arms with him not seeming bothered by the fact that he was constantly breaking his rule of 'never showing emotion in front of women'. To be frank we weren't having sex as often as before and it didn't seem to change our 'relationship' in the least. That was proving everyone wrong who thought that this was just purely a physical relationship.

It was just that though, Randy hated the word relationship or date when anyone brought it up pertaining to me and him. It was the entire situation that confused me because I didn't know what to make of it. I didn't know what he was thinking and it was driving me insane.

Thankfully we were interrupted by the opening of the locker room door as the remaining members of Legacy barrelled through the door distracting me from having to come up with some sort of response to his eye-opening words.

"We're back! And look who we brought," Ted announced to us with a grin forming on his face as a camera man, Josh Matthews and a few other crew members set up in the hallway outside our door.

"Oh yay, Randy you're up!" I offered him an encouraging smile while prompting him forward with a little nudge.

He hesitated at first and it was just then that I witnessed the way in which he was still staring down at me. There was a hint of wonder in his eyes and it only increased the curiosity already planted of what was on the mind of the Viper.

The moment passed all too quickly as he turned his attention on the situation taking place outside our locker room. I sighed with momentary relief as Randy slung his coveted title over his shoulder and took the vacant position near the young interviewer. I could tell instantly how uncomfortable Josh was by the furtive glances towards Randy every now and then and by how he was shifting with discomfort just waiting for the camera to roll so he could no doubt get this over with.

Could I blame him? Hardly. Randy's short temper and intimidating nature was well known throughout the company and how could someone like Josh, who was half Randy's size, and a mere interviewer, not be somewhat taken aback or even fearful of the man standing next to him? But the effort, much like the divas, was wasted.

On Air

"Ladies and Gentlemen I am joined here tonight by the leader of the Legacy and the current WWE champion Randy Orton. Randy what are your thoughts currently concerning tonight's Pay Per View and where you and the other members of Legacy stand."

"My thoughts on tonight are very simple," Randy spoke slowly, yet menacingly. He was a man who could control the atmosphere in the room just by speaking, suffice to say Randy Orton was a powerful man.

"Legacy is once more going to prove its incomparability by taking one more Pay-Per-View and controlling it so fiercely that after all is said and done, doubts will be quelled and in their place will be recognition that should have been bestowed on Legacy long ago. We have proven our worth, by not letting anything get in the way of our rise to the top and by our eventual achievements in the form of WWE gold. The four of us are the best this company has to offer in our respective divisions and we have no problem going out into that ring and doing exactly what we were born to do… dominate."

Without waiting for an answer or reply he shoved the door open the rest of the way and stepping inside, he slammed it behind him. A smile threatened to form on my face as a tremendous amount of pride swelled in my heart. _I_ was a part of the group Randy had spoken for mere moments ago and _I_, Mickie James was the luckiest diva in this entire company.

Holy crap! What if I failed? What if my heel turn was a huge flop – would it jeopardize my career? Professional wrestling is the only thing I ever dreamed of doing, and I haven't gotten nearly enough years under my belt yet.

Placing my hand on my chest, I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I exhaled sharply and smiled despite the doubt mere moments ago. I don't know how or why but I simply _knew_ that everything was going to be okay. If not myself, I knew with full confidence that the three guys who had become permanent fixtures in my life had faith in me, and that was more than enough reason to keep my head up.

Opening my eyes, I was pleased to find that not one of them had witnessed my brief moment of doubt and all seemed to be, for the time being, in their own worlds.

Ted had his Ipod out with a bud stuck into each ear and his eyes closed as a hint of rock music could be heard. He seemed deep in concentration – his own way of preparing himself for his match mentally.

Cody on the other hand was stretched out on the floor engaging in his regular routine of getting pumped up for a match by engaging in various warm-up techniques before having to head out to the ring.

On the other side of the room, directly outside the bathroom door, Randy was pacing back and forth, his eyes constantly flickering to the gold title placed neatly on the coffee table.

There was definitely tension in the room but above that there was an air of confidence that I had never felt so thickly before. And despite popular belief, it wasn't stemming from arrogance but rather the fact that these three men, especially Randy, had worked so hard to get to this point in their careers that they were going to fight tooth and nail to keep what they held so dear to them.

It felt intimidating to me at first before I realized that maybe I didn't fit in directly with the idea behind Legacy, but there was another trait that tied us together in a much stronger way – the desire to be the best at what we do and the need to keep what we rightfully claimed and as a result won because of simply believing it was within our reach. Isn't that what every superstar aspires to in this business? That's truly what carving your _Legacy_ means.

So no, maybe I wasn't a second _or_ third generation superstar for that matter, but I had passion and a pure desire for this business and if that didn't make me deserving of being in this locker room with these three superstars, I didn't know what did.

I picked my cell phone up off the table in one swift motion, as it was still charging, to check the time. Instead I observed an 'unread text' message. Opening it I found the message to be from Kelly.

_Keep your head high and always remember you are great Mickie James. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. See you out there and don't forget to bring your 'A' game ;) It's nothing short of an honour to be able to challenge your for the title. xoxo K._

Was her intention to make me emotional… because if so it was working. God I love her! She was just an amazing person; there was no other way to describe Kelly.

Smiling to myself once more and reminiscing on our countless training sessions together in the past where we learned much off one another, I finally climbed to my feet putting all thoughts of the blonde diva out of my mind for the time being.

I think Ted caught the movement as he pulled the headphones from his eyes and looked up to meet my gaze.

I nodded my head in answer to his silent question and watched as he brought himself to his feet, safely placing his Ipod on the table and grabbing his titles that were slung over the back of the sofa.

Cody – who had noticed the brief exchange between us and discontinued his exercise – joined us near the door with his own titles on his shoulder as we all turned to the Viper expectantly.

Finally Randy lifted his head to survey us for a moment before dipping his head in a brief nod. It was the 'go ahead' signal and his own form of good luck.

My lips curved into a smile as I turned to face the tag champions, "You boys ready to do this?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Ted replied as a smile formed on his face.

"Ready to prove Summerslam wasn't a fluke," Cody added, winking at me.

"Let's do this," I lead the way out the door pausing only briefly to receive a small, praising smile from our leader.

That was all it took for me to confidently lead Ted and Cody out to the ring, for another PPV moment.

The match for the tag team titles had been pretty neck in neck as I watched on intently from ringside, cheering in support of my Legacy team mates.

Pounding on the ring, "Come on Ted!" I shouted.

Triple H had gained the upper hand mere moments ago when Ted had brought a chair into the ring and was about to use it before HHH had delivered a high knee to an unsuspecting Ted, causing the chair to bounce off his head. Hunter followed up with a pin that was broken up by Cody, fearful that his partner might not be able to kick out.

Shawn, furious that the brunette had cost him the tag titles, scrambled into the ring with his focus on Cody as he tackled him to the ground and both men fought for control of the other.

I forced my attention back onto the legal men as Triple H was in the process of forcing Ted to his feet and setting up for his finisher – the pedigree. I took one look and observed the referee absorbed in trying to break up the brawling pair consisting of the Heartbreak Kid and the son of the American Dream.

I took my chance sliding into the ring to pick up the chair and attempt to hit the Game with it but instead he ducked out of the way of the shot as the chair fell out of my reach. I turned back with a scared look on my face and watched as he shoved Ted to the ground, focusing his attention on me. I reached out and slapped him across the face before yelling that he doesn't deserve to win the tag team championships. He reached out and grabbed a handful of hair, much to my displeasure, and begging him to let go I watched as he smiled in the direction of the crowd… causing them to go wild with excitement as they encouraged him to continue – I guess we know my heel character is now successful.

He pushed my head down between his legs, setting up for the pedigree but before he could execute it, he was knocked to the ground and me along with him after a devastating chair shot. Ted threw the chair to the ground and rolled me safely out of the ring and I watched on the big screen as he snuck up behind a struggling Hunter and executed 'Dream Street'. I had been pushed out near a battling Shawn and Cody, the former having gotten the upper hand and was about to get in the ring to break up the pin when I reached up and snaked my arms around his legs to prevent him from helping Hunter.

Seconds later the bell rang and 'It's a new day' resounded throughout the arena as Ted leapt to his feet in victory. I let go of Shawn as Cody pulled him out of the ring and performed 'Cross Rhodes' onto the floor.

Poor DX! Despite feeling bad, I knew they would get their redemption so I ran around the ring to grab the tag titles forcefully and after handing two to Cody and giving him a quick hug, we both slid in the ring. I jumped into Ted's arms in an embrace as we celebrated Legacy's first win of the night.

I told both men to climb the corner turnbuckle in celebration of their win, and as they did I shouted to the crowd – with a genuine smile – that Legacy was number one.

The smiles were still evident on all our faces as we entered the backstage area with the memory of victory fresh on our minds.

"One down, two to go! Hell yeah!" Cody shouted with enthusiasm.

Many of those who littered the backstage area – technicians, backstage hands, security – turned to stare at the commotion and some chuckled as others just shook their heads.

I couldn't help the happiness that had taken over my body as I turned into Ted and gripped him once more.

"I'm so pleased; you did such a great job. You both held your own against DX, and I'm just so proud!" I gushed as I turned to Cody to make sure he heard as well.

"We had one hell of a cheerleader," Ted winked at me before placing a light kiss on the top of my head.

"Ted?" a soft voice called from behind us.

We stopped walking to take in the form of Maria approaching us with a huge smile on her face.

"Congrats!" the redhead said excitedly to both tag champs.

"Thanks Maria," Ted said as Cody merely nodded in appreciation.

"Hey Mickie," she spoke with a smile while pulling me in for a quick hug. She pulled away to look at me, "Strong, independent woman," she murmured, winking at me playfully before turning back to Ted.

It took me only a mere moment to realize her intentions before I whirled around to face Cody.

"Come on Cody, let's go and brag to whoever will listen about that excellent Cross Rhodes you pulled off."

"I won't say not to that!" he shouted triumphantly.

Linking my arm through his, I lead him away only waving in thanks as Maria shouted a good luck after me in reference to my looming match.

Ted caught up with us only a few minutes later, and I had to admit I was a tad worried about how he may have acted.

"So…?" I prompted linking my arm through his as well; eager to hear what took place between the fortunate son and the bubbly redhead.

"She asked me out on a date for tomorrow night," he said casually, leaving me wondering.

"And…?" I persisted, stopping to wait eagerly for an answer. Even Cody seemed quite interested in what Ted had to say.

Ted looked away, "And I said yes," he said nonchalantly, but his mouth curved into a smile as Cody and I emitted a few cheers.

"I'm glad you said yes, she's really a great girl Ted."

He nodded his head slightly, "I know and I also know that I need to move on from Maryse. She made it clear she's happy and is staying with Mike so from here on out she's part of my past. Maria's a sweet girl, and I think we have potential."

"Awe Teddy I'm doubly proud of you!" I flung my arms around him again, not being able to resist.

"Surprisingly me too," Cody reported, clamping Ted on the back in a show of pride.

Ted DiBiase deserved to be happy and I had a feeling that Maria Kanellis was the girl to provide him with just that.

"Okay I better get going. I've gotta bring some more victory to Legacy. Wish me luck!" I chimed.

"You wont need it," Ted waved his hand airily, "it's only Ke– good luck!" he exclaimed before turning and walking away quickly.

"He was smart to do that… did I just say that?" I turned to Cody with disbelief.

"Yeah you just… used the word smart in reference to Ted. Are you feeling okay?" he placed his hand on my forehead.

I chuckled, "See you later! Go enjoy your victory!" With one final smile I strode in the direction of the gorilla position arriving just in time as Kelly disappeared onto the ramp.

Taking a deep breath, I composed myself, feeling the confidence deep down but knowing despite popular opinion this wasn't going to be a piece of cake. I wasn't silly enough to over look my opponent; no I was going to approach this smartly.

Sure enough, despite the tremendous effort on Kelly's part, I ambled back through the curtain still the Divas champion after connecting the Mickie-DT and picking up the pin fall.

The happiness was swelling inside me and there was nothing that could make this night any less wonderful than it was. It was a proud night for Legacy, one that we prepared for obsessively and apparently the 'go, go, go' attitude of Randy Orton had paid off.

"Mickie hey wait up!" my blonde friend shouted after me. When she reached where I was waiting, she wasted no time in throwing her arms around my neck forcefully.

I staggered back a bit, laughing but placed my arms around her in return, "Hey what's that for?"

"For being you. You did great out there, and I wanted to tell you how proud I am… of everything, of all your success and your happiness. You truly deserve it babe," she spoke softly in my ear before finally pulling away and surveying me.

"Seriously you are going to make me cry! That means so much to me Kelly. Thank you. I'm so happy right now I don't know how to deal with it!' I giggled with amusement. Looking over her shoulder I caught sight of a familiar figure, "Talk to you later okay?"

After she nodded, we both went our separate ways as I approached a pacing Randy Orton in a corridor with no one in sight. He looked so deep in concentration that I was about to turn away, but as if he sensed someone watching, his head flicked up and his blue eyes met my brown ones.

"Hey," I said softly, "You nervous?" I winked playfully.

"Of course not," he said arrogantly before turning away again. I approached him, taking a seat on a stack of crates, placing my title down and then grasping his hand in mine, I forced him to turn towards me.

"You're going to do great out there Randy, just like you do every other night. You were born to do this just like you said and you were born to be the WWE champion," I paused for a moment before grinning up at him. "You may be an ass but no one can deny the gift you have that sets you apart from the others. There's only one Randy Orton, and yes he's arrogant but he isn't without a reason for being that way."

He chuckled, "Thanks… I think? You can never pass up an opportunity to throw an insult in there with a compliment."

"One of my many gifts," I shrugged my shoulders effortlessly before curving my lips into a soft smile.

I jumped to my feet, "I was serious," I muttered placing my hands on his chest. "You've got this in the bag. Just remember who you are and what you stand for."

He surveyed me for an indefinite period of time before finally I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him tight against my body as he did the same to me.

I live for these moments, the private ones that we shared every now and then, the ones that gave me hope, to keep fighting for _us_. I twisted my head up to lock eyes with him, "Time to go," I said quietly.

The corners of his mouth curved up to form a smirk only worthy of the Viper. Without saying anything he started walking away but he turned back to face me, "Great job in your match Mickie, I knew you would win." And before I could respond, he strolled off to defend his valued WWE championship.

I took another deep breath – for what felt like the millionth time tonight – and set course back to our locker room to watch Randy every step of the way in a show of support. Sure John is deserving of the WWE title, but as a part of Legacy and recognizing how hard Randy has worked over the years meaning he should get longer than a two months reign, I was fully backing my Legacy leader. That's not to say that I wouldn't be happy and very proud if John in fact did win.

But I do not, I repeat, _do not_ want to have to be around the Viper if he does in fact… lose. Actually I think I would leave the city, just to be safe…

"Hey champs… god you're losers," I scoffed out loud when I walked in the room to find the tag champions lounging around lazily.

"Okay I fully understand… and _agree_ might I add, about Ted being a loser, but for curiosity's sake, I would like to enquire why you'd say such a thing to me," Cody replied, sitting up from his previous position of lying and leaning back on the couch to wait for an answer.

"Don't you have girlfriends or potential ones at that, and you're lying around here?"

"Okay you," Ted turned to face Cody, "tag champions are supposed to support each other, and _you_," he now focused his attention on me, "team members… Legacy members are _not_ supposed to treat each other with disrespect."

"Are you kidding me? The other day you said you wished I was taller so that you wouldn't have to make such an effort to stare at my ass!" I shouted back at him.

He jumped to his feet, "That was in the moment!" he pointed at me, "_and_ you said you weren't going to bring it up again! And _by the way_, you should be taking that as a compliment that you are considered worthy enough to be checked out by Ted DiBiase!"

"Oh yeah Ted, such an honour," I muttered sarcastically. "Do you check out your sister's ass when you're with your family?" I crossed my arms.

"No…" He stated, confusion covering his face.

"So stop staring at mine!" I shouted in his face.

"…because I don't have a sister!"

"Um so if you did, you would stare at her ass?" I said with disgust.

"No that's not what I meant!"

"Well I'm like your sister, so you staring at my ass is like… incest or something!" I retorted.

He stepped back, "I never realized… that is quite disgust– pff you aren't legally my sister, so I will do what I please! It's a free country after all, and you do happen to have some pretty nice assets to look at," he sent a wink my way.

I rolled my eyes, great! Now I can no longer appreciate it as a compliment when Randy tells me I have nice 'assets', because Ted just ruined that for me. Knowing I wasn't going to get anywhere with this argument, I instead turned the TV on to find Randy making his slow Viper-like entrance to the ring. Next out, the challenger and leader of the CeNation, John Cena. I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face for I missed hanging out with the West Newbury, Massachusetts native.

Back in the day we were practically inseparable after he was drafted to Raw in 2005. Believe it or not, John and Randy used to be really good friends and the three of us, along with Dave Batista, were rarely seen without at least one of the other when we were on the road – of course Randy was moved to Smackdown, but that didn't stop us from seeing him as often as it was possible. I hung out with them more often than I did the divas, and I guess my friendship with Dave is what helped him to land Melina as his girlfriend.

But when Randy came back he was different. John tried standing by him after we broke up and Randy made it his job to make my life hell, but he couldn't accept Randy's attitude and he and Dave stuck by me believing Randy to be in the wrong. In the process they both lost their friendships with the Viper. I guess in a way that makes it my fault. If only I would have changed _my_ attitude… things would be a lot different.

_Flashback_

_Lita was no easy opponent, and despite having won the match I still felt physically drained. But if I was being honest, I didn't mind… it made things easier. Instead of having to use the pills prescribed by the doctor, which I hated for the way they made me feel, I would actually be able to sleep, hopefully without dreams, as opposed to lying awake beating my brains out and going over every detail of the past three months and how it… started. I couldn't sleep a lot of the time, or chose not to, because I was scared to endure the dreams that took over my mind when I attempted to sleep. I didn't know what was preferable – tolerating the horribly vivid dreams, or being exhausted every day of my pathetic life._

_The tears swelled up in my eyes threatening to spill over at any moment, but before they could do so the door opened up admitting the man whose locker room this was, my fiancé – Randy Orton._

_Fiancé. To be honest I was confused on that one. We had broken up and then gotten back together two months ago and admittedly things weren't the same nor, I was sure, would they ever be._

"_Hey babe," he spoke as he leaned down to kiss my cheek, to which I turned my head so he didn't make contact._

_He ignored the action and walked over to his bag digging through it, "So my parents want us to come for dinner next week, what do you say, are you up for it?"_

"_What do you think Randy? Does it look like I'm up for it?" I hissed._

"_Okay that's fine, I'll tell them no… again," he sighed. Finally he turned to face me._

_I stared up at him without amusement, "What's behind your back?" I couldn't ignore the fact that both arms were now positioned behind him._

"_Oh these?" he pulled his arms out revealing a dozen red roses and what appeared to be a stuffed Teddy bear that said 'I love you'. "These are for you."_

_I stood up and reached out to receive the gifts. So now he was buying me cliché gifts to try and make me feel better? First it was his usual small trinkets, which I used to love but lately only made my angry, and then he attempted the breakfast in bed route for awhile and now he must be desperate because he knows I hate gifts like these._

_With the flowers in one hand and the stuffed bear in the other, I strolled across the room and dumped both items in the trash can before turning to face him once more._

_I disregarded the sigh that escaped his lips and the look of hurt that took residence in his eyes. I didn't care about how he was feeling and I didn't want his pathetic attempts at an apology._

"_Where were you? I was expecting you when I got back," I said coldly, crossing my arms._

"_I was–" he began before I cut him off._

"_Making secret phone calls or maybe you were planning another trip to abandon me for awhile," I said maliciously._

_He sighed before turning away to dig through his bag again, "I was talking with John," he stated simply._

"_Yeah I'm sure that was what you were doing," I sneered._

_He turned to face me, anger evident in his eyes only for it to vanish a moment later to be replaced by… pain._

_He stepped forward and grabbed my hands in his, "Mickie… I love you okay. And I know I hurt you but I promise I will never hurt you again."_

_I stared back at him, my anger reaching its limit._

_I wrenched my hands free from his grasp, "Like you promised you would be there for me all the time when you gave me this ring! Where was that promise three months ago?" I spat, pausing to wait for answer. "Your promises are nothing to me!" I hissed before I turned and strolled into the bathroom, ignoring the look of defeat on his face._

"_I'll get a ride with Melina," I snarled and then slammed the door behind me._

I flinched at that memory, as if I had just heard the bathroom door slam. I know I had been in the wrong, not realizing because I had deluded myself that everything had been his fault. We had broken up three months after that, and yet we should have done it sooner. We dragged our relationship out and ended what had been, for the most part, a perfect relationship on horrible terms.

It hadn't been like that, in the memory, for the last six months of our relationship. We had perfect days, where everything seemed normal, and we were happy only for me to wake up one morning (whether it was the next day, or after a series of 'good' days) feeling resentful and angry.

_Flashback_

_I rolled over onto my back, and emitting a yawn, I opened my eyes carefully and it took me a moment to get adjusted to the sunlight pouring into our room. Today was different, and I knew it right away. It was almost like… like the pain that had taken residence inside me had subsided, even if it was only for a little while… and I felt like I could breathe again._

_I turned my head to the side to take in the form of my fiancé, already awake. He didn't look at me for a moment, but I could tell from his face that he was tired… physically and mentally. I closed my eyes again, yesterday had been a bad day, as I was in one of my moods again and had managed to empty the contents of our glass dishes onto the floor in a fit of anger. I don't know what had come over me, but we had been fighting everyday for the last week including yesterday when we stepped off the plane and headed home for our few days off._

_I opened my eyes again not knowing what to say… or what I __**could**__ say._

_Finally he released a sigh, "I should probably go and clean up the mess downstairs," he muttered without looking at me. "My parents are supposed to be visiting sometime this afternoon."_

_The tone of his voice threatened to make my broken heart shatter into even more pieces, and the guilt of my actions was unbearable._

_He threw the covers off of him and attempted to climb out of our bed, but instead I grabbed his hand to stop him from doing so._

"_Mickie, I need to," he sighed again._

_I sat up, but didn't let go of his hand, and placed my free hand on his cheek to force him to look at me. The hurt in his eyes was agonizing._

"_I'm sorry," I whispered. What else could I possibly say?_

"_Mickie, I've heard that before. I don't want an apology from you; I don't blame you for anything. I just want… I want things to go back to how they were before."_

_I wiped away the tear that fell down my cheek and pushed myself onto my knees. I nodded my head, "Yeah definitely, things are going to be different. I hate fighting with you, and I hate making you feel like this."_

_He stared at me, unsure of the meaning behind my words. I was unsure myself, but it wasn't going to stop me from trying. This wasn't the first time I had made this promise, but I hoped that it would be the last._

_He sat down on the bed, "We've tried that before. I just don't know what to do anymore."_

"_Come on, I'll show you. I'll help you clean up my mess, and we can make breakfast together. We can even go out for lunch with your parents, or stay in and I'll cook."_

_He managed a small smile, "You cooking?"_

_I offered a smile of my own, "We can leave the cooking to you then. What do you say?"_

_He looked away for a moment, before turning back to me as a full smile grew on his face. "I'd like that," he said._

_I leaned forward and placed my lips on his, wrapping my arms around his neck._

"_I missed you," he said against my lips, as he pulled me onto his lap._

"_I know," I said quietly, placing my forehead against his. After a moment of silence, "Let's go cook some breakfast, I'm starving."_

"_Please, please don't help me cook," he teased._

_I giggled, "That's a promise."_

That day had been one of the best that we had ever had in those few moments. Cleaning up the kitchen had been a pain, but cooking breakfast together had been a joyful experience that I will take with me forever. We went out for an enjoyable lunch with Bob, Elaine and even Nathan had tagged along. And later that night we made love more than once. It was those moments that had kept me hoping back then, and I had a feeling it had been the same for him.

Maybe I had been justified; it's not my place to say, in holding the past against him and having a hard time moving on. But this was my fault. He had asked me countless times if I wanted him to leave me alone, and each time I declined, telling him I just needed _time_. But I _couldn't_ let it go, and I tried, I really did but it was just too difficult.

Eventually after six months of accusations, negativity and unhappiness, Randy couldn't take it anymore. When I initiated that break up back in the hotel room, when he left without a good bye claiming there were other women willing, that was in fact our official break-up, but it wasn't where all the resentment came from. I lasted three weeks, my longest time away from him, before I went crawling back.

I had been broken, not knowing how to be alone and Randy had been the only one I could turn to. I expected him to take me back, like I had done for him on so many occasions, but the only thing I got was rejection and disappointment.

_Flashback_

_Despite every fibre of my being telling me not to, I had to do this. I was terrified of being on my own, like at any moment I was going to fall into a black hole and become non-existent, because I was lost. I was barely capable of making it through a match in the ring and because of this they had me lose the title earlier than was scheduled. I was offered time off but refused, frightened of what would happen. Instead I offered to stick around for backstage segments, or filler matches._

_I took a deep breath willing myself to be strong and knowing instantly I had no chance of being so. I knocked on the door out of pathetic self-pity._

_It was about fifteen seconds, I had to count to distract myself for fear I might run away, before I heard footsteps and a second later the door opened up and someone I didn't recognize appeared in front of me._

"_Um hi? Are you here to deliver the food, because I don't see it," the blonde in front of me spoke, leaning against the door frame expectantly._

"_I, I'm… sorry," I shook my head and took a step back, "I think I've got… the wrong room," I stuttered as the lady looked at me oddly._

_I was about to walk way when the sight of Randy in only a pair of jeans held me in place._

"_Hey what's taking so– Mickie?" Apparently he was just as surprised as I was._

"_I just came by to… talk. Um do you have a minute?" I asked._

"_Mickie," he sighed, "I don't think…" he paused for a moment, his gaze boring into mine. Something changed in his expression, "Uh yeah sure." He turned to face the blonde, "So…" he said uneasily._

_She shifted her gaze back and forth between us, "Right, I'm going to go…" she gathered up her clothes and throwing a fashionable trench coat around her body she strode past me and headed down the hall._

_Randy rubbed the back of his head, "Are you… going to come in?"_

"_Oh yeah," I whispered, hurrying past him into the room not daring to look at him._

"_So, to be honest I was expecting you two weeks ago. I thought maybe you'd stuck to your decision," he said while closing the door._

_I took a deep breath before finally turning to face him, "I miss you," I said quietly. "I take back what I said, things may not be working right now, but we can get back on track."_

"_It doesn't work like that Mickie…"_

"_No Randy just listen. I know I've been acting unacceptably, but I can change. I need you alright, I can't… I can't do this on my own, I can't do this," I whispered taking a deep breath as the tears started to swell in my eyes._

_He didn't say anything so I continued taking a step forward, "I can't sleep at night and I can't carry on a conversation past the greetings. I can't concentrate on anything either because every time I allow myself to think, my mind just keeps reverting back to what… to what happened."_

"_Despite what evidence supports and my actions, you were what was holding me together, I don't know what to do without you… please can we work this out?" I was pleading now, but didn't have the strength to feel piteous about it._

"_You're a mess Mickie, and it kills me to see you like this. For god's sake you just witnessed a girl leaving my room half naked and you come in here begging me to get back together. The Mickie I know would have punched me in the face and stormed off," he said. I could sense the worry in his tone._

_I took another step forward and reached out for his hand, "I'm not the same person I was. I'm broken and confused and, and I'm lost Randy. I don't know who I am anymore." I wiped the flood of tears off my face with my free hand, "I can't do this, my life, without you… please?"_

_He pulled me into his arms and placed my head against his body, "Shh, shh," he comforted me as I sobbed into his bare chest._

_After a few minutes, feeling much weaker than before, I pulled away from him._

_I wiped my face free of the tears, "Does that mean your answer is yes?"_

_He stared back at me, his face twisted in anguish, "I can't Mickie, we can't get back together…" he took a step back._

"_What do you mean?" I whispered._

_He shook his head, "I can't go through it anymore. The constant reminders, the mood swings, being blamed for everything and the accusations, I can't take it. I love you Mickie, god you know I do! And I tried, I really did to make this work… to pretend everything was okay but it's been six months, six months of unhappiness. I'm going through this too Mickie, and not once have you truly thought about me unless it benefited you. A person can only take so much before it becomes __**too**__ much."_

"_Randy don't do this… please," I begged him, the flow of tears continuing, god would they ever stop?_

"_It's time to move on okay, start a new chapter in our lives… a healthy chapter. We need to be away from each other to be able to truly repair these things we call lives. We've been living in a dark hole for six months, it's time to get out of it," he spoke softly._

_I shook my head, my eyes focused on the floor, "I can't, I'm just tired and if you leave me Randy, I will give up. I don't have anyone else," I looked up at him through the glistening wall of tears._

"_I'm not saying it will be easy, it's going to be far from. But you do have friends Mickie… that's what they're there for."_

"_No, no they don't understand!" I shouted, "They can't begin to imagine–"_

"_Mickie stop!" he shouted this time, "Just stop! I can't do this anymore! I can't be in this… depressing relationship okay! Not everything is about you, did you ever think about me once?"_

_I flinched at his words, surprised at the sudden outburst. I think for the first time I understood – as long as we were together, we were always going to be unhappy with that pink elephant in the room._

"_I think, I think you should just keep your distance from me okay? It's the best for the both of us, trust me," he said._

_How is a person supposed to accept a failed relationship they were one hundred percent certain was going to be forever? But something else dawned on me, this was my last chance to salvage this a fraction and my opportunity to make an unselfish decision. Randy had been so good to me, it was time to repay the favour._

_I took his hand in mine again, but remained silent for a moment, willing any strength I had left to come forward and help me to do the right thing._

_Finally I looked up to meet his soft blue eyes, "I'm sorry," I shrugged effortlessly. "I thought that we would need to get through this together but now I realize you're right, we need a separation and as much as it hurts, I'll do this for you. I've been nasty, demanding and on top of all that… selfish. I love you Randy, but I can see you're unhappy, and god knows I am. I'm sorry… for everything. I truly wish things had turned out differently."_

_I reached up to kiss him on the cheek, "Take care of yourself," I whispered._

_I didn't wait for a response because I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it, and the last thing I wanted was to have another meltdown. Closing the door behind me quietly, I leaned up against it, the tears flowing again._

_The strength in my legs vanished as I collapsed to the floor. It was only seconds later I heard commotion coming from inside the hotel room, smashing and cursing – apparently he wasn't doing any better. I didn't know what to do anymore, but I did know one thing that was certain, things were __**not**__ going to be okay._

And they hadn't been, for three years there was still a part of me that was unhealed. After that night I went down a dark road for awhile, my career went south and I cut everyone from my life. For too long I went without a hint of hope in any aspect of my life and sadly enough I almost forgot what it was like to smile.

If it wasn't for Kelly, Melina, John and Dave (despite my move to Smackdown), I don't know where I would be today. They helped me through that part of my life, though they probably don't know that considering I spend most of my time alone…. wallowing in my grief. But it was the thought that had counted, and it had meant the world to me.

As for Randy, he took the same dark path but unlike me, he didn't have anyone to pull him out, and it breaks my heart to see how hard he guards his life because of it. He may be stronger as a person and more mature, but he's unhealed just as I am, and we're going to be that way for the rest of our lives – just like a scar.

"Wahoo! Yeah man, Legacy is the greatest group in the history of the business!"

The shouting brought me back to the present as I took in the TV monitor in front of me – Randy had defeated John and retained his championship.

"Hey Mickie!" Ted snapped his fingers in my face. "Are you there?"

I forced a smile, "Yeah, yeah I'm here."

"Did you catch _any_ of that?" Cody asked.

"Of course I…" I sighed as Ted sent me a stern look. "No I kind of got lost in my own world."

"Don't tell Randy that! You know how he gets when all eyes aren't on him," Ted mocked me sternly.

"Let's just tell him we watched it," I told him as I stood up.

"Hey _we_ watched it, this is _your_ problem," Cody said smugly.

I glared at him, "What kind of friend are you?"

"The kind who watches their friends matches," he said with a smirk, crossing his arms self-righteously. He knew he had me on that one.

"Okay guys it doesn't matter, you want to know why?" We both turned to face Ted. "Because Legacy is on top of the world!" he shouted with enthusiasm.

I couldn't help but smile as he came forward to pull me in for a hug lifting me off my feet.

"Fuck yeah! The gold is staying with us!" Cody shouted out.

Ted put me down on the floor and jumped on the couch to shout out some more victory calls. I laughed and jumped onto the couch after him, the both of us bouncing on the sofa in celebration as the door was pushed open and the reigning WWE champion ambled through it. We all fell silent and turned to face him as he stared back with no hint of expression on his face.

"I think we just made Breaking Point our bitch," he said proudly as a grin grew on his face.

"Yeah!" Ted and Cody shouted at the same time.

I smiled at him, laughing as I bounced to the end of the couch and jumped into his arms. He laughed as I wrapped my legs around his waist, threw one arm in the air and shouted "Whoo!" as the other arm went around his neck.

Ted and Cody watched us both, laughing and engaging in their own man hug.

"As much as I respect Ric Flair, that phrase has never sounded sexier!" Ted said.

I turned to face him as Randy placed me back on my feet, "Ted you've been hitting on me non-stop lately, what is with that?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders, "I'm one to appreciate what's right in front of me."

I shook my head and turned to face the other two, "Celebration anyone?"

"Just what I had in mind," Cody said with a grin.

The three of them bustled around to get ready to head back to the hotel, but I stood there, watching Randy dig through his bag. It felt like years ago that I had expressed my complete happiness to Kelly after our match, but now I wasn't feeling the happiness so much. The stupid memories I forced to the surface and for some reason I just couldn't stop thinking about them, about the past. With the memories came regret and it's not something that a person can stifle easily.

"Hey you okay?" the voice of Randy cut into my thoughts.

I looked to see he was looking at me with a faint smile on his face. I nodded my head and smiled, "Yeah I'm great, just thinking about… what we should do tonight."

He took another step forward, scrutinizing me, "You had your eyes focused on me, but you were staring… past me. I know you're lying."

"I… I didn't watch your match." I hoped this was enough of an answer. "And I really feel guilty!"

"You didn't watch my match? What were you doing?" he asked.

"I… I didn't want to tell you this, but Ted kept trying to make out with me!" I pointed to Ted in accusation.

"What?" Ted gasped.

"Yeah," I scratched the back of my head, "I mean we aren't dating or anything which is _fine_," I emphasized the word, "but as my _friend_, you should not allow Ted to treat me with such disrespect like Cody has been allowing. I mean he admitted that he thought I had nice assets, pervert is all I can say!"

"Is that true?" Randy turned to face him.

"Well yeah she has nice assets, bu-but the other part she said–"

"See!" I interjected, "What a pervert hey? Now let's get back to the hotel…" I tried pushing him out the door but I barely moved him a step.

"I need to get changed."

"Oh no you don't! Trust me you would be doing women all over this city a favour if you didn't change out of your ring attire until you got to the hotel… and now that I think about it, a few men would be grateful too!" I said with assurance, trying to push him again.

He only chuckled, "I already knew that, but I don't live my life to please others as you well know. It will only take me a couple minutes. I'll meet you guys at the car."

He shook his head in amusement and headed into the bathroom. I watched him close the door before turning to Ted who was now staring daggers at me.

I took a step backwards, "Take one for the team?" I chuckled nervously.

He darted forward and I only just got away in time to hide behind an amused Cody.

"Cody save me!" I shrieked.

"Not happening," he stepped to the side giving Ted full access to me.

I shifted uncomfortably, "It was a joke!' I said in my defence.

"Now we'll have to make it believable," he said with a mischievous grin.

"What does that mean? Ted _what_ does that mean!" I asked, now fearful of what he had on his mind.

"Watch… and enjoy!" he took a step forward placing his hands around my waist and pulling me into him.

Just as the bathroom door opened admitting Randy back into the room, Ted leaned in and planted his lips on mine. I tried pushing him away but he happened to be a lot stronger than I gave him credit for, until after about five seconds he finally pulled away.

"Now you don't have to dream about it," he winked at me.

I pretended to throw up and punched him in the arm, "You jerk! How dare you! I'm going to kill you in your sleep!" I shouted before the sound of someone clearing their throat reminded me others were in the room.

I looked at Ted who was smiling smugly before turning to face Cody _and_ Randy who wore expressions a mixture of shock and confusion respectively.

"What was… that?" Randy asked, still surprised at what he had walked in on.

Turning to glare at Ted, I was surprised myself to see he was still smiling.

"I was giving Mickie what she wanted. Oh she didn't tell you? She's fallen for me… of course I don't feel the same but I'm a gentleman and decided to give the lady what she wanted."

I scoffed, "You? Gentleman… HA! And me? Fall for you? Once again… HA!" I leaned into him, "I'll tell Maria… you owe me!" I threatened quietly so the others wouldn't hear.

Ted sighed, "Fine, Mickie was right… I'm a… pervert," he sighed again and sulked out of the room after shouldering his bag.

I turned to face the other two and shrugged my shoulders, "Well tonight should be fun. Shall we go?"

**So there's chapter 36 :)**

**Hope you enjoyed it. It's actually one of my favourite chapters. Next up will be the Bragging Rights celebration… and yes there will be drama as per usual.**

**Please, please let me know what you think! And thanks for the reviews from last chapter.**

**Once again please review, I love any kind of feedback.**


	37. Revelations

"Ted hurry up! Taking forever to get ready is supposed to be Mickie's thing!" Cody shouted at the bathroom door.

He and Randy had arrived at our room about fifteen minutes ago, and now Cody was waiting impatiently to go as Randy merely lounged on my bed watching TV.

"Yeah! So stop stealing my thing you female," I added.

The door opened and Ted came strutting back into the room, "God can't a person get ready in peace?"

"No!" Cody and I shouted at the same time.

Ted merely muttered about how annoying we were, but didn't offer us an actual coherent reply as he set about the room collecting his necessities for the evening.

He was walking towards the table at the same moment Randy got to his feet, and he ended up bumping into the Viper as Randy stared down at him without a hint of amusement.

"Oh you're a big guy hey! What are you gonna do? Beat me up… get over it… like really it was only once… so is this how we're– okay, okay! I'm sorry, I won't do it again!" Ted exclaimed.

I chuckled to myself… Randy hadn't said a word but had merely stared at Ted and managed to make him crack under his scrutinizing gaze. Ever since we left the arena Randy had taken every opportunity he could to glare at Ted. He claimed it was because Ted forcing himself on me was rude, but I got satisfaction from knowing he was maybe a little jealous.

"Hey champ… that sounds so wrong in reference to someone other than John Cena…" I broke away from my thoughts to receive a glare from Randy, "…no offence."

"I don't care. Fact is, Cena isn't champion anymore… as a matter of fact, he won't be for a long time or ever if I have anything to say about it," he said, taking a seat on the bed again.

"As an official Legacy member it's in my contract to applaud _and_ agree with you," I teased.

"Oh I'm sure that's the only reason, not that you're so infatuated by me or anything," he said airily.

"Oh yes Randy! However did you know…? I thought it was my little secret!" I said theatrically.

"Pff a secret the whole world knows," Ted scoffed behind me.

I whirled around, sending him a death glare, "It was a _joke_… moron!"

"God what is with all of this hostility towards me?" he pouted.

"I believe Mickie has already answered your question. Does the word moron ring a bell?" Cody spoke, rolling his eyes.

"I'm going to see if Maria is ready, I'll meet you jerks in the lobby," Ted muttered, slamming the door behind him. A moment later he poked his head back in, "Seriously guys don't take forever… please!" he pleaded, before closing the door again.

I giggled. I love it when Ted does that! He gets so angry and does this huge dramatic entrance before coming back in to tell us something else.

"I love harassing him, he gets so riled up," Cody said with a grin.

"Not gonna lie, it's become one of my favourite past times," I admitted, sitting down on the chair to pull my shoes on.

Ted has always been an amusing person, but when he gets irritated be becomes flustered and dramatic – the easiest entertainment anyone could ask for. I knew he wouldn't take it seriously just like the rest of us didn't when we were the target – yes we each had our own day to be one we just didn't know when that was going to be.

"So should we go? Is Eve coming?" I asked Cody.

He scratched the back of his head in a show of discomfort, "Yeah she wants to go separately than everyone else, you know for privacy…" he chuckled lightly.

I tilted my head a bit and offered him a smile, "Cody you don't have to lie to us. We know why she wants to go separately. Look, how about you guys go with Ted, Maria and whoever else, and Randy and I will meet you there."

"No I don't want to put you guys out, really it's fine."

"Cody man, I don't want to have to make the journey with any of the other superstars _or_ divas. You're doing me a favour," Randy spoke up.

"Yeah his anti-social ness and all… besides who knows who he might attack this time," I said matter-of-factly, "it's best to keep him away from civilians."

"Oh you guys act like I'm some sort of animal," he complained.

"_Vipers_ shouldn't be let free to slither the streets, they're dangerous," I winked at him.

"Clever," he said sarcastically.

Cody chuckled, "It _was_ actually. Okay if you insist then we'll meet you two there. See you in a bit." A moment later he was out the door as it closed behind him.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked Randy while putting my dangly earrings in.

"We don't _have_ to go you know. We _could_ stay and do… other things," he raised his brows suggestively.

I chuckled, "Oh as tempting as _that_ sounds, everyone is expecting us. Apart from that we are celebrating Legacy's _dominance_… it'll be fun." I surveyed him before taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

_A person can only take so much before it becomes __**too**__ much._

I turned my head slightly to the left. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the thoughts from before off my mind. Being in the same room as Randy, didn't help with the task either.

_I can't be in this… depressing relationship okay! Not everything is about you, did you ever think about me once?_

The words echoed in my head, as if they were trapped there. I _hated_ the reminders; I just wish they could be permanently removed from my mind because they were too painful. Just remembering the look of despair on his face was enough to do the job, because I was the cause of it.

"Hey you here?' Randy snapped his fingers in front of my face.

I shook my head, "Yeah I'm fine."

"Mickie you've been spacing out ever since we left the arena. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing, just excited I guess," I chuckled nervously. Damn his ability to see through every lie!

"Stop lying, I can see right through it." God can he read my mind?

"Mickie," he sighed, "I thought we got past this…"

I turned my head again, averting my eyes as I climbed to my feet. Walking towards the table, I remained silent for a moment. Was I really going to discuss with Randy what was on my mind?

"Mickie?"

I allowed a small sigh to escape my lips before turning back to find Randy now perched on the edge of the bed.

"Was I, was I really awful to you, you know after… after everything?" I asked quietly.

Any sign of amusement fell off his face; his expression went blank as _he_ averted his eyes this time. The room was silent save for the noise coming from the television. Maybe it was a bad idea bringing up the past.

After another moment of uncomfortable silence, he pushed himself to a standing position and finally… he looked at me.

"You weren't pleasant but I guess… I deserved it," he spoke.

I shook my head, "No you didn't, I was so… selfish in the way I treated you," I said truthfully.

"Past is past Mickie–"

"Yeah and it's also something a person has to live with for the rest of their lives… it's not something you just forget. I'm not that kind of person," I said in reference to how bitter I acted those last six months, "and that feeling of hopelessness was _so_ foreign to me, I just didn't know how to handle it. So I pointed the finger at the person closest to me and unfortunately that was you," I said. "God I would never wish that darkness upon anybody because it's truly something that you never get over."

"You need to let it go Mickie," he spoke quietly.

"Oh because you've done such a good job of letting it go!" I spat. Half a second later, "I'm sorry that came out… wrong. Just… forget I said anything."

"No I haven't let it go Mickie, but I don't think about it all the time either. It makes me angry and bitter and I'm tired of feeling that way… its exhausting," he said.

"You're preaching to the choir. I'm sorry for bringing this up right now of all times. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It's like… Ted – doesn't shut up until you pay attention to him," I attempted a joke.

"Its fine," he chuckled. "So that's what this was about. Ted didn't actually try to make out with you did he?"

"No thank god! Um one kiss was enough, I'm disturbed for life," I exclaimed.

"He's really lucky, I was so close to wanting to kill him… you know because he was taking advantage of you," he shrugged effortlessly. "Anyway I'm used to it… the past has been coming up a lot lately," he admitted.

"It has hasn't it? And we've been trying all these years to avoid it," I said.

"Unresolved issues, it seems, don't go away."

There was another brief silence before I broke it. "Can I ask you one more question?" I asked uneasily. "I've been curious for years."

"I don't think I'd be able to stop you," he sighed, "so why not?"

I thought carefully on how to word what was on my mind, "When I came to your hotel that night, and… begged you to take me back… I _think_ we had a, a decent goodbye you know, at least better than before when you stormed out after asking me to empty the room as you might need it."

I paused briefly, "So why _were_ you so bitter and resentful? I gave you what you wanted…"

There was a much longer silence this time around and I knew the question had made him uncomfortable. But to my surprise he answered, honestly.

"First things first, that wasn't what I wanted, I never _wanted_ to give you up – I just figured it was the right thing to do. I thought I could get over you… turns out I wasbeen wrong." He sighed, "Mickie I blamed you for me not being able to move on. There's a reason I became the supposed 'lady thriller', I never even attempted another relationship because I couldn't get over the past. It all seemed so easy for you."

"Randy I had friends. _You_ cut everyone out. But it was _never_ easy for me," I told him.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah well, not much we can do about it now is there?"

"Yeah I guess… um is this going to be awkward?" I asked stupidly.

"Only if we make it so… let's just put this aside. We had this discussion, we aren't going to forget it, but let's get past it. If anything, we should learn from our past mistakes."

"Hmm that just might be the smartest thing you've said… ever," I said with a chuckle.

"And what _you_ should learn from your past is how _not_ funny you are," he told me without any amusement.

"I happen to think I'm hilarious," I said with a smile.

"And we call _Ted_ delusional," he muttered.

I giggled, "Come on let's head out," I grasped his hand and gave a gentle tug. "Wait how do I look? That's what I was going to ask you before the whole 'champ' and John Cena debacle."

Tonight I settled on a simple black strapless dress with a belt around my waist, a pair of nude pumps and matching clutch. My hair was in loose curls, and teased for a bit of definition.

"You look good… as usual. Why do you ask that _every_ time?"

"I don't know… would _you_ want to go in public looking like a mess without knowing?" I asked.

"You never look like a mess. I'm beginning to think that maybe that's impossible," he said.

I smiled, "Are you trying to suck up to me?"

"Is it working?" he smirked.

I chuckled this time, "Not in the least, now let's go."

I lead the way to the door before turning around abruptly to face him once more.

"We're going to have fun tonight… right?" I asked sternly.

"Define fun," he retorted.

"Well dancing, enjoying the moments with your friends, indulging in a few drinks, _laughing_, checking out women, and enjoying yourself," I listed. "And that's just off the top of my head."

"Laughing?" he inhaled sharply for effect, "I don't know if I can do that."

I playfully hit him on the shoulder, "I'm serious… for Legacy."

Without another word I guided the way out of the room and onto the elevator to start our night of celebration. Apart from Ted, Cody and their dates I wasn't sure exactly who else from the roster was going to be there. I hadn't had a chance to talk with anyone other than the guys, but Maria was the one who invited us to go out with her so I imagine other superstars will be there.

Instead of taking a cab we decided it was nice enough to walk the fifteen minutes to our destination. It was a nice feeling being a part of the night life in this French-Canadian city. It had been awhile since I'd been out to a club in Canada and honestly I've had nothing but good experiences. The weather was perfect out, a light breeze, but it was evident that autumn was on its way.

"Look at the line-up, they're lucky it's warm out," I said in reference to those waiting outside.

"And unlucky they aren't me," he said smugly.

"Unlucky?" I questioned, "No… I think that would make them _lucky_."

"Mickie would you _please_ tell me where you get all your lines?" he spoke sarcastically. "I've just _never_ met anyone as clever as you!"

"Wow is that sarcasm for the sake of a joke coming from the _Viper_?" I said in mock surprise.

He merely sent me a smirk as we approached the bouncer, who let us in immediately, and entered into the club to start the Pay-Per-View after party.

We pushed our way through the crowd that was gathered in front of the entrance – which to be honest didn't involve a lot of 'pushing' as everyone kind of… gravitated out of the way. I guess Randy just had that attitude about him… something I kept forgetting these days. He was different with me and sometimes that slipped my mind.

I leaned into Randy, "You see Ted anywhere?" I asked.

"Don't see any idiotic flailing around, so I'm guessing he hasn't gotten that far into the alcohol," he commented.

I chuckled, "The night is still young, don't get ahead of yourself. Come on," I linked my arm through his, "let's go find our friends and hope they aren't amongst a group of those hostile towards us."

"Us? I think you mean me," he responded.

"No…" I said slowly, "I mean_ us_. Being around you brings that on me," he went to protest but I pressed on, "And I don't mind it. I know you a lot better than I know a lot of these people, same goes for you to me. It's an easy choice. Apart from Melina you're the oldest friend I have."

"I guess that makes sense, but I don't want you to cut yourself off from other people because they don't like me. I may not care for them either but _unlike_ them I won't judge you for hanging out with anyone else."

I smiled, "And everyone thinks you're a bad person. Come on let's go make sure Ted _doesn't_ get drunk."

"That sounds like a chore, not a celebration," he groaned.

Only offering a smile as a response, I guided us both over to the bar to buy our first drinks of the night. After Randy paid the bartender, a flirty redhead, we turned our attention to other areas of the bar as well as the dance floor in search of Ted and Cody.

After five minutes of scanning, my eyes rested on a table in the corner that housed a group of familiar faces – Melina, Kelly, Dave, John, Maryse, Mike, Evan, Brie, Nikki and Zack. To my surprise, two thirds of the occupants had their heads angled in my direction.

"We have an audience," I forced a smile and lifted my arm in a waving gesture.

The group, obviously not having realized I caught them staring, all shuffled around awkwardly to send me back a greeting. This was going to be a long night.

"Who cares, come on I see Ted and Cody over there," he pointed in the opposite direction and grabbing my hand, lead us to a smaller table overlooking the dance floor where the boys were sitting with their respective dates.

I walked forward until I was behind a sitting Ted and wrapped one arm around his neck, "Miss me?" I whispered seductively in his ear before giggling.

"Damn," he turned around, standing to his feet, "if you were anyone else I would invite you back to my… our room."

"…is that an insult?" I questioned.

"You're my BFF, I don't want to ruin our relationship," he shrugged his shoulders before leaning in, "Glad you came you saved Maria and me. Eve's in a pissy mood again."

I rolled my eyes, "So what's new these days?"

Cody stood up to greet us as did Maria, but Eve remained in her seat staring angrily at her drink. Did she ever let things go? I imagine she's pissed of because she was forced to be company to Ted. How could anyone, apart from the three of us, possibly have anything against my dear Ted?

"Hey Eve how are you?" I asked politely.

She looked up, "Just peachy," she said without a hint of amusement before standing up and walking off, completely forgetting her drink.

Cody sent me an apologetic glance, but I only waved him off as he rushed away after his girlfriend.

"Sorry about that. She and I are best friends but sometimes I really wish she would get over things," Maria spoke.

I smiled, "Don't worry about me, its Cody I feel bad for. He doesn't deserve to be treated that way."

"No of course not. I didn't have much confidence in him when she first agreed to go out with him, but he proved me wrong and ever since he's been a great boyfriend. He doesn't get angry with her which is crazy because sometimes even _I_ want to shake her and tell her to grow up," she chuckled quietly.

"They seemed happy together, before anyways. I think they'll get through it," I said with confidence.

She smiled and nodded in agreement as the four of us took a seat at the now empty table and immersed ourselves in conversation. After a few minutes of Maria and me having a very entertaining conversation about Zack Ryder (Woo Woo Woo You Know It) she begged me to dance with her as 'Dynamite' was resounding throughout the club.

A few of the other divas – Nikki, Brie and Maryse – joined us on the dance floor and I had to admit I had a great time dancing to the next few songs, laughing and enjoying myself. Honestly I don't know why I don't hang out with Maria more often. Granted that would mean more Eve, and she's shaping up to be one of those people I'm going to try and avoid, but Maria was such a great person to be around. She hated drama and rarely ever voiced her criticisms. She liked to have fun and it was as simple as that.

"You think Randy would be okay with dancing?" Maria shouted over the music.

"Why are you going to ask him?" I asked, confused.

She giggled, "No! I mean with you, I'm going to ask Ted."

I smiled, "Let's go and see."

Grasping her hand firmly, we bade farewell to the other divas, and I lead us through the maze of other dancers, finally breaking free and setting course to where we left the boys. As we approached them, I observed that neither Cody nor Eve were anywhere in sight.

"Hey Ted, you wanna dance?" Maria asked excitedly.

"Hell yeah. I've been waiting for you to ask all night," he grasped her outstretched hand, sent us a grin and allowed her to pull him to the dance floor.

I looked down at Randy expectantly, "What do you say?"

He stared back at me and I was sure he was going to say no, but he stood to his feet and gripped my hand. "We're supposed to be having fun right?"

I grinned up at him, "Right."

He directed us towards the dance floor and pushing us through the throng of partiers, we arrived in the middle of the dance floor before he turned to face me. Moving my hips to the beat of the music, I gathered his hand in mine again, lifting it above us and moving my body closer to his. The lights flashed around us, as everyone else on the dance floor moved along in tune to the music. I felt so free; dancing was always such an exhilarating experience. I moved closer to Randy again and locked eyes with him.

"Everyone is watching," he said with a smirk, waiting expectantly to see how I would react. Looking around I realized more than one familiar face from the roster were watching us – including those who were supposed to be my good friends.

Feeling a surge of defiance I turned my attention back on Randy, "I don't care," and placing my hand on the back of his neck I pulled him down and forced my lips on his. I could tell he was surprised by my action, but a moment later his hand became tangled in my hair while the other was placed on the small of my back, pulling me into him.

A moment later I pulled away and looked back up at him, feeling a bit childish.

A smirk grew on his face, "Did you just use me to prove a point?"

"Maybe, is that a problem?" I asked.

"I'm not accustomed to being used."

"Sorry the opportunity presented itself. I'm so sick of being the center of gossip!" I exclaimed just as I felt a blow to my back, forcing me forward.

Randy caught me in his arms before we turned to see the cause of it. A man, mid twenties apparently, was trying to force his way through the crowd and had carelessly shoved me out of the way. A second later Randy had his hand around the guys arm and wrenched him around to face us.

"Dude what's your problem?" he shouted.

"My problem? You just shoved her out of the way. I believe you owe her an apology," Randy hissed.

"I don't owe anyone shit. _She_ was in _my_ way," he retorted.

Randy took a step forward as his eyes darkened.

"Randy it's not worth it, come on," I placed my hand on his arm.

"Yeah why don't you listen to your bitch, she's giving you some good advice. Just walk away," the guy said.

I had to use all my strength to restrain Randy this time as he attempted to hit the guy.

"Randy," I grunted, placing my hands on his chest trying to force him backwards. "Stop! I'm not offended. Besides, you could get in shit with management if they find out about you fighting!"

Randy stopped struggling to look down at me and nod his head before I turned to face the guy who now had a smug look plastered on his face.

"You need your girlfriend to fight your battles?" he shouted.

Rolling my eyes I took a step forward, "One I'm not his girlfriend, two he would make _you_ his bitch in a second and three…" I grabbed his drink out of his hand and threw the contents in his face, "learn some manners or you're going to be pathetic and single the rest of your life."

Without waiting for a response I seized Randy's hand and lead us off the dance floor over towards the bar. I finally turned my attention on him as he grinned down at me.

"What?" I asked, not being able to withhold my own grin.

"That was so much more entertaining than what I wanted to do to him," he informed me.

"Let me guess, a kick to the skull was sounding good to you?"

"You know me," he shrugged his shoulders. "But your way was much better, granted now everyone thinks I need a woman to fight my battles."

"All they need to do is tune into Monday nights to see you are more than capable of backing up your words. You aren't champ for nothing," I told him.

"Very true. Order us some drinks, I gotta take a leak," he said.

"Thanks for the over share, I've got a great mental image floating in my mind now," I said sarcastically as I gestured for him to go.

I leaned over placing my elbows on the counter and waited patiently for the bartender to make his way over to me. So far I was having a great night that not even Eve or a random douche bag could ruin. And despite the audience of friends who I was apparently more interesting to than usual, I wasn't giving two shits what anyone else thought. I wasn't affecting anyone else, and therefore my decision to maintain this 'relationship' with Randy could not be seen as a selfish one.

I ordered two beers for the both of us and took a seat on the stool to wait for him to return from the washroom.

"Is this drink for me?" I turned to find an unfamiliar man had taken the stool next to mine, and before I could respond he picked up one of the beers in one swift motion and took a swig of it.

"No that was my… friends," I sighed. "Can I help you?"

"Just came to enjoy a drink with a pretty lady," he responded. "How about we take this party to the dance floor."

"Um no sorry I'm waiting for someone," I said politely.

"While we're waiting how about it?"

"I said no, there's an entire room full of other women, why don't you ask one of them?" I offered. This reminded me of the road trip to New York a few months ago, except this guy was about two times bigger than that guy had been.

"Because I'm asking you… you're special," he said, and I swore I could detect a hint of danger in his voice.

"Look I said no _politely_. Please just move along," I said impatiently, looking away and hoping he would take my advice.

He stood up and moved closer to me, "I really think we should go and dance… now!" he ordered.

"Excuse me?" I said jumping to my feet. "Where do you get off telling _me_ what _I_ should do?"

"Feisty… I like that," he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me along but I stood my ground and wrenched my arm out of his grasp.

"The more you resist the harder it is for–" but he was cut off as Randy came up behind the guy and nudging me backwards, he resumed the position I had previously been in, going face to face with this guy who had taken a few steps back. They were roughly the same height, but the man had at least fifty pounds on Randy. He wasn't fit; he had more of a beer gut if anything.

"No_ you_ just made it harder for _yourself_," Randy hissed. "I've had to deal with your kind more times than I would like to remember. When a woman says no, it means no. It's not her fault you're so desperate to get laid."

"Walk away buddy, this doesn't concern you. I don't want to embarrass you in front of the lady," he said smugly.

"Yeah it does concern me; she's my responsibility as a friend. And second, the only one who's going to be embarrassed is you when you hit the floor after I kick your skull in," Randy warned. So he got to use his threat after all.

The guy only chuckled loudly as he looked over Randy's shoulder. I turned slightly to find two guys approaching us. One of them was just as big as his buddy and the other was… familiar. It was the guy from the dance floor, wet shirt and all. Randy put his arm out to force me behind him again as the three men lined up in front of us.

"I should've known," Randy spoke. "Did you send your buddy into get something started… to provoke us?" he said to the man from the dance floor who compared to his two friends was looking pretty small.

"Maybe," he responded smugly.

I took a step to position myself _beside_ the Viper ignoring his best efforts to keep me positioned _behind_ him. I glanced up briefly at him to see he had a smirk on his face.

"Am I supposed to be intimidated?" he said.

"Randy, remember how this went last time?" I hissed quietly.

"Mickie they're morons, I'm hardly scared," he spoke loud enough for them to hear.

"I bet we could do a good amount of damage to both of you before security stepped in," the guy from the bar spoke.

Randy glanced down at me and I could tell from his expression that he was worried for me, but he kept his poker face on and the three men didn't see his slight concern show through.

They all took a step forward but stopped immediately as the smiles faded off their faces. I looked sideways, to see what had stopped them, to find John had taken position beside Randy.

"Problem here?" the Cenation leader looked back and forth between us and them as a smile grew on my face. Randy hid the surprise and focused on the three in front of us again.

"This your buddy?" the big guy asked Randy gesturing to John.

"No I hate him, actually I just kicked his ass in a match tonight to retain my title," Randy said smugly.

I nudged him as John rolled his yes, "Is now _really_ the time for that?" he asked, keeping his eyes focused forward.

"It's always the time," Randy responded as the guys looked on, confused.

"So are you here to help him or not?" the smaller guy asked edgily.

"I hate the guy because he's a dick. But she," he gestured to me, "is my best friend and if he's defending her, I got his back."

"Awe Cena I've got tingling sensations from your touching declaration of support," Randy said sarcastically.

"Orton will you stop being an asshole for five minutes?" John turned to face Randy now.

"That's next to impossible," I scoffed.

"Thanks for that Mickie, I mean I'm about to get my ass kicked for defending you, but _please_ feel free to insult me," he spoke sarcastically.

"I totally could've handled this on my own," I said defiantly.

"No you _think_ you could've handled this on your own, just like you do with everything else, but low and behold I _always_ have to step in to help–" Randy started but was rudely interrupted.

"Shut up!" the guy from the dance floor shouted, "God this is like watching a damn soap opera." He turned to the guy from the bar, "Johnny we can still take them."

The other two nodded and were about to come forward when they stopped abruptly once more. Someone forced me backwards and when I looked up, I seen the forms of Ted and Cody had taken my place next to Randy as Dave, Evan, Mike, Zack, and John Morrison had taken their place on John's left. Kelly, Melina, Maria, Maryse, Nikki and Brie had taken their place behind the superstars and beside me.

I could see how intimidated the three standing in front of them were as they all took a couple of steps back obviously wondering what the hell was going on.

"Are _these_ your friends?" the smaller one asked Randy, trying to appear tough.

"Yeah we are!" Ted shouted enthusiastically as all the superstars, including Randy, turned to stare at him. "Okay me and him are," he gestured to himself and Cody quietly.

I smiled to myself as I forced my way through a gap between John and Randy, the latter trying to stop me but I insisted that I would be okay.

"Thanks guys," I muttered to all the superstars before turning my attention back on the problem in front of us. Ignoring the crowd that had gathered out of curiosity I said, "You see, what you happened to stumble upon is a room full of WWE superstars."

"You mean that fake stuff?" the second bigger guy asked sceptically.

"That explains the soap opera shit," the smaller guy spoke.

"Yeah, yeah I thought they looked familiar," the guy named Johnny said.

"First of all," I said harshly, "it's not fake, it's _scripted_. Last time I checked, getting thrown across the ring wasn't like landing on a pillow. And getting suplexed off the top rope doesn't feel so great either."

"Hell yeah and getting kicked in the skull," I turned to see Dave had shot a look towards Randy, "doesn't create pleasant sensations."

"He's right; the WWE being _scripted_ doesn't change the fact that all of us work out five days a week or more. We are all in excellent shape, including the lovely ladies standing behind us. The lot of us are faster, stronger and could run circles around you while you stopped to catch your breath," I said. "Not only are we in shape but we are _trained_ to defend ourselves."

I paused for a brief moment, "So despite the fact that each of us has our own issues with one another, we have a couple things in common. We can't stand those who have no respect for our friends and we can't stand those who insult our business and passion. So I'm going to advise you to take your exit… for your own good."

"But you guys could get in trouble for it… I heard you telling him that on the dance floor," the one guy said, gesturing to Randy.

"True, but do you really think we would actually stand around and allow you to beat on us?" John spoke. "There's a little thing called self defence."

We all stared at them, awaiting their next move but before any of them could speak a word, a group of security guards had approached us.

"Is there a problem here?"

I crossed my arms and kept my eyes on the three in front of me, "I don't know… is there?"

They exchanged glances with one another before turning to face security, "No, no problem," the small one finally said, and without looking at us they backed up and took their leave.

I shook my head and grinned to myself as I turned around to face my colleagues. Some were already heading off except for Ted, Cody, Maria, Randy, John, Dave, Melina and Kelly.

"Yeah Micks way to take care of business," John called out and held his hand out for a high five.

I reciprocated the gesture, "Guys just get intimidated by me," I shrugged my shoulders playfully.

Dave chuckled, "You're a beast I'll admit."

I punched him in the arm, "It's why you're afraid of me."

"Yeah afraid you might do some damage to my shins from way down there," he responded.

I rolled my eyes, "Good one. Thanks for the help guys."

"Anytime Micks, talk to you later," John said as he and Dave sauntered off.

"You okay?" Kelly asked.

"Definitely," I smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I'm a tough bitch. I handle my business," I said arrogantly.

Her and Melina laughed at me, "Okay _tough bitch_, don't be trying to handle 'business' yourself," Melina advised me. "I don't want anyone laying a hand on that pretty face of yours," she pinched my cheek attempting to annoy me.

"No one wants to mess with Mickie James, so we won't have a problem there," I said.

They both giggled and then promised to talk to me later before leaving me with my Legacy team mates and Maria.

"Damn James, you sure put those freaks in their place," Ted shouted out enthusiastically as he opened his arms.

I walked into him and wrapped my arms around him as he did the same. "I told you DiBiase, nobody wants a piece of me… I'm intimidating!"

"Yeah about as intimidating as my grandmother," Cody scoffed.

We turned to face him as Ted slung an arm over my shoulder, "Excuse _you_, but you should be thanking her. She did you a favour, those guys would have made quick work of you," he said, looking Cody up and down in a judgemental gesture.

I smiled, "That's why our friendship never would've worked out. Ted is more supportive!"

"Maybe I'm still bitter about your betrayal; did you ever think about that?" Cody asked, crossing his arms.

"Awe I'm sorry!" I rushed forward to try and hug him, but he dodged out of the way. "I'll get you sometime Cody!"

"Not if I have any say in it. But I better take my leave to try and find my girlfriend," he sighed and then walked off.

If Eve didn't smarten up, I was going to confront her myself and tell her to stop acting so immature. It might make matters worse, but Cody does not deserve her attitude. Ted and Maria drifted off to the dance floor, and I watched them leave before turning back to Randy.

"Really Mickie, how many times am I going to have to come to your rescue?"

"Pff I had it under control," I said airily.

"You have a knack for attracting trouble," he commented as we took seats at the bar.

"I could have told you that," I gestured to him, "You are the perfect example. Trouble seems to follow me."

He chuckled and nodded his head, "We were both in trouble the moment I came through that door after successfully defending my intercontinental title."

I smiled, "Oh yes I remember meeting the four of you, god I was so damn nervous!"

"I remember too, what was that… oh 'Randy's so pretty'," he mimicked me.

I narrowed my eyes playfully, "God I wish Dave never would have told you that!" That was said in confidentiality! And ever since you've been irritatingly arrogant."

"Who are you kidding? I was arrogant long before that," he said in amusement.

"Yeah you're right," I smiled before turning to the bartender to order more drinks.

"Tequila Mickie?" Randy asked sceptically.

"Why not? Fun remember?" I passed him one of the shot glasses. "We were good friends hey?" I asked after finishing mine.

"Yeah it was something I was good at. It just seemed so effortless I guess," he admitted.

"Do you think we made a mistake entering into a relationship?" I asked him. "Maybe we could have avoided everything if we just remained… friends."

After a moment he shook his head, "There was always something… more between us. You know what I mean? I never took a second thought to putting you before everyone else. You were always the first person I wanted to see in the morning. I think no matter what we would've gone down the relationship path."

I looked over at him, "I still remember the first time I saw you, when you shook my hand… and the feeling that I got. It was like, for the _first_ time I was in the right place at the right time. The sense of comfort I got in those five seconds… I've never forgotten," I admitted.

He looked back at me, "Because you _were_ in the right place. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the pain, but it was all worth it with you. Every moment we shared… every moment we _share_ is special in its own right, and I've never felt that with anybody else."

I was surprised at his openness on the subject, and in a way glad that he willingly shared it with me. It made me feel closer to him, knowing we had the same views on the subject.

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," he shrugged his shoulders.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Do you ever get tired of complimenting yourself?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"One that I thought, up until five seconds ago, was a pretty legitimate one, but I forgot I already know the answer."

"You get smarter by the week," he responded.

I shook my head, "And it appears that you, much like you think about me, never get funnier."

"You just aren't used to being around someone who actually is funny," he said.

"Yeah… that's it," I said sarcastically.

"Besides I don't believe I said you never get funnier, I said you aren't funny… or at least that's what I meant to imply."

I laughed sarcastically in response, as he emitted a chuckle. We sat in silence for awhile with our backs to the bar as we surveyed the rest of the club. A few brave women approached Randy asking to dance, but each time he declined much to their disappointment.

"I don't understand, I mean I do, but I don't. You look scary, to others, why approach you?" I asked.

"Because I'm handsome, funny, and confident – women are attracted to confidence.

"Yeah but we hate arrogant, which is what you are," I told him.

"It doesn't matter. I'm, for the most part, very hard to read… which in a sense makes me mysterious, however lame that sounds. Women are attracted to a man of mystery, and that combined with confidence, well… I get what I want. Women love me, or they do until I'm done with them… some of them even still do afterwards."

"Ugh I can't believe I _willingly_ have sex with you," I crossed my arms.

He merely chuckled, "You can't resist my charm. If anything it works on you more than anyone," he replied.

"Oh yeah, how's that?"

"Every bad thing that's happened in our history, which is obviously a lot, and you can't seem to stay away. I have a hold on you like nobody else," he stated smugly.

"Yeah you do, but that goes both ways Orton, and you can't deny that. Not even Laura can claim," I grinned.

He just stared back at me for a moment, no amusement on his face before opening his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Cody who plopped down on the stool next to his. He didn't say anything but only placed his head in his hands.

"Um Cody? You okay?" I asked.

He shook his head and then finally looked up at us, "Eve won't let anything go? How can you go from being so happy with someone to miserable?"

Randy cleared his throat, took a sip of his beer and exchanged a brief knowing glance with me.

"You're preaching to the choir buddy," I sighed.

"Just dump her," Randy said bluntly, shrugging his shoulders.

I elbowed him in the side, "She's still mad about my party?"

"Yeah but its worse. Anything I say is always the wrong thing. It's like she wants me to agree with her opinions on you guys. And when I tell her she doesn't know you, she just gets angrier. I've never felt so helpless!" he exclaimed.

I reached over and patted him on the arm, "You guys will work it out. I could talk to her if you'd like." 

"That's probably _not _a good idea… she hasn't had very many nice things to say, and with the whole you and Randy thing becoming public… just, it's best to stay clear of her. She'll come around… I hope."

"I don't understand why people think it's their business to give their opinion on my choices!" None of us said anything for a moment before I sighed, "You two will be okay Cody."

"I sure hope you're right. The one time I take a chance on a relationship in years... Well it damn well better."

"Is she still here?"

"No she left with Maryse."

"Good, come on let's go dance. Randy do you mind?"

"Are you kidding? Have fun Cody," he said smugly, happy that he wasn't the one being dragged onto the dance floor.

"No I don't feel–" Cody started but I cut him off.

"I didn't _ask_ Rhodes," and before he could respond, I grabbed his hand and forced him to the dance floor.

We danced to about four songs and by the time we headed back over to Randy, Cody had a smile on his face once more. Even though he had advised me not to, I was going to have a little chat with Eve. Cody was my best friend, and no one was going to get away with treating him like that. He had been nothing but a gentleman, and she was being downright childish.

"Are you having fun sitting here alone?" I asked Randy.

"Well I wasn't alone for the whole time. There was an attractive brunette who pounced on me the moment you two left… she wasn't my type," he said simply.

"Oh really? A girl who _wasn't_ your type… miracles _do_ happen!" I teased.

"Yo what up DiBiase Posse… hey I like the sound of that. We should change our group name to that!" Ted called out as he and Maria approached us.

"Yeah sure if we want the Legacy to lose its credibility," Randy spoke.

"If we were to change our name it should become… the James gang!' I said enthusiastically.

"That's even worse," Randy said.

"Yeah really, at least mine rhymes," Ted said childishly.

I poked my tongue out at him and grabbed Maria's hand, "Bathroom time. And possibly on the way we might engage in story time," I said threateningly.

"You wouldn't dare," he said, narrowing my eyes.

"Wouldn't I?" I said threateningly as I lead the way to the bathroom.

"What stories?" Maria enquired.

"Ted takes nude pictures of himself," was the first thing to come to mind. "One time I walked in on it – I'm scarred for life by the way – and he was doing a photo shoot. He kept saying 'fierce' at the camera."

Maria looked at me questioningly before exploding into laughter.

I chuckled along with her, "Ted's a good guy Maria."

She smiled genuinely, "I know, from what I can tell anyway. He's a good friend too. All his stories are Mickie this, me and Mickie that…"

"_Friends_ is all we are," I emphasized.

She offered another smile, "I know. It's actually nice how close you two are. I find it very refreshing and in now way am I intimidated. I would never have a problem with it, nor would I ever ask him to change his relationship with you."

"Good," I said softly. "Ted is a huge support system in my life. I need and value him as a friend, but in no way would _I_ let that interfere in any relationship you two may engage in," I promised her.

"Can I be honest?" she asked softly.

"Of course," I assured her.

"Eve would probably kill me for this… but I think that's why she's so angry with him. She's finally realized how big of a role the three of you play in Cody's life… how close the four of you are. I guess, selfishly so, she wants to be the only important thing in his life."

"But that's so silly. He cares about her _so_ much and has for such a long time. Cody will always put her first, but if she keeps insisting he stay away from us, or that he should have the same low opinion of us that she does, than she _will_ lose him," I explained. "You think that may sound arrogant, but it's not… I'm certain of it. Cody, Ted, Randy and me have a bond that… well that I've never felt in a friend way before. It's something we are going to have forever, and I haven't been more convinced of anything in my life."

"I believe it. I think she'll come around. She loves Cody, so don't think she doesn't. She just needs to get used to the fact that you guys are a package deal," the redhead said.

I laughed, "I like that… it's a good way of describing us."

"I find myself entertained by the four of you. The good times that you can have, just seem to come so simply and naturally. I've never been in a relationship like that before," she admitted.

"We're a weird bunch alright," I acknowledged proudly.

She waited as I used the washroom quickly and after washing my hands, we were out the door and on our way back to the guys who were still near the bar. We walked up to find, not so surprisingly, that Ted and Cody were engaged in another of their many petty arguments.

I took the stool next to Randy, "So what's it about this time?"

Before he could answer Ted turned to face me, "Mickie who do you think would win if we had a hot dog eating contest?"

"Really Ted? You _actually_… _willingly_ entered into this argument? I'm sorry but you set yourself up for failure on this one," I told him, shaking my head in disappointment.

"I tried to tell him but he told me to shut up," Randy said, apparently still surprised Ted had dared to tell him to do so.

"How did I set myself up for failure?" the fortunate son asked, crossing his arms.

"Ted," I stood up to move closer to him, "We're talking about Cody here. He orders half the menu every time we go out to eat, _and_ manages to finish before us most of the time."

Cody looked on proudly as Maria stood off the side, seemingly amused by the situation that was taking place in front of her. I backed up to take my seat on the stool again waiting for Ted's reaction.

He appeared deep in thought, 'Damnit! I so do not have my thinking cap on tonight!" he pulled his wallet out and handed Cody two twenties which the brunette took smugly. "I'll get you next time Rhodes."

"Fat chance of _that_," he said confidently.

I laughed to myself before looking over their shoulders to see my blonde diva friend approaching us rapidly – as John, Dave and Melina rushed after her.

I jumped off my stool once more and took a few steps forward, "Hey Kel what's–"

"When were you planning to tell me?" she shouted in my face.

I was confused, "Tell you what?"

She crossed her arms, "That you had sex with my boyfriend!"

I was taken aback at her accusation but not so much as the three guys behind me.

"What?" they all shouted as the same time.

I sent them all a 'shut up' look before turning back to face John.

"You told her?" I asked. I hadn't thought about that night in years.

"She… overheard me talking about it. I've had a few drinks… it slipped out," he admitted shamefully.

"I asked you a question," Kelly hissed.

I sighed, forcing myself to stay calm and explain myself. I wasn't guilty of anything as far as I was concerned.

"Never Kelly, I was never planning to tell you."

"You weren't planning to tell me you slept with _my_ boyfriend?" she shouted.

"He wasn't your boyfriend at the time Kel, in fact you barely knew him," I explained. "That was almost three years ago. I don't see why you're angry about it."

She scoffed, "You _lied _to me!" she shrieked. "Melina and I asked you more than once, and you told us you never had."

They _had_ asked me and I had declined on two occasions. But Melina did know about it as she always seemed to be able to get anything out of me – Kelly just wasn't around at the time. I turned my gaze on my raven-haired friend who merely shot me a sympathetic glance before shrugging her shoulders. I focused my attention on the pissed off blonde in front of me.

"I didn't tell you because it wasn't a big deal then nor is it one now. John and me are and have only ever been _friends_. It was a mistake… Kelly you know how messed up I was after everything happened with Randy. I was drunk and… and it happened. I'm sorry I lied," I said sincerely.

"Oh what a surprise, blame your problems on Orton. That's getting a little old. I was there for it Mickie and that _was_ three years ago, but you are _still_ blaming your issues on him. Get over it already, I'm sick of hearing your sob story," she spoke harshly.

I was stunned at her words, literally. Kelly had _never_ spoken to me like that before. I didn't know how to respond. Searching John's, Melina's and Dave's faces, they were just as shocked as I was. Looking back at Kelly she didn't even seem remorseful.

"Kelly, how could you… say that?" I whispered. "You know what that did to me. How much of a wreck I was…"

"How much of a wreck you _were_? You _are_ a wreck Mickie. Letting him use you the way you do, you're pathetic!" she spat. "I'm not the only one who thinks it. Where's your self respect?" she hissed.

_Randy's POV_

"Enough!" I snarled, standing to my feet having heard enough from Kelly's mouth. I stepped forward and placed my arm protectively around Mickie's waist and for the first time John didn't step forward to Kelly's defence. I think he was still too stunned at what had just taken place. Kelly didn't need his help though as there seemed to be no intimidation from her this time as she stared directly up at me.

As for myself, I was genuinely surprised at this new revelation but I didn't understand why Kelly was angry. She didn't have anything to do with John back then.

"I'm going to say this once more and you better listen this time," I looked at the four of them in turn. "What goes on between Mickie and me is none of your fucking business. You act like you care about her, but where the hell have you been the last four months? Ted especially, Cody and myself are the ones who have been here for her for the most part since she got back, so you have no right to be judging her."

I surveyed their faces again, "Does it surprise you that I can admit to caring about her? Well it shouldn't considering I have since the moment I met her, but that's also none of your goddamn concern."

I paused and focused on Kelly once more as Mickie turned her body into mine, "_You_ have no right to talk!" I said, my gaze boring into hers. "The only pathetic one here is you for caring about something that happened three years ago before you barely knew any of us. Hell_ I_ have more reason than you to be pissed off about this and yet, I'm not. So get over yourself. And if you use pathetic in reference to her one more time I'll make sure it's the last thing you say," I hissed.

John took a step forward to place his hand on Kelly's arm, "Come on let's go," he muttered.

She wrenched her arm free of his grasp and looked back at Mickie, "Eve was right about the four of you. No wonder she has such an issue, I can honestly say I don't blame her. He really did a number on you didn't he? Stay away from my boyfriend," she snarled before turning and storming off.

John shook his head shamefully, "I'm sorry Mickie, I'm just… sorry," he said quietly before turning and following after his girlfriend.

_Mickie's POV_

Melina looked tortured glancing back and forth, "I don't know why she said those things Mickie. I certainly haven't been discussing any of it with her. I would never call you pathetic, I hope you know that. Hey," I looked up at her as she grasped my hand, "I know you've been through a lot of rough times, I'll never hold it against you. And I know it may not seem like it but Kelly doesn't either."

Randy scoffed, "Yeah because that was evident in her choice of words."

Melina looked up at him, "She cares about Mickie and she's worried about her. We all are, can you blame us?" she spoke fiercely.

"I'm not the one who's making her feel down all the time," Randy responded, "Not anymore."

"How long will that last? Are you planning on starting a relationship again? Where is this going?"

"That's none of your business," Randy said.

"Mickie _is_ my business. She's like a sister to me,' Melina spoke defiantly. "We may not have been around all that often for the last few months but we _were_ there for her three years ago!"

Looking up at Randy, I noticed for the first time someone other than me had rendered him speechless.

I shook my head, "I, I don't want to get into this," I finally found my voice.

Melina offered me a sympathetic glance, "I'm sorry sweetie," she pulled me away from Randy and into her arms. "I'm really sorry for what she said. I don't know where it came from and I don't know why she's mad over something so silly. I'll talk to her okay?"

I merely nodded my head and muttered good bye's to her and Dave after he offered me a hug of his own.

Ted came forward soon after and pulled me into his arms as I ignored the looming threat of tears. The day had started off so good until I forced those memories to the surface, and everything kind of went downhill from there.

"Are you okay? Cody will allow you to insult him endlessly for an hour if it will make you feel better," Ted offered.

"Yeah definitely, anything," Cody spoke up.

"And we both know how easy it is to insult that tool, starting with his goofy looking face!" Ted exclaimed.

"Buddy, I said _her_ not _you_!" Cody spoke up.

I laughed weakly, "I'll think about it." I pulled out of the hug to find all three guys and Maria staring at me cautiously.

"Do you want to leave?" Randy asked hesitantly.

"No," I spoke.

"What do you want then?" Ted enquired.

I was silent for a moment before responding, "Tequila," I said without any hint of amusement. My best bet was to numb the pain I was feeling.

"Mickie," Randy sighed, "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Why not? It's nothing new for me and we're supposed to have fun… right?"

_Randy's POV_

"Oh my gosh! I never knew how good of a singer Teddy was!" Mickie exclaimed excitedly.

Cody and I exchanged looks, "You're kidding right?" he asked her.

"No! Our best friend is _so_ talented, I'm jealous!" she shouted, clapping her hands together, as she rushed forward to join Ted a top the table and shout the lyrics to the music that was playing.

"Okay this was a bad idea allowing them to get up there," Maria spoke from her position to the right of me.

"You think?" Cody spoke sarcastically. "I'm actually wishing we had gotten into that bar brawl earlier. Chances are we wouldn't be in this situation right now if we had."

"Next time I'm going to punch the guy in the face… to provoke him. Nothing is worth this torture _or_ embarrassment," I added, gulping back the remainder of my beer. Of course back then I hadn't known that the night was going to come to this. And I guess if I had to choose between this torturous singing, or the possibility of Mickie getting hurt I would choose the former.

Over the last forty-five minutes, Mickie and Ted (who insisted because he felt bad for Mickie) had been tipping back drinks – mostly shots – left and right. The result – they were both pissed drunk. Mickie drunk, okay that's fine, easily dealt with, but Mickie _and_ Ted (of all people)… well this was going to be a long ass night.

I watched the two in horror until a moment later Ted nudged Mickie a little too hard and she fell off the table to the floor.

"I guess she was stealing his spotlight," Cody muttered before I rushed forward to help her up while he and Maria forced Ted off the table.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She giggled, "Of course I am silly! Ted never meant to do that, right Ted?" she shouted.

"What?" he asked with a grin.

"You never meant to push me right?"

"Yeah I did," he shouted back. "You were stealing my thunder!" he leaned in, "I'm trying to impress my date you know," he whispered loud enough that Maria heard, causing her to giggle with amusement.

"Oh," Mickie said before smiling, "That's okay! I understand! I'll take one for the team. Hey I need to pee. Randy can we go pee?" she looked up at me expectantly. I chuckled to myself and looked to Maria who smiled and nodded her head.

"Come on Mickie, I'll take you," she said.

"Yay a girls trip!" she clapped her hands again, and Maria had to jump forward to keep her from falling.

I laughed in amusement as I watched them go, keeping a careful eye on Mickie until she disappeared into the bathroom.

Ted nudged me, "Maybe if you learn some of my dance moves _and_ singing skills, you can get somewhere with _your_ date."

"Ted if I want to repel a date, _then_ I'll come to you for advice. You're lucky Maria is as accepting as she is," I replied.

"I sense some jealousy," Ted sang. "Maybe it's because Mickie thoroughly enjoyed the kiss we shared earlier," he poked me in the chest.

I glared down at him, "Ted if you touch me again I'll break your finger off. And to put it bluntly, if you attempt to kiss Mickie again I _will_ take great pleasure in killing you."

"You need another drink Mr. Grumpy pants! Seriously Mickie must be into the brooding bad boy thing… except then why would she sleep with John? Really she must be confused. I mean is it Randy or John, John or Randy. Or maybe she has a thing for Ted DiBiase… Jr, considering what happened earlier I would safely place my bet on that. But it could also be Co–"

"Ted!" Cody and I shouted at the same time.

"Yeah you're right, who, other than the crazy Eve, would ever, in their right mind, be attracted to _Cody_," he chuckled to himself.

"Ted," Cody said threateningly.

"Jeesh it was just a joke. Talk about a buzz kill… hey!" he laughed, "I just fully understand what that means!"

"Oh fuck, I just want to kill myself," Cody groaned.

"No! Cody you are never allowed to die. Mickie and I may think you're a loser, but it wouldn't be Legacy without you!" he threw his arms around an unsuspecting Cody.

Once Cody managed to pry him of, "You and Mickie think I'm a loser?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"Ted! That was a secret we promised we wouldn't tell him so we could avoid hurting his feelings!" Mickie exclaimed as her and Maria approached us.

"Sorry it slipped out," he explained.

Mickie turned to face Cody, "Don't worry at least you aren't a bitch like Kelly," she spoke, apparently trying to comfort him.

I guess it probably wasn't a good idea letting Mickie mask her problems with a bunch of tequila shots but she just didn't want to take no for an answer. Maybe she wouldn't remember any of the pain she felt. She didn't deserve it and I couldn't help but feel guilty about the pain that _I _was causing her.

"Randy!" Mickie whined, "Ted hit me for saying the 'b' word."

"Ted," I said sternly, "I _will_ break your bones without hesitation."

Mickie poked her tongue out at him as he pushed Cody forward, "Come on Cody fight my battles."

"No dude," Cody said, stepping away.

"No fair my dog is a little bitch," Ted whined.

"Ha-ha my dog is the toughest dog on the street!" Mickie shouted back.

"Excuse me?" I said turning to look at her.

She grinned, "I mean… my _friend_ is tough."

"He's also a psycho," Ted shouted back.

"You're jealous because he's better than you! He's the _Viper_ and can silence a person with _one_ look. _That's_ power Ted, something you don't know anything about," she stated smugly.

I chuckled again as Ted narrowed his eyes, "I've seen him in the shower, he's nothing special."

"Dude!" Cody said.

"What? I'm _clearly_ bigger than he is."

"I think _I_ would know better than you Ted," Mickie said, "And Randy happens to be _very_ gifted in that area."

"Oh really you want to bet?" Ted challenged.

"Can you not?" I asked.

"I know I'm bigger, let's check–"

"No!" Cody, Maria and I shouted, stopping Ted from unbuckling his belt.

"God Ted you're so stupid!" Mickie shouted.

"Me? You're the one who wanted to go to the registries place to ask for a License to kill, and they laughed at us before they realized we were serious! How embarrassing!" he retorted, getting right in her face.

"_You_ agreed that it was a good idea!"

"I _lied_! I just didn't want you to feel stupid because that's how good of a friend I am," he said.

"I hate you, you're mean," she pouted, folding her arms across her chest.

"I hate you too!"

They both stared at one another before their expressions softened.

"I'm sorry! I love you Ted, I hate fighting with you!" Mickie exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

"Me too! I think you are the smartest friend I have," he responded.

"Awe that's so sweet of you," she cried. "You are a _much_ better friend than Kelly!"

"I _know_," he said arrogantly. "She was so nasty to you. I would _never _say things like that."

"I know Teddy. Now I wanna dance," she turned to me and grabbed my hand, "Dance with me."

She stumbled her way to the dance floor and after pushing a path through the crowd she turned around to face me and moving her body to the rhythm she pressed her body against mine as we danced in tune to the music.

After a couple minutes she threw her arms around my neck, "Randy did I say thank you for sticking up for me against Kelly?"

"No, but you don't have to. _No one_ should treat you like that, you're too special," I replied, pulling her closer to me.

"I wish everybody knew how you are around me, things would be easier because I hate when people call you an asshole. Like really, no one knows you like me, Ted and Cody do."

"I don't mind it. I don't trust anyone but you three… and of course my family."

"…and Laura," she added.

"And Laura," I repeated before sighing.

"I think I would like to face Laura in the ring one on one," she said thoughtfully.

I chuckled, "I'm thinking you would win considering she doesn't have much experience."

"That would be more fun for me," she said with a grin.

"That's also _never_ going to happen," I informed her.

"Awe you're such a buzz kill! Ha-ha I fully get what that means now," she continued laughing.

I rolled my eyes and smirked, "You and Ted really _are_ best friends aren't you?"

"Of course we are. He's my best friend in the whole world. He's always good to me… except when he checks me out because that's creepy!"

I didn't say anything in response. Ted was _always_ good to her, it was the truth. He was a much better friend than me… because he wasn't selfish.

"I think it's time to head back to the hotel," I told her.

"I'm only agreeing if we find Ted first. I miss him," she whined.

"You saw him five minutes ago," I said.

"Five minutes too long… duh!" she pulled me through the throng of people.

"You won't be saying that tomorrow morning," I said.

"Don't be silly! Of course I will be. You should appreciate Ted more! Come on," she pulled me through the throng of people.

"Ted… Teddy… Ted!" she shouted.

"Mickie you don't need to shout," I told her as a few people turned to stare.

"I think he's playing hide and seek!" she exclaimed.

"I doubt– well actually I wouldn't be surprised at this point," I admitted, hoping to god Cody had a handle on him.

"Exactly. Ooh I love this game… why did we ever stop playing it?"

"Because we became mature?" I said.

"That's no fun, can I have another drink?" she asked.

"No, no way. You're hammered Mickie, you've had enough," I said sternly.

"Don't you want me to feel better?" she asked.

"Yeah I do but–"

"Then let me have another drink," she said again.

"I said it's not a good idea," I said but more in a pleading tone, hoping she would understand.

"Randy!" she pouted, crossing her arms, "You said you wanted me to feel better… I think you were lying. What kind of friend lies like that? Now I need _two_ more drinks! If you don't let me have them, I'll know you aren't looking out for my well being."

Okay she was looking at this from the wrong way but damn she was good at being manipulative.

"Fine," I exclaimed, "You can have _one_."

So one drink turned into two shots and a drink, the last of which the bartender insisted upon as he was clearly attracted to Mickie and even asked for her phone number after she mentioned I wasn't her boyfriend. I had to use all my will power not to lunge across the bar at him and instead focused on dragging Mickie away. I had to remind myself it wasn't _my_ place to be jealous.

"Randy what if Ted is lost! He's not the smartest person in the world, he wouldn't know how to handle the big world outside of Mickieville!" she said seriously as I fought hard not to laugh.

"Mickie, Ted is fine, he's with Cody… I hope," I muttered the last part to myself.

"Mickie, Randy!" I heard our voices being called.

I turned around to find Cody and Maria dragging a drunken Ted in our direction. Cody sent me an eye roll and Maria seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Wow, the redhead is _very_ tolerant.

"Teddy!" Mickie cried out, stumbling forward and throwing herself at Ted who had to be held upright by Cody.

"I was sooo worried about you! I thought you fell down a hole or something!" she exclaimed.

"Well…" Ted started, "I _did_ fall a few times… and to be honest I'm feeling a little sore, but I would never fall in a hole and leave you!"

"Awe Ted DiBiase you are my favourite person ever!" Mickie said excitedly, embracing him one more time before turning to me, "Except for you," she tried whispering but failed miserably at it.

"That was a low blow Mickie!" Ted pouted.

"No offence Ted but I don't have sex with you," she informed him.

"Oh… right but I would sooo be better at it."

Mickie started laughing, "Who are we kidding? Randy isn't known as the lady thriller for nothing my dear Ted," she patted him on the shoulder as if consoling him.

Truth be told I hated that nickname. It made me sound so… trashy I guess you could say. Sure I was rather confident in my abilities, but it's been awhile since I slept with any of the divas or strangers for the matter.

"Yeah well you wouldn't know Mickie, we've never been together," Ted retorted.

"Oh Ted I _know_," she said airily. "Words _cannot _describe how _good_ Randy can make me feel! … Wait should I be saying this?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

I chuckled, "No you shouldn't be."

"Yeah well it's not my fault I'm not a manslut!' Ted shouted, crossing his arms for good measure.

I rolled my eyes, "Okay it's time to go… now!"

"Thank god, I want to jump off the nearest bridge," Cody exclaimed. "I'm the youngest out of us, and I _swear_ I'm the most mature."

"Come on Ted, let's leave these party poopers in the dust," Mickie said before linking her arm with his and heading away from us but not before sending a glare in Cody's direction.

"I thought them two were annoying _sober_!" he cried out.

"Let's go before they get themselves in another fight," I said and then followed after Ted and Mickie while the other two followed me.

"Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah, ah roma, roma, ma, gaga, ooh la, la, want your bad romance!" Mickie was singing as her and Ted strutted down the street.

Did I ever mention that I _hate_ Lady Gaga?

"I want your love and I want your revenge you and me could write a bad romance!" Okay wait Ted likes Lady Gaga? Oh great, this night got considerably worse, _and_ my opinion on Ted has dropped.

"I want your love and all your love is revenge you and me could write a bad romance!" Mickie continued.

"Seriously guys, I'm going to launch myself in front of a car. My girlfriend won't talk to me and my best friends are an embarrassment. Could life get any worse?" Cody said from my right.

Maria giggled from the other side of me, "I think it's cute, although we seem to be getting more attention than usual."

"Cute?" Cody and I scoffed at the same time.

"What? It's different than what _I'm _accustomed to," she replied.

"Yeah _exactly_! You don't have to be around them all the time," Cody complained.

Maria merely emitted another giggle as we continued after the other two. I couldn't believe I was thinking it, but I was taking a liking to the redhead. She didn't seem to like gossip _or_ be a magnet for drama; it was so unlike a lot of the other divas.

"I want your horror, I want your design, cause you're a criminal as long as you're mine I want your love! Love, love, love I want your love!"

"Okay _I _know the chorus to that song because it's _so_ overplayed, but Ted knows _all_ of it?" I questioned in disbelief.

"It's _Ted_; do you _need_ anymore of an explanation?" Cody muttered.

"Okay stop!" Mickie shouted, planting her feet without warning to Ted who continued forward and ended up dragging both of them to the ground.

I rushed forward to make sure Mickie was okay before pulling her to her feet.

"Okay we have _got_ to coordinate Ted!"

"Tell me about it," he grumbled as Maria helped him to his feet. "I have _got _to stop falling. Fans are going to think I got my ass kicked over the weekend with all the bruises I'm probably going to have!"

"Fans? What fans?" Cody scoffed causing Ted to try and hit him, but ended up missing entirely.

Mickie stopped brushing herself off as her eyes rested on Maria. She surveyed her for a moment, not saying a word.

"Mickie?" I questioned.

"Guys we need to have a conference," she pulled me over to the edge of the sidewalk, and when Ted and Cody didn't follow, she motioned them over impatiently.

"Mickie what are we doing?" Cody asked.

"I think we should allow Maria into… what's our– oh Legacy! Yeah we should allow her to join our little group," she told us.

I looked over to Maria, who obviously heard Mickie's attempt at whispering and was giggling quietly to herself.

"Little group?" Cody scoffed, shaking his head in irritation. "Please kill me Randy, I'm begging you."

"Okay Cody you are starting to get just as annoying as them," I responded and then turned to face Mickie, "No Mickie, Maria may be alright but she can't join Legacy and Ted… god I can't look at you after the Lady Gaga fiasco."

"What?" he shrugged his shoulders, "She's a cool lady… but I agree with Mickie, Maria is the shit!" he exclaimed.

I merely rolled my eyes, "Let's go," I ordered before grasping Mickie's hand and leading her down the street as Cody followed, and Maria linked her arm with Ted's.

After a fifteen minute walk – of which we stopped countless times to talk to random strangers (hopefully they aren't fans of the WWE so they don't know who we are) and having to drag Ted away from trying to 'hitchhike' – we were finally back at the hotel and on our way up to our rooms via the elevator.

"So now what?" Cody asked.

"They need to be separated," I said, taking a glance over at Mickie and Ted who were thinking up ways to get revenge on Kelly. "So I'll take Mickie to her room and stay with her and–"

Cody's eyes grew wide, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, _no_! I am _not_ putting up with Ted tonight! That is so unfair… no I call Mickie."

I merely smirked back at him, "So how will your girlfriend feel about you spending the night with Mickie of all divas?" The smirk faded as I realized my words.

But it had worked on Cody, "Damn it! Just great! Another sleepless night," he sighed. "Never again are we going out the night before Raw, regardless of whether it's a pay per view or not!"

"Hey I won't say no to that," I admitted. "We're supposed to drive to Toronto, imagine how pissy these two are going to be." At my reminder, Cody grumbled with frustration.

The elevator doors opened up onto the second floor as Maria stepped off and turned back to face us.

"So good night guys," she offered a smile.

"Good night Maria," I said quietly.

"Thanks for the… help?" Cody added.

"It was my pleasure. So have fun… both of you," she winked playfully before the doors closed once more.

"So why couldn't we have pawned Ted off on her?" Cody asked.

"Isn't she sharing a room with Eve? I'm sure she would have _loved_ that," I said sarcastically.

Cody nodded his head, "Yeah I probably shouldn't give her _more_ reason to hate you guys."

I turned to face him, "Cody, we don't care whether she likes us or not, that's _her_ issue… Mickie– _all_ of us just care if you're happy."

"Yeah Cody, seriously buddy, dude, ex-best friend, if Eve doesn't stop being so _mean_, I might just have to teach her a lesson," Mickie said as she wrapped her arms around Cody's neck from behind him. I didn't know they had been listening.

The doors opened up but none of us moved.

"Yeah really, and I'll help. I've got a black belt in hair pulling," Ted offered.

I shook my head in embarrassment before leading Mickie off the elevator, as Cody chuckled to himself.

"Glad to know I have such supportive friends," he said, amused.

"Supportive, loyal, good looking–" Mickie started.

"…_very_ good looking, intelligent and psycho," Ted added the last part obviously in reference to me.

"Annoying," I offered, pointing at him.

"Now Randy, I think you should apologize. Ted was only speaking the truth," Mickie said sternly.

"Yeah and so was I," I said.

Cody chuckled as Mickie looked on, confused as to what I was talking about.

"Okay but you _are_ psycho… which is cool, it completely suits you and you don't mind… I think…? But Ted doesn't mean to be annoying, it's a disorder," Mickie explained.

"Yeah that's right– hey! I'm not annoying," Ted exclaimed.

"Who are we trying to fool here Ted?" I asked. "The three people on the planet who know you best are standing in this hallway."

"Maryse is here?" he said, looking around frantically.

Mickie smacked the back of his head, "Get Maryse out of your head, or I'll smack her out of you."

"I believe you just tried… didn't work," he said.

"Want me to try again?" she threatened.

"No," he pouted, "That hurt."

"Awe I'm sorry, I'll kiss it better," she offered.

I grabbed her hand before she could walk forward, "No you can worry about that tomorrow. Let's get back to the room before you two decide to do something stupid that'll get us kicked out. Have fun," I said to Cody with a smirk as he merely grumbled about sleeping in the hall.

I tried leading Mickie away but she stomped her foot, "No! I want to stay with Teddy!"

I contemplated the situation for a fraction of a second, "No!" I nearly shouted.

She took a step back, "You're not my boss!"

"No I'm merely the one who's been babysitting you all night," I muttered.

"It's okay Mickie, I got this," Ted said in a professional voice as he strolled up to us and linked her arm through his.

He looked up at me, "Sorry sir, we can't be separated, we're conjoined twins. Don't you see the resemblance?"

"I fucking hope not, I'm actually attracted to Mickie," I said.

"Hey Ted, if you two are conjoined you'd have a pretty hard time staring at Mickie's ass all the time," Cody spoke up, a grin forming on his face.

Ted's smile faded, "That might actually be a problem…" he said more to himself than to anyone else.

I glared down at him for a moment until he realized I was doing so, "I mean… Cody jeesh man why the heck would _that_ be an issue?" he said quickly.

"See we are staying together," Mickie said matter-of-factly.

"Great! You can take them both!" Cody said excitedly.

Okay there was no way in _hell_ I was putting up with these two drunken asses all night. It was time to put the charm I hold over Mickie to good use.

"Mickie," I said in a charming tone, "If you leave Ted with Cody and come to your room with me I'll make it worth your while," I said, putting my face up in front of hers, hoping to create the effect I would on any other day.

She dropped her arms to her side and without shifting her eyes from mine, "Bye Ted," she said quietly and took a step towards me – entranced.

"Hey that's not fair, I can't do that!" Cody complained.

"Mickie you traitor!" Ted hissed.

"It's not me Ted, I swear! It's my hormones!" Mickie exclaimed.

"Yeah well your hormones are putting a dent in our friendship!" he said dramatically, "I can tolerate it no longer!" He put his nose in the air and walked a few steps before stopping to face Mickie once more, "Seriously James, I love you! I'm glad one of us is getting some now that Maryse blew me off!"

Mickie giggled, "I'll get enough for the both of us," she assured him.

"Um, am I supposed to be turned off by that?" I asked Cody who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Night man," he muttered before turning to head to his room. "Ted no! You can't knock on people's doors…" he said as he was chasing after him.

This night had turned out _much_ differently than I ever expected it to. Especially having to chase Ted and Mickie around like little children. They should _not_ get drunk together; in fact it is now my job to make sure it never happens again. I'm sure all I'll have to think about, to give me incentive to do so, is the god awful 'Bad Romance' duet… I cringe thinking about it.

Mickie took a hold of my hand and pulled me down the hall towards her room which we entered a moment later. I placed her clutch that I was carrying – my how the mighty have fallen – on the dresser and put my jacket alongside it as Mickie took a seat on the edge of her bed. Striding across the room, I knelt down in front of her.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm upset about Kelly. Do you think all the superstars and divas think that?" she asked quietly.

"Mickie I don't know why you care if they do or not, but if you must know, no I don't think they do. Everyone loves you around here. It's _me_ they're judging not you, and a little more judgement I can take… seeing you upset is what I _can't_ take. I keep trying to shield you from everything but I seem to always fail," I muttered.

She put a hand on each side of my face, "That's not your job anymore Randy, but you've been doing a good job of it regardless. You can't protect those you care about from everything."

She's got that right, and the worst part is that I can't protect her from the real harm – myself.

I stood up, "Come on, let's get you ready for bed."

Pulling her to her feet, I helped her over to her suitcase as she was stumbling quite a bit, and after pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt I helped her with going to the washroom. After brushing her teeth, because she insisted, I helped her back to the bed and under the covers. I removed my jeans and t-shirt, before climbing into bed beside her so she could curl up against my body and rest her head on my shoulder as my arm wrapped around her.

We laid in silence for quite awhile, until I heard soft breathing coming from her telling me she was now sleeping. All of a sudden my phone started ringing and quickly grabbing it up off the bedside table I hit the silence button so as not to wake her. Making sure she hadn't been disturbed, I checked the caller ID to find out the call had been from Laura – no doubt wondering why I hadn't called her after the show.

I rubbed my hand down my face before allowing a sigh to escape my lips. No matter how hard you tried to avoid it, reality always seemed to find you. I tried so hard to protect Mickie when the only one she need protecting was from me. I don't know why I let this continue with her… considering I wasn't only hurting her, but Laura as well. I was betraying the only two women I ever loved and I couldn't stop myself.

I made a promise to myself after I started dating Laura again that I would put an end to whatever this was with Mickie, but I couldn't do it. We had come too far and there was no turning back now. I was a monster, a selfish one at that, and I couldn't stop the damage that was going to come from this – the situation was too far gone and for what?

"I love you…" Mickie muttered, and for a moment I thought she had woken up but no, she was still asleep, "…Randy."

My first feeling was that of happiness, to hear her mutter those words again, sleeping or not, after so many years still made me feel like it did then. But a moment later the guilt had come, and I knew that I had been playing her, not purposely, all these months.

How could I have been so stupid? I knew from the get go that this was what was going to happen but I disregarded every instinct telling me so. I had been trying to ignore these feelings… but I could no longer do that, especially given that I knew Mickie was struggling with the same ones. I guess I knew the reason why I let this continue all along… this wasn't supposed to happen! In fact this was _everything_ I wanted to avoid, and yet I allowed it to ensue.

"I love you too Mickie," I sighed knowing that I meant it with every fibre of my being, but also knowing that that was the problem entirely.

**So here is chapter 37… told you there would be drama! I think past here, everything is kind of set in motion.**

**Please review and let me know what you think :) Thanks for all the reviews from last chapter, you all are so awesome!**

**So Kelly found out about something that happened three years ago… think she has reason to be mad? Well personally if it happened in real life, I would share Mickie's opinion.**

**And what do you think of Eve? What should Cody do? Friends or girlfriend?**

**And uh oh… Randy does have a girlfriend, but a lot of you already guessed that. But he does love her, and he loves Laura… he's in a tough position, but I guess that doesn't condone him lying to Mickie. **

**So next chapter… another Monday night, and Trish is the guest host :) I'm not going to pay much attention to guest hosts, but I have to with Trish because I love her! She is my favourite diva of all time, not just because she's Canadian, but because of how much she did for the women's division. She was always adding to her move set, and sure there were divas who could outwrestle her easy, but she was the total package in terms of being able to wrestle, being great on the mic and how she interacted with the fans.**

**Survivor Series prediction**** – Randy Orton retains. John Cena, of all things, is a man of respect. And I think that comment Randy made on Monday (if John screws him over, he will be disrespecting every prior champion) really got to John, so I guess we will see. Nattie I think will finally win in three weeks… fingers crossed! Everyone catch Lita on Monday? Too short of a time period… but it was good seeing her. Miss her like crazy!**

**My dear poor Ted (whom I LOVE so much) keeps getting the short end of the stick… I wish the WWE would use him better… he has so much potential, and will be a huge star within a year or two.**


	38. Trish Stratus on Raw

I woke up the next morning to the sound of voices floating throughout the room. I didn't know what time it was, but what I did know was that I wasn't feeling all that great.

"Ted I swear to god, if you wake Mickie up I'll kill you. She needs rest," the voice of Randy became louder as I focused on what was going on to hear him threaten my best friend.

"Why does she get to sleep and I don't?" he snapped.

"You know Ted; I got barely any sleep either because of _you_. So I thought it was within my rights to wake your grouchy, hung-over ass up!" Cody spoke this time.

"Do either of you listen to anything? Let's get out of here before we wake her up," Randy ordered. I could hear a sense of annoyance in his tone.

"Yeah it would be nice if you guys could actually feed me," Ted muttered.

I heard them all leave as the door closed behind them, but I was too weak to move or say anything. So I remained in my position, eyes still closed, willing the comfort of sleep to overtake me again.

**I was standing in a dark room, however I wasn't alone. A crowd of people were advancing on me, Kelly at the front, and they all appeared angry – as if I'd wronged them somehow. A feeling of terror overcame me… I had nowhere to go until a figure placed itself in between me and them. Realizing it was Randy, I felt safe again, until he turned around to face me – he was part of the angry mob. He advanced on me much quicker; I was backed up against the wall with nowhere to go…**

All of a sudden I woke up in a sweat, sitting upright as a scream escaped my lips. I looked around quickly to realize I was still in my hotel room. I was panting – as if I'd just run a marathon. As the images from my dream were still swirling around in my head, a feeling of discomfort crept over me. The feeling of betrayal from Randy had felt so… so_ real_.

At that moment the door was shoved open and Randy, looking frantic, barrelled through it, tugging his suitcase behind him.

"Randy what's–"

"I heard you scream, what happened?" he looked around the room as if expecting an attacker at any moment.

"I, I had a bad dream," I only just realized how much my head was pounding, so I placed my head in my hands hoping the coolness of them would help sooth my aching head. Why couldn't I get rid of this horrible feeling, like something bad was going to happen?

"Do you want to tell me about it?" he offered, as he placed his suitcase near the door.

I shook my head, "No… it's not important," I muttered.

"Okay, so how are you feeling?"

"Hung over… what time is it?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

"It's just after noon, you slept for–"

"Noon? Holy crap, we need to drive to Toronto – that takes like six hours… we're going to be late!" I said frantically trying to scramble out of the bed. I couldn't believe how long I slept for. Even on my days at home I didn't sleep this late because I was an early riser. I guess I truly was exhausted and after everything that happened last night, especially with Kelly, I think I needed this but despite the extra hours of sleep, I still felt sick from all the alcohol.

"Hey, no, no," he grabbed my arm to hold me still, "Don't worry about it. I called a couple hours ago and booked the four of us onto a flight. It's so easy to do so now, but four months ago… of course it wasn't," he chuckled, referring to our missed flight/road trip period. "You should probably get ready and get everything packed, the flight leaves in less than two hours."

"Yeah," but instead of getting up, I laid back down on my pillow, not in the mood to bustle around right now.

"Mickie we need to–" he began but was cut off by the opening of the door.

Cody rushed in, pulling his suitcase as well, and slammed the door behind him, "Ted's coming! I woke him from his nap and now he's on a bitch rampage!"

"Why was he napping? We need to catch a flight," Randy asked.

Before Cody could respond, there was a banging on the door and once Cody opened it, Ted came barrelling through the door looking anything but happy. He didn't say anything, but slumped down onto his bed.

"Now _why_ couldn't I have done this earlier? This is_ my_ bed after all!" he snarled.

"Ted we don't have time for you to be lying around. We have a damn flight to catch in less than two hours," Randy half-shouted.

Ted sat up, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm ready _and_ showered! Unlike Mickie who looks like a complete mess!" he shouted.

"I'm not talking about Mickie and if you don't cut the attitude I'm going to kick your ass!" Randy retorted.

"Oh I'm shaking in my underwear. If _that_ moron," he pointed at Cody, "hadn't of woken me up… _twice_, then _maybe_ I wouldn't have this attitude!"

"Well you better do something about it, or you won't make it to Toronto!" Randy hissed.

"You know, today isn't like every other day, and _today_ I'm telling you to take your threats and shove em up your ass!" Ted shouted back. Wow, he really _did_ have an attitude today. He must not have gotten any sleep… poor guy!

Randy merely rolled his eyes and turned back to face me as Cody took a seat in the chair and pulled it in front of the TV while Ted leaned back against his pillow.

"Come on let's get you ready," he said as he extended a hand to pull me to my feet.

"Where the hell was _my_ help this morning? Instead I got bitched at!" Ted complained.

I walked slowly towards the bathroom, still adjusting to being awake, as Randy walked by my side. I didn't need the help, or rather I shouldn't have allowed Randy to baby me, but I just didn't feel like putting up a fight this morning.

"Oh sure, ignore me as if I'm not here! Jerks, all of you are jerks. _Mickie_ gets to sleep in and _Mickie_ gets help, but no, _Ted_ isn't important enough!"

I closed the door behind me quietly, not in the mood to deal with him at the moment, and proceeded to absorb myself in a shower. Ah, a shower… just the cure for how shitty I was feeling.

But regardless of the pleasant effect a shower usually had on me, I climbed out of the shower feeling the same as before. It was such a terrifying feeling, and I couldn't help but wonder what it was that was waiting for me in the near future.

Wrapping a robe around my body, I proceeded to dry my hair, throwing it in a ponytail and deciding to put my make-up on later. I drifted into the room wishing that I had stayed in the bathroom for refuge. Ted, it seemed, was hell bent on making everyone else as miserable as he was. What a day this was turning out to be! After picking out an outfit – a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a light button up sweater – I went about the room collecting all my belongings to throw into my suitcases, all the while trying my greatest to ignore my best friend.

I didn't know what I was going to do about the whole Kelly situation or if there was anything I _could_ do. Kelly rarely got this angry, or at all, but when she did it was hard to reason with her. I truly believed, apart from me lying about it almost three years ago, that she had no right to be angry with me. And if she _was_ only mad about the lying, she should be over it by now considering the amount of time that has gone by since, but I had a feeling that that wasn't the case.

Even though she shouldn't be, because it's truly a ridiculous thought, I knew that for some reason she felt threatened by this new revelation. There had never been an attraction between John and me, and I'm one hundred percent certain that that was never going to change. John was a friend to me, much like Ted and Cody. And especially when Randy was in the picture, no one else would or could _ever_ stand a chance, and Kelly, of _all_ people, should know that. I guess the only thing I could do was attempt to talk this out with her and find out what the problem is. I have faith at least that she'll come around eventually, I was just unsure of when that was going to be.

"God Mickie get the hell out of the way!" Ted shouted because I had, without realizing, walked in front of the TV while picking up the shoes that littered the floor beneath it.

"Sorry," I muttered before scurrying out of the way.

"Yeah thanks, I missed one of the good parts of the movie!" he complained referring to the part in the Hangover where Allan gets up to use the bathroom and upon noticing the tiger he ends up peeing all over the floor.

I dropped the shoes I had just picked up, and whirled around to face him with a death glare forming… and I had felt sorry for him! Poor guy my ass!

"Uh-oh," Cody said.

"You know what _Ted_, I am getting fed up with your attitude! I tried to be nice but you are too damn irritating," I shrieked, ignoring the pounding in my head.

"Yeah well what are you gonna do about it?" he challenged, pushing himself to a sitting position o the bed.

"Do you _really_ want to test me?" I shouted.

He merely nodded his head and crossed his arms, waiting with anticipation of what I was going to do. I widened my eyes in shock, and let out a cry of frustration as I bent down to pick up my Coach pumps and proceeded to fling one after the other at him. He was successful in dodging the first one, but the other caught him on the top of his head.

"Ow you bitch! What is your problem?" he shouted, clutching his head in pain as he jumped to his feet.

"You!" I screamed. "Since the moment I've been awake, I've had to deal with your bitching and complaining. So for my _sanity_ will you shut the fuck up?"

"I second that!" Cody interjected, but we both ignored him.

"Oh I'm _sorry_ that _I_ didn't get as much sleep as you princess, and that I don't have a psychotic ex-boyfriend slash current fuck buddy to threaten anybody who tried to wake me up!" he shouted as he threw his hands in the air in frustration.

I rolled my eyes, "You are literally too stupid to insult!"

"Do you really want to play the 'who's more stupid' game because I have an _entire_ list on you!"

"Oh really, well if you have a long list on me, my list on you is _twice_ as long!" I retorted, folding my arms across my chest.

"Ohh what an insult!" he said dramatically, "I could have thought that up in my sleep, but oh wait, I'm not _allowed_ to sleep!"

"Ted DiBiase Jr, I _hate_ you!" I shouted.

"Like wise…. Mickie James. I mean what kind of name is that anyway?"

I narrowed my eyes, "Oh look who's talking… Theodore _Marvin_!" I replied, confident in my retort.

"You promised you would never bring that up!"

"Yeah well it's on the internet, _everyone_ knows!" I told him.

"You know what! You are no longer my best friend! You're hormonal, whiny, bitchy, short _and_ your voice irritates me!"

"Yeah well… you're ugly!" was the only thing I could think to say.

His eyes widened and I knew I had hit a nerve. "Yeah, well that's not what your mother said!"

"Oh like I haven't heard _that _before. But for the sake of argument my mother told me you were the ugliest thing she's ever laid eyes on. In fact, forget the whole license to kill; don't you need a license to be that ugly?" I retorted.

I heard Cody and Randy both attempt to stifle their laughter, but after a few seconds they couldn't and they let it all out.

"OWNED!" Cody shouted out in between his fits of laughter.

This time he narrowed his eyes at me, "Cody you're my best friend again!"

"No he's mine!" I shouted, grabbing a hold of Cody's arm as Ted grabbed the other.

"Guys, guys I'm trying to watch a– enough!" he stood up and wrenched his arms free.

"Oh so_ now_ you want to be my best friends… now when it's convenient for _you_! Well screw you guys; I'm my own best friend."

Ted and I looked at each other and both of us narrowed our eyes once again, crossed our arms and stormed way from each other. Ted walked into the hallway and slammed the door, as I did the same but in the bathroom. Ten seconds later I poked my head back out and found Ted doing the same as Cody and Randy watched us in irritation and amusement respectively.

We met in the middle of the room – neither of us showing a hint of weakness in our features.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he spoke quietly.

"Yes," I said.

"Cody's a loser," he said as we both turned to face our other Legacy member.

"Tell me about it, I mean… he's his _own_ best friend?" I scoffed.

"That's impossible because he's so much of a loser that even_ he_ hates himself and therefore wouldn't want to be best friends with himself. Get it?" Ted asked.

"No!" Cody and Randy shouted.

"Yes," I said at the same time as them.

"See! That's why Mickie's my best friend," Ted said proudly.

"What?" Cody shouted. "Three minutes ago you hated each other!"

"That's crazy talk Cody! I could never hate my Teddy! I said airily as I pulled Ted in for a hug. "I think he's just jealous," I told Ted, in reference to Cody.

"Agreed," he pulled away. "Although we _are_ going to have to have a talk about you using my full name," he said sternly.

I hung my head in shame, "I know," I mumbled. "But it was in the heat of the moment!"

"Yes but it was also a low blow, and best friends don't do that," he explained.

"You two are freaks!" Cody exclaimed.

"Get your asses ready, we're leaving in five minutes," Randy ordered, a hint of irritation evident in his tone.

We made it to the airport with forty-five minutes to spare, me and Ted having argued the entire way much to the chagrin of the other two. By the time we arrived, Ted and I were best friends again and had our attention on Cody as we continuously made fun of him.

"Even though I'm _always_ thankful that I'm not Cody, I'm especially thankful that I'm not him today," Randy muttered as he stored our carry-ons in the above compartment on the plane, as I took the window seat.

"Why?" I asked, while making myself comfortable.

"Because I don't have to sit with Ted," he informed me.

"I heard that!" both guys shouted simultaneously from behind us. I turned around to find both of them in their seats, two rows behind us. Cody appeared annoyed as Ted seemed insulted.

"Awe everyone is so hard on my Ted!" I spoke, leaning over the seat to blow Ted a kiss to which Cody rolled his eyes and people in between us shot me a weird look.

Ted winked back at me, and jerked his head backwards in the direction of the bathrooms. I sent him a confused look until he gestured for me and him to go _back_ to the bathrooms… and then he wiggled his eyebrows. He was actually suggesting we join the mile high club! Ha ha ha.

He looked away and locked eyes with Randy, and a second later a scared expression took over his features. He slouched down in his seat and kept shooting uneasy glances at the Viper who was glaring down at him.

"Sorry!" he finally exclaimed. "It was a joke!" he reasoned.

"Ted I have about a hundred threats I could offer you right now, and each one is starting to sound very good to me right now," Randy said menacingly.

"Jeesh buddy learn how to take a joke!" Ted muttered.

"I know how to take a joke and when to know a joke is stupid. And this joke is stupid… and also would never happen. Trust me, been there and done that," he said smugly.

"You two are members of the mile high club!" Ted shouted out jumping to his feet, obviously forgetting we weren't the only ones on the plane. Almost everyone I could see had turned their attention on Randy and me.

I looked over at Randy, "You're a liar! I never ever agreed to it when you suggested it… the hundred different times," I looked around at the strangers on the plane, "He's lying," I chuckled nervously.

Randy rolled his eyes, "I _meant_, I've asked and she's always declined. Damn Ted you're such an–"

"Idiot? Yeah I've heard that before," Ted grumbled and sat back in his seat.

"You can stop staring now," Randy hissed to a few other passengers.

"Randy!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him down into his seat, as I sat down in my own, sending apologetic glances to those Randy had been rude to.

He handed me my Ipod that he had retrieved from my bag, and I placed one bud in my ear and turned the music on, low volume.

"You seem to be in a better mood," Randy pointed out.

I offered him a smile, "I love arguing with Ted… when it's a joke anyway," I said happily.

"I hadn't noticed," he remarked.

"I guess I'm in a _better_ mood, but I'm still upset and confused about what happened with Kelly… and honestly I don't know how I'm supposed to react to it. I mean should I be mad, apologetic… a mixture of both?"

"My honest opinion would be that Kelly has no reason to be angry. She could be angry about the lying, but it happened how long ago? She needs to get over it. I've always told you that you two are different. Mickie she's how much younger?" he asked rhetorically, "… she's still a kid."

"Yeah I know, but she's never been like this before. I guess we've never actually been in this situation, but she's never given me reason to consider her immature. I think that's what's so bad about this whole thing… I've never seen this side of her," I said quietly.

"When I first heard about it I guess I was angry in those ten seconds after she blurted it out and you had confirmed it. I mean my ex-best friend and my ex-girlfriend… so soon after we had broken up? But it would have been pointless to get mad at something that happened three years ago, and on top of that I know there isn't nor has there ever been anything between you and Cena," he explained.

Randy had always been wise for his years, and I guess that makes him mature. He's had his life in order, for the most part, ever since I had met him. He was always so confident in himself, and knew what he wanted from his life from the get go. He's a planner in that sense, in the career aspect of his life, and he's ambitious. It's why he is so successful at such a young age and I admire him immensely for it.

I guess I can't compare Kelly and Randy, not only because of the seven year age difference, but because Kelly isn't as hard working as he is and it's not in her blood either. I'm not saying that she isn't devoted to the business, she's just in a different position than Randy and I know she didn't grow up _knowing_ she was one day going to be a WWE superstar.

So in that sense, I guess their reactions about the whole situation _were_ going to be different. Or rather they were the same, but Randy had taken a minute to think it over and realize that the situation in fact… had meant nothing. If anything that was a sign of maturity, and I had been wrong about Kelly. I would take the blame for that, because I had just assumed she was mature for her age… but then again, up until last night, she had never given me any reason to doubt that for a second. All that proves is that there is an underlying explanation for her actions last night, and I was determined to find out what it was.

"I'm probably going to regret saying this, but you're very mature for your age. I thought Kelly was, but maybe this was just too much for her," I reasoned.

"You're such a saint Mickie… still defending her after the way she treated you," he said with a smirk.

"Oh I'm sorry if, _unlike_ you, I have a heart," I said.

He chuckled, "I'm glad you do. Your goodness is such an attractive and redeeming quality. Like I've said, mostly everyone gave up on me, but you're too stubborn for it."

"You're not as bad as others or even yourself seem to think. What person on this planet doesn't have a guard up at some point in their life? Some are just stronger than others… and you've been through enough hard times to last a lifetime."

"So have you, even worse than me, and you're still a much better person than I am," he admitted.

"Everyone is different Randy. If you and I were the same person, with the same reactions we would have made a very boring couple," I told him with a smile on my lips.

"Touché," he said.

I sighed remembering what had started this conversation in the first place. "You know had they dated before that happened, I would totally be able to understand her anger towards me. I mean sure you've slept your way through the divas but I'm not great friends with any of them, except Melina and Kelly, so I could never hold it against them or you. But I _would_ be upset if those two had done the same," I confessed quietly.

He surveyed me for quite some time, and it appeared as if he was unsure of what to say. Finally he offered me a reassuring smile, "Well you don't have to worry about that… past of future."

I smiled at him, grateful for his friendship. I knew that in spite of our past, I could trust him. The feelings I had when I woke up this morning were no longer hanging around because I knew he wouldn't betray me… we had been through far too much.

As for what was said last night, I don't hold Kelly or Melina's absence lately against either of them. It goes both ways and I hadn't made the effort on my part either. It made me feel guilty – how I just abandoned the friends who had been there for me the last three years just because Randy walked back into my life. It was in fact a selfish decision regardless of convincing myself it wasn't. I really needed to get my life, outside of my career, in order before things started to get worse.

An hour and a half later our plane touched down in Toronto and after retrieving our luggage and getting our rental car, only one this time, all settled, we set out for our hotel excited for the show tonight.

It gave me time to think over everything that had happened the last few months and how much my life had changed. Months ago I couldn't stand the sight of Randy and now I was willing to do anything I could to protect the bond we had been able to reforge. But with that said, I didn't want it to come at the expense of my friends who were there for me when I had to endure the worst time in my life. I knew that Kelly would come around; I just needed to be patient.

We checked into our two rooms again, all of us in much better moods than we had been previously, and focused our attention on tonight as opposed to making fun of one another. I took a half hour to get my hair and make-up done, without any complaints from the guys surprisingly, and then finally we had taken the voyage (Randy as the driver) to the arena only a couple hours before the start of the show.

"Come on, let's head back and finish getting ready," I told Ted, standing up from the table.

Instead of following Randy and Cody to our locker room, he and I had decided we were hungry and had gone off to catering instead. Surprisingly Cody didn't want to join us, yes I know Ted and I were in shock too, and we had gone alone promising we would meet them in the locker room very soon.

"Oh yeah because it takes forever to pull on some shorts," he muttered, staring down at his plate that still had a good amount of food on it.

"Ted, don't you want to look pretty for all those who are going to be staring at you tonight? You get new titles tonight! You have to look your best," I said excitedly.

His eyes widened, "Damn it, why did we come and get food? Now I'm going to look fat _and_ as if I didn't even bother to get ready!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and sending me a glare as if it was my fault we had come to get food.

"Look there's Kelly," I pointed towards the make-up area where the blonde and Eve were standing, obviously just having finished getting ready. "Let's go talk to her," I suggested, hoping she would take the time to listen to me.

"Uh do you think that's a good idea, I mean after last night? Besides she's with Eve… not a big fan of her," he admitted.

"Come on, maybe she's calmed down," I proposed, not feeling all the confident in my words, but opting to lead the way anyway.

Both girls didn't notice us approaching until we were only a few steps away. They both turned their gazes on us – the smiles fading instantly. So I guess this means they haven't gotten over it…?

"Hey Kel," I said hesitantly, "I was wondering if we could talk."

"Oh you mean you can actually fight your own battles without Randy being around to do it for you?" she said sarcastically.

"I didn't come here to fight Kelly," I said firmly.

"I have nothing to say to you," she spoke coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Kelly, come on, this whole thing is inane. I said I was sorry, what else am I supposed to do? Take it back? Because I can't," I exclaimed.

"I have a suggestion, why don't you stop whoring around?" Eve spoke up.

Kelly didn't agree or disagree, nor did she seem amused … if anything she seemed uncomfortable by the statement. I guess she didn't _completely_ hate me.

"If I were you, I would just spare Maria and nip things in the bud with her," Eve looked up at Ted this time. "You're just going to end up hurting her as long as Mickie is around."

Ted, who seemed to be trying his best to ignore everything, seemed surprised by her words.

"You don't even know what you're talking about Eve," he spoke harshly. She seemed taken aback but he ignored her expression and continued, "How_ dare_ you treat Mickie with such disrespect? You don't know her and lucky for her you never will. She's a kind, caring, supportive and loyal friend. But from the looks of things, you don't even know the meaning of those words."

He turned to face Kelly this time, "And yet _you_ do, shame on you Kelly."

"If you think that, she seems to have done her job at fooling you," Eve said ruthlessly.

I rolled my eyes and laughed in frustration. Taking a step forward, I was now positioned directly in front of Eve.

"You don't deserve Cody," I said simply.

"Oh but you do? Are you going to screw him too?" she said cruelly.

I shook my head, "Cody and I are _friends_, and it's not my fault you're so insecure that you have to resent his friends because of your childish jealousy. It's going to be _your_ loss not _his_, so get over yourself," I said.

She went to retort but I put my hand in her face to stop her. I looked back at Kelly, "If you want to act like a child Kelly, fine… I just always thought you were better than that. Let's go Ted, this was a waste of our time," I grabbed his arm and lead him away before stopping.

Leaving Ted, I walked the short distance back to the divas and focused on Kelly. "Not that it's your business, but it's Randy… it's _always_ been Randy… I thought you knew that," I spoke softly.

Regret and sadness washed across her face but I turned and walked away before anything more could be said. Ted and I walked the rest of the distance to our locker room in silence, but I knew we were thinking the same thing – how could Eve, someone who is usually so nice, behave in that manner. And more than that, how could Kelly stand there and allow it to happen because she's upset over something so absurd. I also knew, without asking, that Ted was concerned for me.

I shoved open the door roughly, settling back into my pissy mood but promising not to take my anger out on my team mates, startling both Cody and Randy who apparently had been previously absorbed in the television.

I threw my bag forcefully on the ground before turning to Cody, "You might want to avoid your girlfriend… she doesn't seem to be in a better mood," I said coldly.

"You saw her? What's she like?" he asked curiously, sitting up in his chair.

"She's a right bitch, that's what. And I'm sorry for saying this, I mean I've tried to be supportive, but she does _not _deserve you Cody," I said loudly.

Before waiting for any response, scared I might start throwing things, I stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me but not before taking in the look of concern on Randy's face. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes.

"What happened?" the voice of Cody spoke.

"Eve tore Mickie a new one. Basically told her to stop whoring around and accused her of sleeping with all of us," Ted explained.

"Cody, I mean it. Mickie doesn't deserve this unnecessary abuse. You better do something about it, or I will," Randy threatened.

"You're right… I know," I thought I heard him sigh, but I was standing behind a door, so I couldn't know for sure. "Mickie has been nothing but good to everyone. I'll talk to her." There was silence for a moment before he spoke again, "God I can't believe she would say that."

"Fuck!" it was Randy who spoke this time, and I imagined the other two being surprised by the sudden outburst. "All the judgement that is usually reserved for me is now being unleashed on Mickie. It's not what I wanted to happen. I can take it, I'm built for it, but I can't stand seeing her hurting. It kills me…"

"We know man; it's not your fault. Some people are so petty. We just need to be better than them, and above that we need to stick together," Ted spoke up.

I leaned away from the door and approached the sink, not wanting to hear anything else. Ted was right… as long as I had the three of them, everything in my life was going to be okay and I would be capable of handling anything that came my way.

"Are you okay?" Ted asked as I exited the bathroom a few minutes later.

"Definitely. I'll channel all my anger into tonight's match…. Whatever that may be," I said.

"No you can't!" he exclaimed.

"Why not?" I said, confused.

"Cody told me you were facing Trish tonight."

"I'm facing Trish?" I asked excitedly.

Before anyone could answer, there was a knock at the door, and when I pulled it open I found Trish Stratus standing on the other side.

"Oh my gosh!" I pulled her in for a hug, "How are you!"

She laughed, "I'm good! I wanted to stop by and see you before the show. The ladies said you'd be here," she said before pulling away. "Wow it's been so long!"

"I know! We were actually _just_ talking about you."

"Good things I hope," she laughed again. "Hey Randy how have you been, long time no see."

"I've been good," he said with a smile, "How about you?"

"I've been keeping busy; it's so great to see you guys again…To see everyone again. Um… hi," she said to Ted and Cody who were gaping at her.

I nudged Ted, "Say hi," I urged him.

"Oh hi… nice to meet you!" he grabbed her hand and shook it. "I'm a _huge_ fan!"

Cody walked forwards, after snapping out of his trance, and shoved Ted out of the way, "I'm a bigger fan," he exclaimed before grasping her hand and shaking it himself. Ted walked back towards him, looking angry, and both started a battle over the position in front of Trish.

I shoved myself in front, mortified at the scene in front of me, "I don't know if you've met personally but I'm sure you know who they are – Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes."

"Heard of and seen from a distance," she chuckled at their behaviour.

"Apparently they're big fans," I chuckled, hoping she would find this amusing as opposed to a reason to stay away.

"I can see that," she offered me a smile. "I would love to catch up. There aren't very many ladies from when I left, but you're still around and I've missed you so much. I'm having a get together after the show; do you think you can make it?"

Before I could say anything, Ted stepped in front of me, "Definitely, in _fact _I'll come along too, you know as a chaperone for the event. I'd _love_ to catch up!"

"Yeah but he's boring, I should be the one to go," Cody stepped forward.

"You guys," I said through gritted teeth.

Trish merely laughed, "You can all come then… seriously the more the merrier. But I better go I have a busy night. See you later," she offered another smile before turning to Randy, "You better come, no ifs, ands or buts!" She spoke and was out the door a moment later.

I closed the door behind her before turning to glare at the boys, "What the hell was that? You two are grown adults and you still managed to embarrass me with your idiotic behaviour."

"Ted's older," Cody argued.

"Who cares…" he said quietly before a grin grew on his face, "Trish Stratus just invited me over to her house!" he said excitedly, clapping his hands in excitement.

"Uh no she invited _me_," Cody interjected.

"_Actually_… morons, she invited _me_ and Randy and you two invited yourselves. And if you can't behave, you aren't coming!" I exclaimed.

"She was totally looking at me when she said it," Ted muttered.

I merely rolled my eyes and strolled over towards my bag, as he and Cody engaged in a whispered conversation about what might take place at tonight's get together. As I was pulling the outfit I had chosen for tonight out of my bag, I found myself to be in a much better mood than I had been previously.

"Where's your head at tonight?" I hadn't noticed that Randy had approached me.

I looked up at him and forced a smile on my face as he took a seat beside me on the bench. "A little clouded with anger, but it's fading quickly. I can't let Eve get inside my head, not when I have so much riding on my performance."

"You're right for that very reason, but also because she, nor is anyone else, worth the time it takes to get angry," he told me.

"Oh really, _you_ are giving me anger management advice?" I teased, nudging him gently in the side.

"I'm the leader of Legacy remember… it's my duty to make sure my members don't screw things up for the group as a whole," he explained.

"Oh I'm sure that's why your offering advice you don't follow yourself," I said.

"Either way, it's best if _you_ follow the advice," he said before standing up and walking towards his bag to extract a shirt and pull it over his head.

I shook my head and smiled at how different Randy was in comparison to other people. It was like he operated on a different frequency, and I would be lying if I said that wasn't part of the attraction I had towards him. I retrieved my clothing and went into the bathroom to change into my first outfit for tonight, the other being my wrestling attire. I set about fixing my hair and pulling it into a half ponytail after teasing it to give it volume. I reapplied some of my make-up and after being happy with the results, I focused on getting myself dressed as Raw would be airing soon.

When I was finished I surveyed myself in the mirror, and was pleased with the results. Damn I could clean up good. I chuckled to myself at the thought… miracles do in fact happen. Gathering up my previously discarded clothing, I opened the door and stepped out into the room.

"So…" I asked, waiting for all of them to turn and survey me, to give me an honest opinion. "How do I look?"

My outfit consisted of a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and black five inch cage heels for my feet. Up top I was wearing a black bra, with a thin strap cropped (hem ended just above my belly button) lace top over it and a long black beaded necklace.

"Wow Micks, you look incredible. So glad you get to walk us to the ring most nights," Cody beamed.

"Ted?" I asked, turning to my best friend.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Meh, you look okay," he said, shooting Randy a nervous look.

I chuckled, "Thanks Ted," I said before turning to Randy.

"Let's just say that them two being here is really ruining what I have visualized in my head right now," Randy smirked.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," I said with a grin. "Okay, well I'm ready, so I'm going to head out and check out what's going on for tonight. I'll come back here before the show starts."

After finding out what was going to be taking place tonight, I strolled around the arena trying to clear my head for tonight. Each Raw was always important, but because of this new character change and the storyline I was now involved in with the guys, I needed to be in the right state of mind, and I needed to work my ass off to make sure everything went according to plan.

I felt as though I was successful at playing both a heel and a face, something not everyone was capable of. The former, I wouldn't say was better, but it certainly had its perks. As a heel, there were fewer boundaries, and you had more room and resources to create your character so as to entitle its success. I would even go so far as to say it was more fun, although just being able to walk down the ramp, no matter your role, was a luxury all on its own.

On-Air

Forty-five minutes later, it was my turn to head out to ringside, and after grabbing my divas title and telling the guys I would see them soon, I headed for the gorilla position and made my entrance to the ring much to the dissatisfaction of the live crowd. I revelled in the jeers, just knowing I had made my mark as a heel because of the negative reaction I was receiving.

I kept my arrogant smirk plastered on my face, and opted to give extra attitude to the crowd in attendance. The manner I was going for, and might I say pulling off rather well, was that I knew I was better than every single person in this arena. But deep down, instead of actually feeling arrogant, I was feeling excited and pleased. The only thing it took to put me in a better mood was the atmosphere the WWE Universe created every Monday night – the sensation was truly magical.

"Ladies and Gentlemen this bout is set for one fall, with the winner becoming the new number one contender for the Divas championship and earning a right to face Mickie James for the title at Hell in a Cell!"

I took a seat at the announce table as Alicia Fox's music hit the speakers, and she sauntered down the ramp, hips swinging from side to side until she entered the ring, and glared down at me, claiming she was going to become number one contender and win my divas title.

"What do you have to say about that?" Michael Cole enquired.

"Do you really think she has time to care about what Alicia Fox is assuming, I mean she must be a busy diva being involved with the men of the Legacy," King spoke, just as Melina's familiar theme sounded throughout the arena and the paparazzi princess made her signature entrance into the ring.

"Wait, wait, wait this is my favourite entrance in the history of the WWE," King said excitedly, his eyes glued to my raven-haired Latina best friend. I had to give Melina props for bringing in her own personalized in ring entrance – what person, guy, on this planet is not a fan of this?

But once again, I needed to stay in character. "Are you kidding me? I could successfully execute that entrance in my sleep, and look a hell of a lot sexier doing it," I said arrogantly.

"I'm not going to argue with that… either way it's a win win situation," King said in agreement, as Cole rolled his eyes.

Melina sent a confident smile in my direction after jumping off the top rope, and telling me that my days were numbered as the divas champion. I yelled for her to step back into reality, just before her and Alicia locked up in the middle of the ring.

"You know King; you are absolutely right about me being too busy to put up with Alicia's invalidated threat to win my divas title from me. I have absolutely no interest, nor time to deal with her or Melina's for that matter, wishful thinking. If either of them actually thinks they have a _chance_ at winning my divas title, they're far more delusional than I have ever given them credit for," I said matter-of-factly. "I've said it a hundred times, and hopefully one day someone will actually realize the truth of my words so I don't have to waste my valued breath repeating myself, that I am divas champion to stay and with the… _support_," I chuckled to myself, "of my Legacy team mates, I can essentially guarantee that."

"Support? You mean the four of you helping one another with your matches, because god forbid you could actually attempt to win one on your own," Cole spoke harshly.

"Look who's talking Cole. If you got in the ring you'd be able to last a whole three seconds against… well against Beth Phoenix, if even_ that_ long," I spoke, watching as Melina gained the upper hand after a back elbow.

"I highly doubt the truth to that statement, but for the sake of argument, I'm not here to be judged as a wrestler. My job is to do the commentary," he responded.

"So when are you going to start doing your job?" I scoffed as King emitted a chuckle. "Because either you've been neglecting your responsibilities, or you are just horrible at your 'job', and I'm more than willing to bet it's the latter," I said arrogantly.

"Oh very funny, like I haven't heard that before," he muttered.

"Yeah I tell him that at least three times a night," King said with a chuckle.

"Well there you go, at least one out of the two of you has somewhat of a brain," I spoke, keeping my eye on the two divas as Alicia stole control with a vicious clothesline followed by a kick to the head.

"Hey!" King said with a laugh. "I would normally be angry at the insult, but when I have such a beautiful diva as you sitting beside me, I seem to lose a few of my morals," he admitted.

"What morals?" Cole scoffed, before continuing on with his commentary.

"Thanks Jerry, but let me make it clear you have no chance of getting with this," I said condescendingly.

"Well a man can hope," King said.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't even do that," I said, watching as Melina started to gain her momentum back.

"So it's great to have Trish Stratus guest hosting tonight isn't it?" Cole enquired.

I scoffed, "Are you kidding me? The only person who would have been a worse pick for guest host would be Kevin Federline, and even then I'm not too sure about that."

"Oh come on, Trish Stratus is one of the most celebrated divas in WWE history. Certainly you can't compare her to K-Fed," King said.

"She's more like _over_ celebrated to the point that I almost fall asleep by merely hearing her name," I said.

"I just think you're jealous," Cole accused.

"Who the hell cares what _you_ think?" I said rudely, as Melina managed to regain control once again with her

Without waiting for a response I threw the headset off my head and ran over to the ring and climbed up on the apron. Melina, noticing the action, took her focus off Alicia and rushed over to the ropes to get in my face.

"Get off the apron!" she yelled in my face.

"Make me you tramp!" I shouted back.

"Oh I'm the tramp? What about–" she was cut off as she reflexively dodged out of the way of a charging Alicia Fox, but I was not as lucky as Alicia collided with me knocking me to the ground as the crowd cheered.

A few moments later, after hitting the sunset split, Melina's entrance music sounded once more throughout the arena as she celebrated in the corner. I rolled into the ring and came face to face with her as we shouted in each other's faces about our own thoughts of the outcome of the next Pay Per View. I moved out of the way as I saw Alicia come running at Melina again, but the Latina was able to evade her once more and perform a clothesline on her beaten opponent before taking her exit out of the ring, as a permanent grin settled on her face.

I watched as she took her leave up the ramp, still laughing and gesturing to her waist that soon the title was going to be there, before I turned around to face Alicia with an unimpressed look littering my face. She tried to explain herself, but before she could get a few words out, I performed a vicious kick to the midsection and grabbed her by her hair to toss her angrily out of the ring.

I shouted to her about her uselessness as, I knew, the cameras cut to a commercial break. I exited the ring to retrieve my divas title from the announce table and furiously grab a microphone from one of the crew. I graciously entered the ring again, and set about to appear as if I was calming myself while waiting for the commercial break to come to an end. Finally as I was signalled that we were live once more, I allowed a smile to grow on my face as I addressed the entire WWE Universe.

"In all my years of being in this business, I have _never_ come across a more talented and deserving trio of men than my friends and team mates – Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes and the Viper… Randy Orton," I paused for a moment as the crowd emitted a strong string of boos.

"Randy Orton, the leader and creator of the Legacy, had one of the longest reigns in history as Intercontinental Champion, is a former tag team champion, former Royal Rumble winner, a five time WWE Champion, and the _youngest_ World Heavyweight Champion in history!" I applauded as the crowd booed once again, "And he accomplished all of that before the age of thirty!" I exclaimed.

"But tonight, or at least this moment, isn't about our fearless leader but rather about the other two members of the Legacy… Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes," I waited as the boos once again died down. "The future of this company rests in the hands of these new superstars, and rightfully so as they were bred to be successful. At Night of Champions they proved each and every one of you wrong and effectively defeated two of the top superstars in this business and future hall of famers to rightfully claim the Unified Tag Team Championships," I declared.

"So without further ado please join me in welcoming to the ring the tag team champions and _my_ best friends… Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase!" I shouted with enthusiasm.

'It's a new day' blasted throughout the arena as both guys entered onto the ramp, the arrogance more evident than usual. I held the microphone between my arm and my body, and made a show of applauding the two men as they made their way down to the ring.

Ted entered first as he came right towards me to bring me in for a hug as did Cody, before both men climbed the turnbuckles in each corner. Cody jumped down first, followed by Ted as they both joined me in the middle of the ring.

Ted slung an arm over my shoulder as I handed him the microphone, "What a beautiful introduction that was Mickie, but you seem to have forgotten a few small things."

"What?" I asked him, confused.

"Although it may be insanely obvious to every pathetic human in this building, it should still be mentioned just how good-looking, charismatic and _talented_ we are," he chuckled as the crowd shouted its disapproval.

Oh Ted, never seeming to be able to pass up a chance to talk about how good looking he thinks he is. I had to struggle to keep my game face on, as I faux pretended to be apologetic and tell him how true it was. Great! He's going to hold that against me later.

"You see, everyone thought that Night of Champions was a fluke for us and that we would never be able to pull off another impressive win like that one, but low and behold we went on to defeat Triple H and Shawn Michaels at Summerslam, and _again_ yesterday… at Breaking Point to retain our tag team championships," he said with a grin.

"Honestly I don't see what the big fuss was about… that win last night came incredibly easy to us. Triple H and Michaels may be some of the greatest wrestlers to step into the ring… I might be stretching that a little… but once you reach a certain age, things just don't come as easy anymore. And let's just say The Game and The Heartbreak Kid should have hung up their boots a _long_ time ago," Cody chuckled.

"Whether you like it or not, I couldn't give a damn, _we_ are the future of this business, so you better get ready to see a lot of the Legacy, because we aren't going anywhere," he declared.

I smiled up at him and took the microphone back, "So I bet you're wondering why we've graced you with our presence. Well there's a reason that my boys don't have their tag team titles with them, and that's because we personally requested to have new tag titles made because Legacy deserves top notch accommodations and Ted and Cody didn't want any second hand belts. So without anymore delays, I'm asking for the new tag titles to be brought out and presented to the most deserving tag team champions in history!"

We turned expectantly to face the top of the ramp, and as I was readjusting my title on my shoulder, the familiar theme of Trish Stratus hit the speakers and the entire arena erupted into cheers as the hometown girl made her way down the ramp with a title slung on each shoulder, and a genuine smile on her face.

I crossed my arms, seemingly surprised at who was the one chosen to bring the titles out and narrowed my eyes at her as she entered the ring and waved to the people in the crowds… enjoying the sight and sound of those loyal to her.

The moment her music died down I took a step forward, "Who in the hell do you think you are trying to steal Legacy's spotlight?"

Trish, who had grabbed one before entering the ring, placed the microphone to her mouth, "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to… 'steal your spotlight' or whatever, but I insisted on bringing these titles out to present them to you personally. After all, isn't that a job fitting for a guest host?" The crowd roared again, as I turned and shouted for them to shut up.

"No it's not! Your job is to stay in the back and pretend to _actually_ be in charge. Who are you kidding, you aren't qualified for this job, you're nothing more than a has-been who's dying for a little attention," I walked forwards and yanked the belts out of her hand. "Now take a hike blondie," I demanded, as I turned around to hand each of the guy's one belt.

"I'm sorry I didn't know this was _your_ ring," she said sarcastically.

I turned around to face her, "Of course you didn't. So why don't you allow me to catch you up. _A lot_ has changed since you retired Trish. Once upon a time you walked about this place as if you owned it… well I'm not so sorry to inform you that that isn't the case anymore. You see this ring… it's ours… its _Legacy's_! And _I'm_," I pointed to myself, "the most dominant diva in the WWE."

I paused briefly and stopped right in front of her, "But of course you already knew that didn't you? I was always overshadowed by you and people didn't appreciate me like they should have… when well I kicked your ass every time we stepped into the ring together. In _fact_, I bet nothing's changed in that area."

Trish took a step forward resulting in me stepping back, "Is that a challenge?"

"It can be whatever you want it to be," I responded, repositioning myself between Ted and Cody.

"Well in that case, I mean since I'm guest host and all, why don't we have ourselves a little match. Normally I would suggest a one on one, but since you Legacy members have a history of interfering in one another's match, how about we make it a tag team match. Since Randy chose Ted to face John Cena, how about you and Cody team up, and I'll choose a superstar from the back," she suggested, a grin forming on her face.

I sneered, "You're on," I said confidently.

"Oh and Mickie I do recall me kicking your ass on more than one occasion… don't think tonight will be any different!" she sent a wink my way and turned around to leave as the crowd shouted their appreciation, but before she could do so, I executed a double axe handle knocking her to the ground before I stormed out of the ring with 'It's a new day' playing once more.

Trish struggled up and focused her eyes on us as we pointed and laughed down at her while making our way up the ramp. At the top we stopped, and hoisted our titles above our heads with me standing in the middle.

"You see this," I shouted, "_I'm_ the number one diva!"

We entered into the backstage area as Raw, no doubt, went for a commercial break, and we headed back towards our locker room to get ready for tonight.

"I can't believe you hit Trish!" Ted exclaimed.

"Yeah how could you do such a thing?" Cody said dramatically.

I rolled my eyes, "Sports _entertainment_… people like drama! You two are hopeless… Trish is _never_ going to be interested in either one of you!"

Ted scoffed, "You're just jealous because she's more interested in us."

"Yeah, come on we don't have room for negativity in our lives," Cody said as he and Ted both pushed on ahead, leaving me standing alone.

"You'll come crawling back," I shouted, "…guys, guys?" They didn't seem to be turning around, "Hey wait up," I called, rushing after them, "…me and Ted are supposed to do that, not you two!"

I finally got back to the locker room to find that Ted and Cody weren't there, but Randy was and he was on his cell phone. I couldn't hear what he was saying at first, but he seemed surprised by my sudden appearance.

"…I gotta go. Yeah okay, yeah, okay you too," and then he pulled the phone away from his ear and quickly hit the end button.

He looked at me hesitantly but didn't say a word.

I stared back at him for a few moments, "Okay what the hell?" I finally said. "You just made this whole room incredibly awkward and I've been in here a total of fifteen seconds. What's up with you?"

He shook his head as if coming back to reality and cleared his throat, "Nothing, sorry I'm just thinking about other things. Where's the other two?"

"I don't know, they abandoned me because they suck. Who was on the phone?" I enquired, as I rummaged through my tote for my ring attire.

"Oh no one… really. It's not important," he said quickly.

I rolled my eyes, "Randy I'm not a teenager, if you want to talk to Laura, go right ahead. I mean you're friends right?"

He was silent for a moment, "Yeah… friends. Sorry it's still weird to me considering everything… but never mind. Uh Mickie?"

I looked up to face him, "Yeah?"

He surveyed me for another couple seconds before shaking his head, "Nothing, it's not important. So I seen you take down Trish," he said with a grin.

I smiled back at him, "It was weird that's for sure, been a while since I've even been in the same ring with her. But man, you should have seen how the other two reacted once we got backstage. 'Oh my god, I can't believe you hit Trish'," I mimicked them. "They actually defended one another, and walked away leaving me alone by myself. Can you believe that?"

"Really?" he seemed surprised. "Don't you and Ted usually do that to Cody?" he chuckled. "I created a team with the three weirdest people."

"We may be weird, but our awesomeness _more_ than makes up for that," I told him. "But I feel so betrayed; Ted is supposed to be my best, best friend… like what a disloyal ass!"

Randy merely shook his head in amusement as I grabbed my apparel and headed for the bathroom. By the time I was finished Ted and Cody were back, and were lounging on the sofa, Cody on his phone and Ted on his laptop.

"Where's Randy?" I asked, as I was folding the clothes I had just taken off.

"He went to–" Ted started.

"I'm not talking to _you_, Cody where's Randy?" I said coldly.

"What the–" he started again.

"Shut up Ted!" I said loudly.

He seemed taken aback as Cody fell into laughter before responding, "He went to clear his head. So what's your problem?"

"My problem is Ted's behaviour. Sure I would expect that kind of treatment from you, but from Ted, well I was surprised, and now I'm pissed!"

"What a surprise, you're probably pmsing," Ted muttered.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Keep talking, you're just digging yourself a bigger hole."

"Oh because that's putting the fear of god in me," he said sarcastically.

"Okay maybe you aren't frightened of god, but on a totally different subject Ted, you're really getting uglier by the second. You should go into the world records for that kind of disease."

Ted narrowed his eyes at _me_ this time, "This is not over," he threatened before standing up and strolling towards the door to pull it open and storm away from the locker room.

Cody and I merely laughed in amusement at his behaviour as we both started to warm up for our match this evening. It was going to be Cody and I versus Trish and a partner that we didn't know about yet. And then after my match, I was going to accompany Randy to the ring in his match against Kofi Kingston which was the main event for tonight. Trish had decided that it was going to be a pick your poison tonight for John and Randy. The Viper had chosen John's opponent to be Ted, and we watched on as John crushed Ted in their match.

"Ready to _win_ James?" Cody asked me as we stood near the gorilla position along with Ted who was, resentfully, waiting around with us until we headed out to the ring. I had a feeling he only asked to get under Ted's skin, and if that was the case it had worked.

"I'm _always_ ready to win Cody Rhodes," I said confidently, sending a taunting wink in Ted's direction.

Finally 'It's a new day' sounded throughout the arena once again and Cody and I exited out onto the stage, looking as confident as ever, as we made our slow, arrogant like entrance to the ring.

After hoisting all our belts above our heads, Trish's music hit the speakers once again and the blonde Canadian strolled from the backstage area and down the ramp until she hit level ground again. She was presented with a microphone just as her music stopped playing, but the crowd continued to roar – happy to see their fellow Canadian once again.

"Thank you! But now it's time for me to introduce my partner for tonight. The three of you should be very familiar with him. I am pleased to introduce to you, my partner for tonight's match – the heartbreak kid, Shawn Michaels!"

The WWE Universe in attendance roared with excitement as 'Sexy Boy' started playing and HBK himself burst out onto the ramp with a huge grin on his face. Cody and I acted as if we were pissed off by the revelation as he made his way down the ramp. The both of us climbed out as Trish and Shawn entered the ring, and did their part in riling the crowd up.

The match went rather smoothly much to my delight, and I was just itching to get into the ring with Trish once again. After about ten minutes of Shawn and Cody going up against each other, they finally came in for the tag on both of us divas. I entered the ring first, but Trish only a moment later as the crowd shouted in anticipation.

I went for a clothesline but she did her signature MaTrish, and turned it into the handstand head scissors takedown. I scrambled to my feet only to have her hit a standing dropkick followed by a clothesline. She pulled me to her feet and Irish whipped me against the ropes and performed the Thesz press (or as she calls it the Air Canada) followed by various punches.

She got to her feet angrily and signalled the crowd who roared once gain, and I took my chance and jumping to my feet I knocked her to the ground, face first. I grabbed her by the hair and lifting her to her knees, I slammed her down again, planting her face into the mat. Seizing her hair once more, I helped her to her knees once again, and after accusing her of being a has-been, I slapped her swiftly across the face causing her to hit the ground again.

After she struggled to her feet and I made a show of taunting her, much to the crowd's disapproval and Cody's amusement, I performed a neck breaker followed by a pin to which she kicked out of. Still on the ground, I went to her level and placed her in a headlock. After a few moments she managed to wrap her legs around my neck causing me to break the hold and both of us to scramble quickly to our feet, and me to take her down once again with a dropkick of my own.

I grabbed her by her hair once again to pull her up and was going to slap her again, when she got her arm up to block it and dealt a sharp slap of her own. I stumbled backwards a bit as she tried to get the tag on an eager Shawn, but I managed to grab her arm once again and was going to Irish whip her, but she slapped me once again knocking me to the ground. When I staggered up, she hit another drop kick and moments later the both of us got the tags on our partners.

Shawn had quickly taken control and was riding a wave of momentum, until I hit him in the back of the head when he Irish whipped himself to the ropes. He staggered a bit and turned to see what the distraction had been, giving Cody an opening to take control once more. Trish, angry at my interference, jumped off the apron and made her way over to me. I jumped off the apron and ran around the ring as she chased me, only for her to run into Cody who had noticed what was happening and exited the ring. She stopped dead in her tracks and didn't see me come from behind him to shove her into the announce table, no doubt knocking the wind from her.

I planted her face on the announce table three times, and after she fell to the floor I climbed on top of her to deliver punches of my own. Standing up with a grin on my face, I turned back to survey what was going on in the ring. Seeing that Shawn was gaining momentum once more, I slid into the ring and ignoring the protests of the referee, I grabbed Shawn's arm and whirled him around to face me. I slapped his face, causing him to falter slightly. He took a step forwards but was interrupted by Cody who managed to perform Cross Rhodes quickly allowing for the ref to count three.

We exited the ring quickly, belts in hands, smiles on our faces as Trish slid into the ring to check on her partner. Both of them stood to their feet and glared back at us as we made our way up the ramp.

"Damn Mickie you sure have a vicious streak in you!" Cody exclaimed as we entered the backstage area.

I smiled, "That was all for the WWE Universe. They don't see those kinds of women's matches anymore, so I figured I would give them a special treat. Besides if anyone is cool with it, it's Trish."

"I just hope she's okay," he said, concern on his face.

"Cody your girlfriend isn't too happy with you right now, don't make things worse. Although, I wouldn't mind… I mean no offence but I hate your girlfriend right now."

"None taken, I'm not too happy with her myself. I need to talk to her, and I'm really sorry about what she said earlier," he said sympathetically.

"I don't want an apology from you, or her for that matter. I want an apology from her _to_ you," I told him.

"Well from the looks of things that won't be happening," he sighed.

"Keep your head up man. Things will get worked out," I said confidently. I just wasn't sure if by worked out, I meant Eve will come around, or… they will end things. Whichever option, I only wanted what was best for Cody.

Twenty minutes later, I was back at the gorilla position waiting with Randy as Kofi made his entrance to the ring much to the enjoyment of the crowd. Only minutes prior, Trish had announced that if Kofi could win this match, he would be able to face the Miz for a US title shot at Hell in a Cell. Finally when Kofi's theme stopped playing there was a brief silence as the crowd got ready for the arrival of one of the most hated superstars in WWE history.

"How can you make people hate you so much?" I asked with a smile.

"With special skill," he said before 'Voices' started playing and we started forward to enter onto the ramp.

On-Air

The boos happened the moment they heard the familiar theme and they continued throughout the entire entrance, more prominent with Randy than with any other heel superstar in the back. Randy showed no hint of emotion other than that he was going to make his opponent hurt as much as he could. I, on the other hand, had a knowing and satisfied grin on my face, still happy about my win earlier.

Randy took control of the match early, until after about ten minutes Kofi started gaining momentum and fought hard to bring the control in his match back to him. After a few more minutes of Randy being unable to get the upper hand, I knew it was my time to show my part in this match. I ran around the ring, to grab the WWE title, and placing it unknowingly on the apron, I ran back around the ring to jump on the apron to distract the referee. Randy swiftly grabbed the title and the gold connected with Kofi's head a moment later as 'Voices' hit the speakers once again.

I slid into the ring, after grabbing the WWE title, and passing it to Randy I grasped his hand and raised it above his head as he was pronounced the winner of this match. But the celebration was cut short as Randy's music was cut off and replaced by our guest host's for tonight – Trish Stratus.

"Sorry to interrupt your _celebration_ but this isn't happening. You Legacy members think you can get away with anything, but nuh uh, it isn't happening on _my_ watch. I order this match to be restarted, and it will be a no DQ."

Randy and I both shouted our protests but we knew we had to listen to our guest host. I had to stop myself from smiling at the cleverness of my blonde diva friend. I exited the ring, taking the WWE title with me, as the bell sounded and both men restarted their match together. Randy took control early once again mostly due to the WWE title shot to Kofi. But after another few minutes the Ghanaian-American did his best at fighting back, and almost had control when the unsuspecting appearance of Miz, Kofi and him being in the middle of a feud, ran down the ramp and started to help Randy with taking down his opponent.

I allowed myself to enter the ring, and signalled for the other two guys to come out and help, looking smug about this turn of events. Finally Ted and Cody appeared on the ramp and came running down to the ring as each of the four guys took turns in taking shots on Kofi. All of a sudden the crowd roared as Shawn Michaels and Triple H came barrelling down the ramp and immediately set to work on the tag team champions. We still outnumbered them though as the five of us quickly took control until the crowd screamed with enthusiasm again as John Cena entered the ring and without delay set his sights on the WWE champion.

Not knowing where to start, and ignoring another shout of approval from the crowd, I hurried forwards towards Triple H and spun him around as he was beating on Ted, and I was about to deliver my hundredth slap for tonight, when someone caught my hand and when I turned around I found Trish standing in front of me.

A full out brawl had started in the ring, and all the faces had managed to throw the rest of us from the ring save for Randy. Ted and Cody kept trying to get back into the ring, but Shawn and Hunter kept them at bay as Kofi executed 'Trouble in Paradise' and picked up the win. Ted, Cody and I shouted insults at all those in the ring as Trish held Kofi's hand up, but soon after John had pulled Randy to his feet and performed the Attitude Adjustment on our fearless leader.

I ran around the ring, and grabbing Randy's leg I heaved to pull him out under the bottom rope and supported him over to the ramp area where Cody put Randy's other arm around his shoulder.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Trish shouted into the microphone. "I have a couple more announcements before my time as guest host is over. Ted and Cody, you'll be defending your tag team championships in three weeks against none other than Shawn Michaels and Triple H – Degeneration X in a tag team hell in a cell!"

"You Legacy girls think that last night was bad, just imagine how much worse things are going to get when you're stuck in a cage with Shawn and I, after screwing us over last night. Because trust me boys, you haven't seen anything yet! All the games are over, and I promise you that I am going to make your life inside that cage, just like the name, a living hell!" Triple H shouted into the mic. He was no longer the joking DX Triple H; he was the Game, the Cerebral Assassin.

"And this time, you won't have your little diva friend there to help you out. I'm counting down the days until we rightfully claim what should have been ours last night!" Shawn added, before passing the mic back to Trish.

"Oh and Randy, don't think I've forgotten about you. You'll be defending your WWE title at Hell in a Cell too, and your opponent," she paused for a moment and smiled, "John Cena!"

Trish's music played once again as me and the boys, stormed to the back, angered at the news we had just heard.

I smiled the moment we got to the back, "You got your ass kicked!" I sang to Randy, doing a victory dance.

"Aren't you supposed to be angry?" he glared at me.

"And as far as the WWE Universe knows, I am," I grinned back at him.

I looked over at Cody, whose attention seemed to be elsewhere. I followed his gaze and found him looking at his girlfriend who was standing a little ways away talking to Nikki and Brie. I think he realized I was looking at him, because he turned his attention on me.

"Go talk to her," I encouraged him. I wanted him to work this out with her, because I wanted him to be happy.

"I don't know… maybe I should give her some space," he muttered.

"Dude, the longer you wait, the worse it's going to get," Ted offered, gesturing for him to go talk to his girlfriend.

"Okay, I'll catch up with you guys later," he said, before strolling off in the direction of the diva I wasn't very fond of these days.

"Let's get back to the locker room," I suggested. "Need some help?" I asked Randy with a grin. "That attitude adjustment looked pretty nasty," I teased.

He glared at me once more, "I'm more than capable of getting there by myself."

I merely offered him a satisfied smile as I started forward to lead the way back. We only made it a few steps before I heard my name shouted from behind me.

"Hey Mickie! Mickie wait up," I turned around to find Trish strolling towards us, a smile on her face.

"You guys did well out there… I mean you played your parts well," she added as an after thought.

"Thanks, so what's up?" I enquired.

"I just wanted to make sure that you guys were still coming later. I'm thinking we will all meet there in an hour or so," she informed me.

"Yeah of course we're coming… wouldn't miss it for anything," Ted said enthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "We'll be there," I told her.

"And what about you Randy?" she asked him with a smile.

"I'm quite sure the majority of your guests won't want me there," he said with a grin, as if he was proud of that fact.

"Don't play that game with me. It's a good thing it isn't their house then is it? Besides Ron is such a huge fan of all of you these days. So for that sake, I'm not taking no for an answer. You better be there Orton," she threatened playfully.

"We'll see," he responded.

She chuckled, "Okay so I don't know if you heard, but we moved into a new house last year. So I'll just give you directions to my new place and then I'll see you in a bit."

After she told us all the best way to make it to her home, she was off and we were once again making our way to our locker room. After the two guys took a quick shower, and by the time I was exiting the bathroom after having taken my own and gotten dressed, Cody was walking in the door.

"Cody what happened?" I asked. I could tell by his expression that he was upset about something.

He looked up at us, appearing to have not taken note that we were in the room. "Oh nothing," he said quietly, slumping down onto the sofa.

I took a seat beside him as Ted took a seat on the other side and Randy sat forward on the next sofa, awaiting his response.

"Cody, come on, tell us. What happened?" Ted asked again.

"We broke up," he said after a brief moment of silence.

My eyes widened, "She broke up with you! How could she do that? You did nothing wrong in all of this! I am _so_ going to kick her ass!" I shouted, attempting to stand to my feet.

"I broke up with her," he said quickly, stopping me in my tracks.

"Okay… what?" I shook my head as if doing so would bring light to this situation. I looked at both Randy and Ted, and they seemed just as surprised at this turn of events as I was.

"She won't realize how wrong she's been this entire time. And all the things she's said about and _to_ you," he looked up at me, "it's unreasonable and ridiculous. I can't be with someone who would stoop that low, and try and use your history and mistakes, that don't concern her, against you. So I told her that I was ending it. And of course she tried to blame you for it. That the reason I was breaking up with her was because you had somehow convinced me to do so." Randy scoffed at this as Cody continued, "Anyway, I guess that's when I knew I had made the right decision. Maybe we weren't right for each other at all. Every relationship is easy at first, that's just why it seemed so perfect."

I sat down again and chanced a look at Randy. We were living proof that relationships were ideal at first, but had the potential to go wrong at any moment.

I placed my hand on his back and rubbed it, "I can't say whether or not you made the right decision, but I do know that you deserve a girlfriend who understands you and supports you when you need it the most."

"I agree, and you may be hurting right now, but in time you _will_ be able to love again," Ted offered.

Cody and I both looked up at Ted and when I looked over; I noticed Randy was doing the same. The three of us were surprised at those words coming out of his mouth.

"What?" he asked surprised at the sudden attention on him.

"Dude, Mickie is supposed to say things like that. You and I are supposed to sit here and be a silent support system," Randy said in a disapproving tone.

"Yeah really," Cody said, "I would prefer that much more. So thank you Randy for _not _being a chick."

"Oh and I'm supposed to be made a fool of because I have a way with words?" Ted said, clearly insulted.

"A way with words? I would hardly go _that_ far… it's more or less once in awhile you stumble across the right thing to say, and even then it's not that often," I told him as the other two nodded in agreement.

"Whatever, you guys suck! It's not my turn to be picked on this week," Ted pouted.

"Ted you _make_ it your turn _every_ day of the week," Cody said.

"Anyway, are you going to be okay?" I asked him as I grasped his hand in comfort.

He was silent for a moment before looking up at all of us in turn, "Yeah of course, I mean… its bro's over ho's right?" he said with a grin.

"Hell yeah!" Ted shouted with enthusiasm.

"But I'm not a–" I started but stopped myself as they all turned to look at me, "yes, yes you're right," I said proudly as the other three laughed in agreement.

These guys were my second family, and I loved them so much. I wasn't a girlfriend, or even _considered_ a hook-up regardless of the set-up with Randy, but I was part of the family known as Legacy and I was proud of it.

**Sorry for the amount of time it took to update. I just started a new job, and it's been pretty demanding so far!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, it means so much to me to come on here and read all your thoughts and ideas on this story.**

**So please continue letting me know, and review this chapter :)**

**So Survivor Series is in a few days! Any ideas on what you think will happen? John claimed he is calling it down the middle… but he could pull a fast one on us and screw Randy over, and reveal he's the big leader of the Nexus. Or he could surprise us and **_**actually**_** call it down the middle. Who knows?**

**Nattie will win I think… or hopefully anyway.**

**I don't think Ted will win the US title, but maybe it will create a feud between the two leading to him winning it eventually. I kind of hope Kane retains (even though I love Edge), just because Kane deserves the title a lot (this being his second, but only credible reign), and he's done such a good job so far.**

**I don't care all that much for the tag title match… or the Smackdown traditional survivor series elimination match. I just wish they would have taken the time to build it up more than it was. And I wish Raw had one too… but how many elimination matches can they have in such a short period of time?**

**So the 13****th**** was the five year anniversary of Eddie Guerrero's death… I still miss him and think about him often. There will only ever be one Eddie. RIP Eddie!**


	39. old friends

It only took us a half hour for all of us to finish getting ready once we got back to hotel before we were on our way to Trish's… reunion if you will. I could tell she had missed us, and we (the roster) had missed having her around over the years. She told me she was going to be providing the food so we shouldn't even bother taking the time to eat before showing up. She had also extended an open invitation to the roster, so I was quite curious to see who was going to show up.

"God Mickie, drive faster!" Ted shouted impatiently from the back seat.

"Ted I'm driving the speed limit," I told him.

"Who follows the posted speed limit anymore?" he scoffed, sending me a rude glare in the mirror.

"Uhm me?" I informed him, matter-of-factly.

"Yeah that's precisely my problem! I knew Randy should have driven," he complained.

I chanced a glance at Randy who turned to meet my gaze and offered me an arrogant grin. He was, in fact, actually going to drive, but I made him flip me for it (he always drives!) and I won the coin toss.

"Randy is a scary driver," I said.

"By scary you mean confident. Mickie I am a much better _and_ safer driver than you," he stated in his normal confident tone.

"Oh get over yourself. You just have yourself convinced that you're better than everyone else at everything. I'm so tired of having this conversation," I said.

"So stop having it, you _know_ I'm right," he responded.

"I don't think that that's a thing that I know," I said, shaking my head at how stupid I sounded.

Randy chuckled, "No need to get jealous, I thought you would have learned about my superiority after all these years," he finished with a smirk.

"The only thing I've learned is that you get cockier by the day and _trust_ me it's hardly a turn on," I said coldly.

"What's ridiculous about that is that she actually expects me to be insulted," he said smugly to the guys in the back who merely chuckled in response.

Without thinking, I reached over and taking my eyes off the road, I punched him as hard as I could manage on the arm.

"MICKIE!" all three guys yelled, as I turned my attention back on the road and had to swerve to the left to avoid hitting a parked car. I took a deep breath once I got the car under control, thankful to have evaded that and lucky there were no other cars around me.

"Randy is _so_ driving on the way back," Ted spoke. And I thought they were going to let this one slide.

"Oh I was _so_ far from that car!" I defended myself.

"Yeah and Eve's not a psycho," Ted said sarcastically. "And I'm not going to apologize for that," he added, looking at Cody.

Cody sent him a glare before turning back to face the front, "Any one of us is driving back _but_ Mickie," he spoke for the first time this entire ride.

I cleared my throat, "Fair enough. So Ted why are you in such a hurry to get there?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Just give me a second while I try and recover from the minor heart attack I had a moment ago," he said dramatically.

"Don't make me punch you!" I threatened.

"NOOO!" he shouted back. I rolled my eyes at his unnecessary reaction.

"So why?" I asked again.

"I would think that would be obvious," he said rudely.

"No, not so much," Randy said.

"I don't want to keep Trish waiting! I know she's expecting me… and I'm hoping I get there alive," he responded.

"Ted I will cut your balls off if you try anything!" I said menacingly.

"Please if anything, _she'll_ be throwing herself at _me_ by the end of the night," he said confidently.

I sighed with irritation, "Okay Trish is married… happily married and you're going on a date with Maria tomorrow… you _better_ behave!"

"Besides, she'll be throwing herself at me, and then we'll run away together to elope," it was Cody who spoke this time.

"Don't either of you respect the sanctity of marriage?" I enquired, but both of them ignored me.

"Dude you have a girlf– oh yeah… never mind," Ted chuckled nervously.

"I'm not going to wallow. Sure I'm sad, but I don't want to be with someone who is capable of acting the way that she did for the reasons that she did. It might have been different before… but when Mickie came, all of us became closer. We aren't just _Legacy_, we're a _family_. And if someone doesn't like my family, than they don't like me."

I was touched by his words, and astonished that they thought of me as the one who brought us, our relationships with one another, together. These three guys meant the world to me, and without them… well I couldn't even picture that possibility. They were cemented into my life the moment we proclaimed ourselves as Legacy in the middle of the ring in front of millions of viewers.

"Yeah we're a family!" Ted said enthusiastically. "We support, love and respect one another!"

"That's the spirit!" I said happily.

"Shut up and drive faster woman!" Ted yelled, surprising me.

I grumbled to myself about castrating him just for the fun of it as Randy merely chuckled.

"Since you almost hit that car, you'd think he'd want you to slow down," he mentioned.

"I did not almost– I'm fighting a losing battle aren't I?" I enquired.

"Definitely," he said matter-of-factly.

We arrived at her house only a few minutes later, not having had any trouble finding it, and were in awe at how vast _and_ beautiful it was. There was a long driveway that lead up to the house and did a loop around a fountain and back out of the gate onto the main road.

We found a parking spot a ways away from the house and after having to restrain Ted from bolting to the front door, we all approached the house with me in the lead. A short while after ringing the door bell, it opened up and Trish appeared with a smile on her face.

"Mickie! Hey guys," she said to the three behind me.

"Hey Trish!" Ted said loudly and excitedly. And he's supposed to be a grown man. I had to resist the urge to shake my head.

She simply giggled, "Hey Ted. Come on in guys."

I stepped over the threshold before she pulled me in for a quick hug, "I'm guessing the yoga studio is doing really good," I said, gesturing to her house.

"You could say that," she said wryly before turning to face the man beside me who happened to be Randy.

"I've heard some stores since I left you guys earlier," she said. I wondered where this was going, and what stories she may have heard. God knows there's only a million when it comes to Randy and me – a few with some truth behind them, and others mere rumours.

"I don't doubt that you have," Randy said simply, showing no sign of emotion – surprise or otherwise.

Trish smiled, "I hope you aren't too '_angry',_ as some others put it, to give an old friend a hug. We have, after all, been friends for far too long."

Randy offered her a smile, "Only if you don't tell anyone about it," he spoke, as he leaned down slightly to reciprocate the gesture.

I smiled at the scene. Trish and Randy had known each other before even I came along and I was glad that neither of them had changed their attitudes towards one another.

Before we could say anything more, Ted walked forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so glad we became friends!" he exclaimed.

She was taken aback, but laughed a moment later. "Uh yeah, it's great."

"Okay Ted," I said with a falsely sweet tone, "That's enough… Ted!" I half shouted his name.

"What? I'm just being an appreciative guest," he defended himself.

Trish smiled once more before turning her head slightly. "Oh there he is – Ron!" she called out and gestured her husband over, who still looked the same as when I had seen him last. "Ron you remember Mickie and Randy."

"Yes of course. Mickie it's nice to see you again," he said with a smile as he offered his hand for a handshake.

"You too," I said back. "It's been awhile, how have you been?"

"Good, I've been great actually," he said before reaching out to shake Randy's hand as well.

"And this is Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase," Trish pointed them out one by one.

Ron stepped forward and shook their hands, confused and hesitant about the glare Ted was sending him. "Of course I recognize you guys from television," he said with a grin. "I'm a big fan of all of you," he said, taking a step back and wrapping his arm around Trish's petite frame. "Especially the Viper, actually I've been a fan of you for years, but I've gotten back into wrestling again over the last few months. I can truthfully say I was surprise at the addition of Mickie into Legacy, but I'll admit it's been making Monday Nights more interesting."

"That's what we were hoping," I said with a grin.

"Well come in! Everyone is littered in the dining room, kitchen, living room and the patio which you can gain access to from the kitchen. There's food in the dining room if you're hungry and drinks can be found in the kitchen. Please make yourselves at home. Mi casa es su casa," she said with a wink before strolling of to play hostess with her other guests.

We advanced into the living room, the entrance being directly in front of us, and became the subjects of a few stares… nothing unusual… before heading towards the kitchen which seemed to be less crowded. There was music playing softly in the background as everyone was engaged in conversations with one another. There were various superstars and divas from both brands, and they all appeared to be enjoying themselves.

"Eve's here," I muttered to Cody when I witnessed the brunette leaning against the counter talking with Maria, Melina and Kelly.

So the kitchen appeared less crowded, but somehow it was making me feeling uncomfortable and stuffy.

"Fantastic," he muttered sarcastically, turning his back to the group of divas to look at me while he was talking. "I'll be heading to the dining room for the food," he sighed.

"Right behind you buddy," I muttered, eyeing Kelly and opting not to get into anything tonight.

Cody turned and started off towards his destination as I inquired with the other two as to what they were going to be doing.

"I'm going to find Tri– a bathroom," Ted said suspiciously before rushing off not offering me a second look.

"Don't embarrass me," I hissed but was quite sure he had not heard… or if he had he more than likely wouldn't listen.

"Hey was that Ted? Where's he off to?" I turned to find Maria has left the other three and had approached us in our position opposite the others.

I smiled, "Hey Maria, yeah that's him. He's acting like more of a moron than usual, so don't say that I didn't warn you."

"You didn't seem to think that last night," she giggled.

"I _always_ think so," I assured her. "And yet he's still my best friend."

Randy turned his attention on me, "You told me that you thought Ted was very… talented, and that we should _appreciate_ him more."

"Yeah and that was after _how_ many drinks? That was very irresponsible of you to allow me to drink so much! Ted _annoys_ me!" I stressed my thoughts.

"But he's your best friend?" he questioned.

"Um duh! Jeesh did you forget to take your smart pills today?" I said playfully.

"You still baffle me just as much as you did when we first met," he locked eyes with me again, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"I– I'm going to find Ted," Maria said quietly, making Randy to remember that we weren't, in fact, alone. He cleared his throat, took a step back and averted his gaze, nodding once before she scurried off. Well now, Randy Orton seemed to be losing his touch on keeping his poker face on around others.

"So are you coming with me to join Cody so he doesn't absorb himself into a food coma?" I asked.

He looked down at me again, "No I'm going to get a drink," he said, turning away and when I followed his gaze, I found it resting on Eve who was glaring back at us.

I turned back to him and shook my head, "No, I think you should come with me."

"Mickie I'll do what I want. And what I want is a drink. I'll catch up with you guys in a bit," he said casually.

I sighed, "Randy it's not worth your time," I told him before turning and strolling away.

I greeted a few of the other guests, but didn't take the time to stop and strike up any conversations. I guess over the months I had somehow become anti-social. Entering the dining room I didn't see Cody anywhere, but I did see a familiar _friendly_ face.

"CM Punk!" I called out with enthusiasm.

The straightedge superstar looked up from his position near the table, and a smile grew on his face when he took in my appearance.

"Mickie James," he said, his lips forming a grin.

I couldn't help the smile that effortlessly grew on my face. I tilted my head a bit as he approached me, "Hey Phil, how have you been?" I asked as I walked into his open arms.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, "I've been good," he pulled away to survey me, "but you've been keeping your distance. You head to Raw, become diva's champion and now you're too good to talk to me?"

I lightly hit him on the shoulder, "Of course not! I'm sorry! Everything's been so crazy lately," I reasoned.

"Oh from what I hear, you've been more than busy. There are a few things going around about you and… Randy," he said slyly.

"Things like what?" I played dumb.

"Rumours here and there… you're back together, getting married… oh and what was that one," he made a show of thinking, "you're sleeping with him again?" he looked down at me again, a hint of amusement playing in his eyes.

"Well you were at my party, so you know what's going on," I said. And even though Phil was one of my good friends, much like John, I still wish I hadn't shouted that personal situation out to everyone. Life, it seems, has gotten much more complicated since then.

"Yeah and I _also_ remember talking to you for a whole _three_ minutes! I mean sure you had other guests, but I figured being one of your best friends and all would have entitled me to much more," he teased.

"Okay come on! Cut me some slack! Life has been surprising lately; I've barely had a chance time to catch my breath. If I could have talked to those I actually wanted to, like you, for as long as I would have liked to, we would have been on the yacht for days! You, Serena, Nattie, Jomo… just all my Smackdown peeps, seriously Raw has been so much better than I anticipated, and I wouldn't go back, but you guys are just as much my family. It's hard to adjust."

He offered me a smile, "I understand and I'm glad you're happy Mickie… you _are_ happy right?"

We took a seat on a couple of chairs before I responded, "Yeah, of course. I mean… I think so…" I trailed off.

"So what's with the hesitation and uncertainty?" he questioned, concern appearing on his face.

"No, no, nothing," I said much too quickly, but I could never get away with lying to the straightedge superstar. "It's stupid really… I mean I just woke up this morning with a, a feeling like… like something bad is going to happen?" I explained as best I could.

"Unfortunately bad things do happen; you're living proof that you can overcome those things. And you know what I'm referring to," he looked deeply into my eyes; a knowing look resided in his own.

I nodded my head, knowing full well what he was referring to, and having forgotten that he in fact did know my deepest, darkest secret. I willed myself to block out the memory, and knowing even if I did accomplish it, it would only last for a short time period. Phil was there for me when I went to Smackdown, as we were friends long before that, and he helped a lot when I was going through that time period in my life. He was the only other person on this roster apart from Randy and me who knew what had transpired between the two of us, and only because I had let it slip by accident. But he helped me, just as much if not more, than Kelly and Melina had back then.

"You're a strong woman Mickie, whatever may happen, you'll get through it. Now I'm not saying anything _will_ happen, it's just never a bad thing to be prepared."

"Thanks Phil, you always seem to know what to say. You are honestly like a second conscience to me," I joked.

"It's all about looking at things they way they are and not overanalyzing like you do frequently, because more often than not it just drives one crazy," he said softly. "Now back to our topic before though… aren't you in dangerous territories with this whole Randy situation?"

"_Trust_ me that particular thought haunts my mind at least a million times a day, but it's come too far to just go back now. Honestly above everything else, we're friends again, sure there are lingering feelings, strong ones at that, but we're friends all the same. We've made progress, and I wouldn't change anything if the opportunity presented itself," I explained, hoping he wouldn't try and lecture me about it. It's one thing coming from Kelly or Melina, but from Phil it would be almost unbearable.

"Hey there's no judgement coming from me. My only concern is your happiness, as always. You're a smart woman Mickie James, and no matter where this situation leads you, I know with confidence that you'll get through it intact. I have nothing but faith in you," he reached out and wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to this body.

After a few moments he released me, "So enough with this conversation. How's the Raw life treating you?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm involved with the top group in the WWE and I'm the divas champion… I think that constitutes as life being pretty damn good," I said enthusiastically.

"I didn't get a chance to say congrats by the way, you really deserve it. You've worked much too hard to get to this point in your career, don't let anyone take that accomplishment away from you."

He leaned back in the chair and placed his hands behind his head, "So how's the locker room been? You know especially after that whole birthday party fiasco."

I chuckled, shaking my head as well. "Mostly everyone has been, well if they have any I'm sure most don't care, but mostly everyone has keep their judgement to themselves. A few… of course those being Melina, Kelly and John, have voiced their concern–"

"With good reason," he interrupted, "but that doesn't surprise me even a bit," he released a chuckle.

"Tell me about it, a pain in the ass is what I have to say about that but I _do_ appreciate the gesture. And then," I paused for a moment, "there are those who have taken it upon themselves to judge me… rather openly. Like really! It's _my _business," I exclaimed.

"You're always going to have those, hell we probably have thousands of those all over the world as it is. Learn to ignore them because no good will ever come out of letting them rile you up."

"Seriously Punk, you need to come to Raw. I think I'd be a lot less crazy!" I exclaimed.

"Do you really think that's possible?" he winked at me. "So since we haven't had a chance to talk for awhile… I'm not even bothering to count the three minutes from your birthday, please explain to me what is up with you and the Legacy boys… apart from Randy of course."

I smiled to myself, reminiscing on the various memories with Ted and Cody and particularly the first time I met them.

"I've actually been friends with them since I was transferred back here. Really, I used to think it was an accident. Like it just somehow happened, but I can say with confidence that it's more than that. It honestly feels as if it was meant to happen you know what I mean?" I reflected back on my first meeting with Ted and how easygoing he had been towards me despite the various stories I'm sure he had heard from Randy.

"I've heard stories, all of them good when it comes to you, DiBiase and Rhodes. They say you guys have become so close in such a short time."

I giggled, "Okay who's they?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "They, them… people. I heard it through the grapevine," he grinned at me.

"The grapevine eh?' I teased him.

His eyes rested on me again, "I saw how close you were at the birthday party… how comfortable you looked. You can't fake something like that. I'm happy for you… that you found where you belong. And from what I hear the Legacy guys aren't as bad as they seem."

"You must tell me who your source is," I winked at him before smiling. "They're great guys Punk; I could never stress it enough. But I guess it depends who you ask… which I can understand because some aren't as lucky as I am to be able to escape the wrath of the Viper. But honestly underneath the thick, deep, deep, deep barrier he has up, he's a great guy."

He chuckled again, but before he could respond an interruption came in the form of Randy Orton.

"Always speaking so highly of me aren't you?" he spoke.

I turned to look up at him, "Yeah usually when I think you aren't around. But somehow you always seem to come creeping up when I least expect it."

"Its part of my charm," he smirked.

"I would hardly call you charming," I said to him.

Punk cleared his throat as, I'm sure, a reminder that he was still in the vicinity. Damn how easy it was to get lost in my own world with Randy. People must think I'm an idiot sometimes.

"Er right, Phil you know Randy, Randy you know Phil," I said, trying not to seem awkward about it.

The straight edge superstar stood up and extended his hand, "Hey man, what's going on?"

Randy glanced briefly at me before reaching out and grasping his hand firmly before pulling away. "Just trying my best to fit in," he said casually.

Punk scrutinized him for a moment, obviously trying to decide if he was joking, before he offered a smile. I let out a chuckle of my own feeling proud deep inside that Randy was even making a small effort.

"How's that working out for you?" Punk asked him.

"About as well as Mickie here trying to cook a decent meal," Randy joked.

It was Punk's turn to chuckle, "Oh I've heard stories _and_ unfortunately experienced first hand Mickie's horrible inability to cook."

"Hey! I failed at making pizza from scratch once…"

"From scratch? It was a store bought pizza and you burnt it to a crisp. There wasn't one part of it that was edible," he said with a grin.

"I have countless of stories beyond that…" Randy offered.

"That you won't be bringing up," I threatened him, recounting a few prior cooking experiences that could probably add fuel to this conversation. It wasn't my fault that the amazing cooking abilities that my mother possesses were not passed down to me. Besides I'm far too busy to learn.

Punk chuckled once more, "That's no fun. Well, I better go find Serena anyway. It was nice catching up, please don't be a stranger. I've missed having Mickie James around."

I smiled up at him, "Can't say I've missed the straightedge lifestyle."

"It's not for everyone," he laughed and then pulled me in for a hug, "I think it's gone much farther than you've realized Micks. Promise me you'll take care of yourself," he whispered before pulling away.

I didn't know what to say, so I looked down at my hands as he said goodbye to Randy before strolling off to find Serena.

I finally looked up at Randy, "Look at you, being all nice," I nudged him playfully.

"Nice? I'd hardly go that far. I've just never had a problem with Punk that's all," he shrugged his shoulders casually.

"I'm sure that's it. You just can't not listen to me," I said proudly. "I asked you to be nice, and alas you are doing just that."

"Or maybe I've just gotten tired of being an ass to those I don't have issues with," he said. "It can be _very_ demanding."

"Oh," I said. "I guess that… makes sense," I was surprised at his reasoning.

He chuckled, "You believed that? Being an ass is who I am."

I punched him on the arm, "I knew I was right… jerk."

"Was there anything good to drink?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Didn't bother wasting my time," he said. We both knew without having to say so that he was referring to Eve.

I smiled up at him, but before I could get another word in, we were interrupted by Ted who seemed far more excited than usual.

"Dude you have to come play guitar hero with me! I need a partner to go up against Dave and Ron. The team with the most combined points is the winner!" he pleaded with Randy.

"You're kidding right?" I asked.

"Why would I kid? Seriously man, we would school them!" he said enthusiastically.

"Wait, Randy plays guitar hero?" I was surprised now.

"_You're_ kidding right? Randy, apart from me of course, is like the king of guitar hero," he said, as if this was supposed to be obvious.

"Ted, I'm not playing guitar hero with you… here," Randy said.

"You actually play guitar hero? Really… well this is a surprise," I said more to myself than to him.

"Why is it a surprise?" he asked me but didn't wait for an answer, "Ted stand still! You're like a five year old. Ask Mickie to play."

"Dude not even _you_ would be good enough to make up for Mickie's obvious lack of guitar hero ability," he frowned.

"As much as I hate to agree with that," I sent a glare in Ted's direction, "he's right. I never got the hang of it," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Ask Cody, he's good at it too," Randy insisted.

"No, he's off sulking in some corner," he said insensitively. "Please, please, please," he was actually begging. A grown man was begging someone to play guitar hero with him.

I rolled my eyes before smiling, "Come on Randy, you don't want to disappoint a child do you?"

It was his time to roll his eyes, but it was in irritation. "I miss the days when I was a complete asshole all the time and never, _ever_ would have _considered _playing guitar hero at a work party let alone having shown up to said party. I blame _you_ for all my newfound weaknesses," he accused.

I grinned up at him, "I'll gladly take responsibility."

Grumbling a string of complaints, he reluctantly followed after Ted. I walked after them and watched as they schooled John and Ron much to everyone's surprise, before Trish approached me with a smile of her own.

"Not the Randy I hear about from the stories," she spoke, taking a sip of wine from the glass in her hand.

"He's made progress," I said proudly. "And most people don't understand him," I shrugged my shoulders, as we both turned and strolled away from the crowd of superstars.

"People change and others will always be around to judge. That's life and in the wrestling business, if you can't take it, you don't belong."

"Hey girls!" a voice from behind us exclaimed. I turned around to find Melina approaching us with a huge grin on her face.

"Hey Mel," I replied, offering her a quick hug.

"What are you two up to?" she enquired.

"Engaging in some girl talk… wanna join?" Trish asked with a smile.

"Do you really need to ask? I miss the three of us hanging out," she said excitedly. "And above that, I've missed having you around," she said, wrapping her arm around Trish's waist.

"It was a huge adjustment, and to this day things seem out of order, like I should still be on the road," she explained as she lead us onto the now empty patio, music still heard faintly, but most of the noise was coming from the living room where the guys were still playing the game.

"But you don't regret leaving do you?" I asked, taking a seat on the bench beside Melina overlooking the beautiful yard as Trish took one of the chairs opposite.

"Missing it and regretting it are two very different things. I'm glad I pursued something different in my life and I'm thankful to be able to come home to my husband every night. At the end of the day my marriage is always the most important thing. Besides, it beats having to sleep in a hotel bed," she chuckled. "But I miss wrestling, being in the ring and the atmosphere. It was my passion and it's not easy to give something like that up."

"I couldn't even imagine… of course I don't have a husband or a passion for yoga. Speaking of, how's the studio going for you?' I asked.

A smile formed on her face, "It's going wonderfully and a lot better than I expected. Opening it allowed me to be able to help others, and on top of that it keeps me occupied. If I didn't have it, I'd probably go nuts not having anything to do!"

"I hear ya. How hard I imagine it would be to go from being gone two hundred plus days of the year, to being home every night. Although you've had television opportunities and such to keep you on your toes," Melina said.

"Yeah hit's been really great because I _have_ had those opportunities, but the best result of me leaving the business is that I get to focus on my marriage and that, to me, is the most important thing in my life," she gushed, a smile tugging at her lips. I could tell how happy she was merely by looking at her. She had her life figured out, and I was so proud of her.

"So how _is_ the married life?" I asked.

"It has its ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We work through problems together and take it one day at a time. I've learned so much in such a short period, and I don't know what I'd do without Ron… I actually know what it means to say someone is your other half. Without him I'd probably lose my head," she giggled.

I smiled at her but couldn't help dwelling on my own thoughts. I almost had that at one point, but never was able to fully achieve it. _He's my other half_… she had said. There's only one person on this planet that fits that description in my life, in that sense. When was I ever going to figure things out with him?

Trish cleared her throat, bringing me back to my surroundings. I looked up to see that both ladies were surveying me.

"That's great Trish, I'm so happy for you!" I forced a smile.

She tilted her head a bit, "So how are _you_ Mickie… I mean past all the formal responses to that question?"

"I'm fine, I'm doing great," I insisted.

"Okay, it's just that last time I seen you was at Raw's fifteenth anniversary in 2007 and… from what I remember you … weren't doing so great. I know the break-up with Randy really took its toll on you, but you two seem to be good now. Did you work things out?" she asked softly.

I shrugged my shoulders, remaining silent for a few moments before responding, "I guess you could say that. I was a wreck after the break-up and a small part of me still is, but I'm a fighter and somehow I always manage to get back on my feet. We've reached a stage in our relationship where we've finally, kind of settled our differences… so we've been progressing slowly."

"But are you guys thinking of doing the relationship thing again? I haven't been around to witness much of anything, but I've always had the opinion that you two belonged together… it would be sad if things didn't work out," she offered me a small comforting smile.

"I don't want to sound like a terrible friend, because I love you to pieces Mickie, but a lot of things have changed over the years and for the most part more harm has come than good. More than anything I want your happiness Micks, and I want it to be genuine," Melina spoke up.

Nodding my head, I smiled up at her. "I understand where you're coming from, and I want that too, but life just doesn't seem to think I'm ready." I turned my gaze back on Trish, "As for our future, I honestly don't know, but I do know there's a reason we've come into each other's lives again."

"Sorry for the intrusion, curiosity always seems to get the best of me, but you two just seem so coupley already, it just appears to come so natural from the both of you," she said.

I smiled again at the thought of being with Randy before different thoughts brought me back to reality, and the smile vanished off my face.

I looked down at my hands resting on my lap, "Yeah sometimes it seems like we are, and I do feel more than comfortable with him. But we aren't together and I think this conversation has helped me to remember that. I need to get my priorities in check… starting with you and Kelly," I said, turning to face Melina. Grabbing both her hands in mine I looked up at her, "I want to apologize for the neglect, and terrible attitude towards the both of you. I've been selfish and childish and it needs to stop before this goes too far. Just because I made new friends, doesn't mean its okay to take my old ones for granted. I'm so sorry," I insisted.

"Mickie James, everyone goes through stages in their lives, and ups and downs in their relationships. You have grown special bonds with the boys of Legacy, that sometimes I find myself amazed when I see you all together. That's something that you shouldn't take lightly," she scooted closer to me, and releasing my hands she wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"It doesn't mean that we aren't friends. Priorities change, and that's life, but we'll always have one another," she said with confidence. "Mickie, Kelly feels the same way," she insisted.

"I'm not feeling that so much these days," I said quietly.

"I'm not condoning anything she said or did, but you know as well as I do that she has a good heart."

"I know," I said.

"What happened with Kelly," Trish asked.

I released a sigh, and smiled, thinking how stupid the whole situation was. "A million years ago, I had a one night stand with John, that meant nothing," I added for good measure. "Anyway, Kelly found out about it last night, and apparently she thinks she's within her rights to be angry with me."

"Wow, and this was before her and John were together?"

"Way before her and John were together, try early 2007," I said.

"It's always been the same with her. Apart from obvious recent events, Kel has always been level headed and mature beyond her years," Melina explained.

"That's just it though, I'm confused by the entirety of this because she's _never_ acted in this manner before," I said.

"It's a phase alright, I can guarantee that eventually she'll realize her wrongdoing and apologize," my raven haired friend said with confidence.

"I don't want an apology, I want her to be honest with me," I exclaimed.

"If anyone knows it it's me. She'll come around. She just needs to figure some stuff out herself," she claimed.

"And how will she do that with Eve around poisoning her thoughts?" I muttered angrily. I hated beyond anything, having Kelly mad at me. And although I haven't talked to her much over the last few months, it was torture knowing that if I did want to talk, she would be there for me.

Melina sighed, "Eve's a good person too. I just can't understand for the life of me what's going on with her. Kelly was angry towards her for what she said earlier."

"Really?" I was surprised at this bit of news. I sighed, "It doesn't matter anyway, it's not me I'm concerned about, although the guys won't leave me alone for more than ten minutes, its Cody. He really loves Eve and she's being a bitch to him for unnecessary reasons."

"It's something they need to work out on their own terms," Trish spoke up. "Relationships are tough at times, and it's normal to have disagreements."

"Yeah normally I would agree, but their problems started because of Randy and I," I told her.

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"Apparently Randy was a real ass to her at Mickie's party for no reason," Melina said.

I turned to look at her, "Eve wasn't innocent in all that. He may have started it, but she was right there in his face."

"Well, I'm not trying to start anything, but was she not supposed to defend herself?"

"No, actually I'm glad she did. I mean everyone wastes their time being scared of him when in reality he's pretty much harmless. It's _what_ she said, but mostly the fact she's _still_ mad about it, and is treating the both of us, as well as Cody who did _nothing_, with such disrespect," my voice got louder with each word, and I had to remind myself that Melina wasn't to blame in all of this.

I sighed, "The nerve she had to tell Randy to leave my birthday party. And not only that but her anger towards Ted who has nothing to do with any of this. I mean he didn't speak a word to her apart from openly admitting that he loves Randy despite that fact that he's an ass."

"I've spent a lot of time with her over the last few months and I can honestly say she's a good and kind person. She's never spoken a bad word about you and very little about Randy up until this entire situation," Melina said.

"But like I said, Randy and I don't care if she likes us, its Cody we're worried for. And I warned her that if she didn't recognize us as a package deal, she would lose him and she ignored my advice. There's only so much a person can put up with. Maybe if she realizes how wrong she is, she can salvage her relationship with him because he loves her and didn't want to end things with her," I sighed once more. "She just didn't leave him much of a choice."

Melina surveyed me for a few minutes, her face giving off the impression that she was deep in thought. After a moment she opened her mouth to respond, "I'm a firm believer in fate, as you know, and I believe that everything that's meant to happen, will happen."

I smiled weakly, "I've kind of lost my trust in fate. I just think life and where you end up is because of every choice you've made. I don't believe anything is predetermined."

"You never used to believe that," Melina stated.

"Life is constantly changing, and because of that _we_ are always changing as well – gaining new knowledge, learning from mistakes and constantly having our outlook altered."

"That doesn't mean you should ever give up your beliefs," Trish encouraged. "You deserve so much goodness and have so much going for you. Hang in there; you'll see what I mean. Life gets harder before it gets easier. In fact I don't think it ever gets easier, people just become smarter."

"Thanks for the words of wisdom," I smiled.

"That's what I'm here for," she chuckled. "I'm being a terrible hostess; I better go and see what's going on with everyone else. I'll talk to you later."

After she left I turned to Melina, "I've missed having her around," I stated.

"Me too," she agreed, "she's almost like a mother hen ya know."

A comfortable silence surrounded us for a few moments until Melina spoke again, "Anyway, I better go find Dave before he gets in way over his head at guitar hero… he truly sucks at it… but don't tell him I said that."

I released a small laugh, "Secret's safe with me."

"Do you want me to stay?" she offered, sitting back down on the bench beside me.

"No, no, I'm fine. I need a few moments. You go ahead, I'll be right in," I smiled.

"Alright but don't drive yourself crazy with thinking. Tonight is about having fun," she reminded me.

I simply nodded my head, knowing that she was right, but how could someone just turn off their thoughts? It was next to impossible, so there wouldn't be a point in trying. I was going through changes in my life and it all seemed to be happening so rapidly. The only thing I could do was maintain a level head and try my best at looking at the bright side of things, and on top of that, learning from history. After all, if we don't bother to learn from it, than all the hardships will have been endured uselessly. If we don't attempt to do so, it's stupid on our part. That's how a person learns, from mistakes made in their past.

Like I've said so many times, but have neglected to so thus far, is get my life back on track, most prominently everything with Randy. My feelings for him were strong, beyond strong, but nothing I haven't felt before. Having these feelings towards him wasn't exactly new; I just wasn't sure what they were just yet.

On top of that, I also needed to stop placing him above the others in my life, another problem I've been ignoring the last few months despite _knowing_ it was occurring. Because I'm almost certain that that's another reason Kelly acted the way she did – she feels distant and resentful because of the neglect I've been showing towards her.

With Ted and Cody it was easy. I never had to worry about accidentally putting Randy first because they understood him almost as extensively as I did. And more importantly they were just as close with him as I was. The rest of the roster, specifically my friends and Eve, didn't understand what it was like to be able to essentially _understand_ the Viper. And in a sense, I guess that put distance between the three of us and the rest of them unintentionally.

I blamed myself for these circumstances, not Kelly or even Eve. I made the choices that I did, and Cody and John were paying for them. Why did I ever open my big mouth? Why the hell have I been so stupid lately? Where has it been coming from?

"Hope you aren't thinking too hard, we wouldn't want to hurt that little brain of yours," Ted's voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to the present.

I looked over my shoulder and found him leaning against the door frame, "That's clever, did you come up with that yourself?"

"All my material comes from this huge and creative brain of mine," he said, as he shortened the distance between us and slumped down on the bench beside me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and positioned himself closer to me, "What's troubling you?" he asked, appearing to be genuinely curious.

"Nothing is troubling me," I insisted.

"Are we really going to play the lying game? It would save us a whole lot of time if you would just be straightforward instead of trying to be stoic," he said sternly.

"I'm not lyi– fine," I sighed. "Everything in my life is troubling me. Everything except my career… and Cody… and you," I added.

"We could change that," he grinned.

I lightly hit him on the arm before leaning my head against his shoulder, "Please don't, you're the only normal and consistent thing in my life. Seriously DiBiase," I tilted my head to look up at him, "you're the only thing that's keeping me sane… well you and Cody share that honour."

"Yeah but you're not going to tell him that right?"

I chuckled, same old Ted. "If you say so, we'll keep it a secret."

"Good, not that he'll notice. Who actually expects Cody _Rhodes _to be of any help," he scoffed. "So what's on the mind short stuff?"

"Please don't say that again," I said harshly.

"I'm willing to negotiate," he narrowed his eyes. "So really, what's going on James?"

"Well, Randy, Kelly, Randy, Eve and Cody, and did I mention Randy?" I attempted a joke to lighten the situation.

"Only a few… thousand times, but I'm not surprised. I'm here to listen and… judge harshly," he said.

"I appreciate it you jerk," I smiled before continuing, "I need to stop placing Randy above everyone else in the hopes that we're going to pursue a relationship again. Everyone thinks I'm such a saint, when in reality I'm nothing but selfish."

"Hey," he stopped me, "you are not. What's selfish about protecting something that's important to you? That's what you and Randy are to one another. Those who care about you should respect that."

"It's different for you and Cody too. We're always together, I don't "neglect" you two," I tried to explain.

"We're not, how do I put this nicely, we, as in Cody and I, don't have the same relationship as you do with your other friends. I don't want to sound conceited–"

"Miracles do happen," I interrupted, not being able to resist taking a jab at my best friend.

"Very true," he agreed, "but I don't want to sound conceited in this sense. But our relationships are different. I'm not downplaying your other friendships, but I've never felt this way about friends before. It's real and you three are beyond important to me. Like I said, you guys are like family… no not _like_ family, you _are_ family."

"I know, and I think everyone else has noticed too, but that doesn't make it okay. And what else isn't right, is centering my life around Randy… someone I'm not even dating."

"So stop doing it then," I turned to find Randy standing in the doorway.

"Randy I didn't know you were–"

"I came to find you two; Cody's waiting in the car. Mickie you're a grown adult, I never asked you to make your life revolve around me, and I never meant to give you the impression that I wanted a relationship from this. So if that's what is going to come of this, I'm ending everything right now."

"Randy that's not what I–"

"It was probably, not it _was_ a bad idea," he paused briefly, "Let's get going."

And before I could get a word out, he turned away and headed back into the house.

"Did that just happen?" I said, looking out into the yard, still surprised at what had occurred.

"Don't ask me, I'm just as confused as you are," he shrugged his shoulders. "Do you think he… meant that?" And just as I thought Ted was surprised that Randy appeared to not care about me as much as I thought, he spoke again. "I mean what kind of guy cuts himself off from sex?"

Rolling my eyes, I elbowed him in the side. "Leave it to Ted to bring humour to a shitty situation," I mumbled to myself before turning to face him. "One, Randy unlike you respects me and two, it's not about sex with us."

"Oh I'm sure, because it's possible for you two to be in a room together without your hormones flaring up. _Trust_ me, I've got many eyewitness accounts to back that up," he said, a disgusted look creeping onto his face.

"Don't make my punish you DiBiase," I threatened.

He put his hands up in defence, "Can't a friend voice his opinions and concerns… er nightmares?"

"When that friend is you, then no," I said bluntly. "Come on; let's get going before we end up walking."

Grabbing his hand I pulled him to his feet and lead the way back into the house to say our goodbyes to everyone. Doing so took a half hour – twenty minutes of that spent saying goodbye to Trish where I managed to remain dry eyed, and she told me to lecture Randy for her who had managed to slip out of the house without offering a goodbye. She didn't seem mad; if anything she understood why he did so.

By the time we got out to the car, both Randy and Cody were in very foul moods, and Ted and I would have been better off having walked back to the hotel.

"God we left Trish's house twenty minutes ago and you're still bitching? I guess it's good to know some things never change," I spoke bitterly to Randy.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You can't help being an ass," I said, "even to me."

"Were you under the impression you were special?" he snarled. "Besides I'm only an ass when someone is so damn annoying."

"Well I wouldn't be so 'damn annoying' if your arrogance didn't always piss me off," I said angrily.

"Oh_ I'm_ arrogant? Like I haven't heard that from you… a million times!" he said loudly.

I leaned forward, "Maybe you need to hear it a million more because you don't seem to be taking the hint!" I crossed my arms and slumped back into my seat.

"Why would I take advice from _you_ of all people?"

"Oh nice try jackass! You've only been listening to everything I say for the past month!" I reminded him.

"You don't make sense half the time, how is that even possible?"

"You tell me, you've been my little bitch lately," I responded.

The car became silent and I knew I had hit a nerve. I chuckled nervously, "Did I take it too far?" I asked uneasily.

He simply sent me a Viper like glare in the rear view mirror and opted to use his silence as a comeback. I didn't know what else to say so I turned to my right to find Ted looking at all of us in turn with a smug smile on his face.

"What are _you_ so happy about?" I asked rudely.

He sighed happily, "It's just like old times," he paused for a moment, the smile still evident, before he continued, "I only now realized how much I missed this. Mickie and Randy at each other's throats, me and Cody mere bystanders annoyed to the extreme. Yup I definitely missed this. You don't fully appreciate something until you've lost it."

"As opposed to what?" Cody asked. "How are things _now_?"

"Mickie and Randy can't keep their hands off each other. Randy is far, far less Viper-like. Mickie is whiny and you Cody have become a heart-broken bitch boy. So really, I'm the only one who's stayed consistent, well that and Mickie's apparent shortness," he explained.

"Ted!" The three of us shouted in unison.

"Ah yes," he smiled again and stared off into the distance, "Ted being yelled at for being honest. Ted thinks it's such a great feeling. Oh and Ted also thinks he's handsome, not to mention Ted loves saying his own nam–"

"Ted shut up!" Cody interrupted.

"And stop speaking in third person. I hate hearing your name as it is," Randy said coldly.

Ted leaned forward and clamped Randy on the shoulder, "That's the attitude!" he said enthusiastically. "Now keep that up! Part of your charm is your asshole mentality, your disrespect of other human beings and your 'don't care' philosophy."

"Oh yeah because that's _real_ charming," I muttered sarcastically, staring out the window at the passing cars.

"Who are you to talk? Like Ted said, you can't keep your hands off me."

I rolled my eyes, "I believe he said we, as in _us_, couldn't keep our hands off each other which is completely ridiculous. Unless… he's referring to me wanting to knock you on your ass, than yeah, he's one hundred percent right!"

Ted sat in his seat watching in amusement, "No I didn't, but please, please continue," he egged us on, excitement covering his face.

Rolling my eyes in irritation once more, I hit him in the stomach before vowing to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the ride. Truth was, and I had to fight hard to keep a smile off my face, I actually missed how Randy and I used to be. Everything seemed so serious lately and although I had admitted to possibly wanting a relationship, I realize that I'm not ready for it. There are still so many things that need to be figured out and _we_ can't happen until they are.

**So it's been awhile since I've updated… mostly because I was busy but also because I kind of lost track of the story for awhile. It seemed as if I had all this material written for the ending and for future chapters, but I just didn't have a way to get there. But I figured it out, and the story is well on its way once again. Thankfully so, because I really love writing this story and it means a lot to me.**

**Thanks for the beautiful reviews, every time I read them it makes me feel wonderful and gives me more incentive to want to update faster and sooner. I promise I will try to make the gaps in between updates shorter! I know what it's like to have to wait to read the next chapter in a story!**

**So The Miz is the new champion… I can honestly say I was surprised! I didn't see it coming, and I am actually excited to see where this feud between him and Randy is going to end up. I think if creative does a good enough job, they can really make this feud great and have Randy chase after what's rightfully his so that when he **_**does**_** win it back, it's going to mean so much to him and the WWE Universe.**

**I wish they would please, please keep Laycool off Raw! It's been a great few weeks not having to see them!**

**And the best part…. THE RKO ON MICHAEL COLE! That has been coming for far too long, and it was amazing to see. I laughed for like ten minutes… even now the thought brings a smile to my face. I wish they would get rid of Cole and keep CM Punk around. I am such a HUGE fan of Punk and think he does a great job at commentary. **

**Lastly (sorry for the long note, it's just been awhile since I've updated), I just want to tell you all about my new favourite story so that maybe you can check it out. It's a Mickie and Randy story and it's called DADDY by Claire O'Mack. It's just so different than any of the other Mickie and Randy stories I've read, and I think its being written so well! I can't praise the story enough. Please check it out!**


	40. Don't stop believin'

"Okay I'm not one to get scared of a movie, but I'm actually nervous about this one," Ted broke the silence between the three of us.

I grinned at him, "You and me both, but I bet you'll be the first one to scream," I challenged.

We had gotten our workout done early today and had an afternoon free, so Ted, Cody and I opted to go for a movie and ended up choosing Paranormal Activity. The commercials had been showing on TV for awhile, and we just happened to be near a theatre that was actually showing the damn thing. At first I protested, but Cody and Ted both wanted to see it so unfortunately I was outnumbered.

"You're on James, I can't wait to laugh in your face the moment you lose," he said arrogantly.

"And I'm betting both of you will lose the bet at the same time," Cody said, unamused by our bantering.

"Cody, just because you're suffering from a break-up doesn't mean I have to be nice," Ted said, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"And yet you're going to be," I said through gritted teeth, digging my elbow into his ribs.

"Ouch you beast! You have _got_ to stop with the abuse," he said, rubbing his side as I took a step forward to order our snacks.

I smiled at the young girl behind the till, "Can we get… a small popco–"

Ted nudged me out of the way, "Let me take this James. We will get… two large popcorns with double butter, a bag of skittles, make that the big bag. Two Kit-Kat chocolate bars and two of those blue raspberry slushes," he finished with a grin.

"Okay _Cody_," I said sarcastically. "Ted you do realize how unhealthy that is and would make our workout today pointless. There is nothing in that entire order that's even a little healthy."

"Oh… you're right." He turned to face the girl again and I was sure he was going to change the order, "How about you throw a bottle of water in there too. Pay the lady Cody," he demanded, and then walked off towards the theatre.

Cody looked at me in disbelief before reluctantly pulling out his wallet and paying the amount owing. After struggling to carry all the snacks to the theatre, Ted refused to help not wanting to "strain a muscle", we found some seats and waited for the movie to start.

While the previews were going on, I felt my phone vibrating against my leg, and fishing it out of my pocket; I looked at the caller ID and read that it was Elaine.

"I need to take this, I'll be right back," I whispered to Cody, and then stumbled my way out of the aisle and towards the theatre door.

"Mickie dear, how are you?" she greeted me after I placed the phone to my ear.

"Elaine, I've been wonderful. I'm sorry I haven't called lately. Life has been pretty busy although I can't keep using that as an excuse," I chuckled quietly.

"Trust me, I understand. Randy conveniently forgets to call all the time no matter how many lectures I offer up," she joked.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," I said simply, allowing a smile to creep onto my face. "So really, how are you?"

"I have no complaints, like usual. Especially considering we planned a trip to Europe, and leave next week for two weeks," she said excitedly.

"That's so exciting! I love travelling to Europe, it just seems so… magical or something. Where are you headed?" I asked.

"Germany first, then we're headed to France and then we'll finish off with a week in Italy. Nathan and Becky are coming along too and it would be wonderful if Randy could join us because Lau–" she stopped abruptly.

"Elaine?"

"Well it's just impossible for him to get time off is all," she finished.

"Er right. Yeah it's hard being away from the family, especially when they are all heading on vacation together," I said quietly. "It was great hearing from you. Maybe I could call you later? Ted, Cody and I are about to catch a movie before the show tonight. If I don't talk to you before then, _please_ have a wonderful time on vacation and I'll be expecting to hear all about it when you get back!"

"Thanks sweetie. Have fun tonight, I can't wait to see what the Legacy have planned for tonight. Good luck," she said.

A moment later I ended the call and placed my phone back in my purse. Leaning up against the wall and ignoring a few stares, I released a sigh and folded my arms across my chest. The feeling from last week had returned and I couldn't place my finger on why. It was a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach and I had a suspicion that somehow it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Sometimes I wished that I could take a quick glimpse into my future, just a peek to see what lies ahead for me, so that I could find a way to prepare myself. If I hated vulnerability, surprises came a close second. A surprise birthday party was bad enough, anything beyond that… not welcome in my life.

We finished our movie, Ted and I both having lost the bet but not any worse than everyone else in the theatre except Cody who had stayed surprisingly calm throughout the entire thing, and were on our way back to the hotel, the entire trip having been taken in silence.

"Okay someone say something," Ted finally spoke up. "I feel horrible right now and I would feel a little better if someone would start up a conversation."

"About what?" I asked quietly, not being able to get my mind off the movie.

"Anything!" he pleaded.

"I don't know, but next time we are seeing a chick flick!" I said quickly.

"I won't say no to that," he muttered.

"I don't see the big deal. It wasn't even scary," Cody said.

"Are you kidding? Well you're lucky then," Ted muttered. "Maybe next time I want to see a scary movie, I'll make sure I'm suffering from a break-up."

"Way to be insensitive dude," Cody said through gritted teeth.

Ted had been acting like this all week, and I guess it was his way of helping Cody get over his break-up with Eve. Last night he tried to get Cody to go to a strip club, but Cody ended up kicking Ted out of his hotel room.

"I'm telling you Cody, I have this won. I'm going to win it before you. It's just fact," Ted stated as I pushed open the door to my hotel room, his mind clearly off the movie, for the time being anyway, and found Randy lounging on my bed.

Could these guys hang out in their own room?

"Ted I'll admit against my better judgement, you _are_ talented. But there's no way you'd beat me to it. I'm younger, faster and more charismatic. It's the way life intended us to be," he shrugged his shoulders effortlessly.

"It's because you are younger that I know I'm right. You're still wet behind the ears kid," Ted announced, attempting to pat Cody on the head who dodged out of the way and pummelled him on the arm.

I plopped down on my bed beside Randy, who didn't remove his eyes from the TV screen.

"What's it about this time?" he asked simply.

I sat up against the headboard and pulled my knees up to my chest. "They're arguing over who will become WWE champion first," I informed him.

"How did _that_ came up?"

"Well they both agreed you would lose to John eventually, and then Ted said he could easily beat Cena and the rest is history," I explained.

"Isn't this argument a little premature," Randy interrupted the disagreement as it appeared to be getting more heated. "I mean _I'm_ the reigning WWE champion."

Ted scoffed, "At least we can agree we're both more talented than you," he said rudely as he pulled a bottle of water out of the mini fridge.

"Really Ted? I'm a six time WWE champion and a royal rumble winner all before the age of thirty. It would be next to impossible for you to achieve all that in two years," Randy said simply yet with a hint of arrogance.

"Men and their egos," I said, rolling my eyes. "Tone it down a bit, we have a show later and it would be a shame if you three didn't make it because I disposed of you."

"Oh yeah and how do you expect to maintain the storyline of the Legacy?" Ted asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Please, we all know people come to see me," I said. "Hey I could get used to being arrogant," I said with a smile.

"I would _love_ to hang around to witness that," Cody said sarcastically, "but I have other things I could be doing," and without waiting for a response he headed for the door and disappeared into the hallway.

"Hey we weren't finished our argument!" Ted shouted, following his tag team partner and allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

Great, the idiot just _had_ to leave me alone with Randy. The both of us hadn't talked much since we had left Trish's house last week, so nothing had been discussed in terms of him ending our… "relationship"?

As much as I didn't like it, I knew he was right. Neither of us were ready for a relationship with one another and by continuing on in the way we have been the last few months, we were only making things more difficult and more confusing.

I cleared my throat, "So…" I prompted, knowing I needed to know where his head was at.

"Yeah?" he said simply, not bothering to look at me.

"I guess we need to talk," I started, "about… last week, at Trish's."

He released a sigh before shifting off the bed and turning so stare at me, "I don't think we need to talk about anything. I said what I wanted, and that's it."

He turned to walk away and out of anger I jumped off the bed and positioned myself in front of him, forcing him to stop and look down at me.

"No!" I shouted. "That's_ not_ how this works! You don't just get to say what _you_ feel and then that's it. It's a two way street, and this can't be dealt with by a few words… it's more complex than that," my voice got quieter towards the end as I didn't feel as confident as I did mere seconds ago. I crossed my arms across my chest in a show if discomfort.

"It's only more complex because you make it that way Mickie. You _always_ overanalyze and over think every little thing and it drives me crazy! _This_… is simple. We made a mistake starting this, and we need to end it before we– before _you_ get hurt."

I was surprised at his choice in words, "Me? So what, you're completely unaffected by any of this?"

"I'm just saying, I think this means more to you than it does to me."

"So you don't care about me?" I asked quietly.

"Mickie it's because I _do_ care about you that I'm trying to do the right thing. That's _it_, it doesn't get any more complex than that," he seemed so sure of himself.

"I'm an adult Randy, I can take care of myself," I insisted.

He rubbed his hand down his face, seemingly frustrated at the direction this conversation had gone. "No Mickie, you can't. You think you can but that's just it, your way of dealing is by blaming me and I can't go through it again."

I narrowed my eyes, "Don't pull that shit on me. You're hiding something and I want to know what it is."

He didn't say anything, but merely continued to stare out the window. "Randy!" I said impatiently.

He finally looked down at me and for a moment he didn't say a word. "I'm not hiding anything Mickie. Just having you in my life again is hard. I'll talk to you later," he said abruptly, as he started towards the door, but I wasn't having it. I rushed forward and forced myself in front of him.

"That's bullshit Randy," I said angrily.

He rolled his eyes, "What do you want from me?" he shouted.

"I want you to be honest with me! If you don't want anything to do with me outside of the ring, I won't stop you, but the_ least_ you can do is give me an honest answer instead of feeding me a bunch of ridiculous excuses!" I yelled back.

"Excuses! Why in the fuck would I even _need_ an excuse! Our history speaks for itself or have you forgotten?" he responded bitterly.

"Oh you want to play _that_ game? Use our past as an excuse because you're scared!" I accused, not knowing if that was at all appropriate to say but not caring at the moment.

"Scared of what exactly?" he asked angrily.

"Scared of your feelings for me. Typical Orton… suppress all emotion as opposed to being honest about it. Yeah because that always goes over so well," it was my turn to sound bitter. "I'm _so _over it."

_I_ attempted to walk towards the door this time but a moment later he had a firm grip on my arm. He spun me around to face him, a look of anger apparent on his face.

"What?" I yelled, giving him a shove. I've been angry with him before but this takes the cake. I was sick of his evasiveness.

Before I could give the second shove I had intended upon, he leaned down and was quick in capturing my lips with his. I was shocked at first, and attempted to shove him away from me, still furious, but the power he held over me kicked in and my body softened into his embrace. He deepened the kiss and soon had me placed against the door as his hand tangled in my hair and his other quickly locked the door.

The click of the lock brought me back to reality but only for the briefest of moments before Randy Orton stole my attention once more. I placed my hands on his waist and quickly pulled him around without breaking the kiss so he was now against the door.

"Mickie, as hot as it is when you take control, it's not in my nature to allow it," he mumbled against my lips.

"This is your way of ending things?" I teased, ignoring his comment.

"Really, I'm just being selfless in giving you what you want. Clearly you can't go without some of Randy Orton… let's call it an early Christmas present," he said before kissing me again.

I was successful in removing his t-shirt, and had my arms wrapped around his neck when a knock sounded on the door. I pulled away and looked up at him questioningly.

"Who is it?" I whispered.

"Am I psychic or something?" he hissed.

Rolling my eyes, I turned around and peered out of the peep-hole noticing that it was Melina who was standing on the other side of the door. I turned around frantically and scooping up Randy's shirt, I gave him a shove towards the bathroom.

"Put your damn shirt on and don't come out until you do!" I hissed.

I hurried back to the door and pulled it open just as Melina was about to walk away.

"Hey!" I smiled at her.

"I thought you might be out, I was just going to talk to you later. Are you alone?" she peered behind me into the room.

"No, Randy's in the bathroom. We were just watching some… TV," I turned around and noticed that the television wasn't even on.

Melina smirked at me and folded her arms across her chest, "Oh really, TV eh?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Did you come here to ridicule me?"

"Me? Ridicule you?" she said airily. "Never!"

"Are you coming in or would you rather stand out in the hallway?" I gestured for her to come in.

"That depends, am I interrupting something?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed. "How are you?" I closed the door behind her and gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa.

"I've been better, I got into an argument with Dave earlier, so I've been doing my best to avoid him," she informed me, not seeming too upset about it.

"So you come to me when you need to get away from him?" I teased.

"Of course not, I wanted to talk to you."

"So what was the fight abo–?"

I was interrupted by Randy's entrance back into the main room, and to my horror he had chosen not to put his shirt back on. I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing he was doing it just because I told him to put it on.

He grinned down at me, "Hey Melina, how's it going?"

She seemed surprised by his chipper attitude, "Um fine," she managed to respond.

"You seem rather happy," I said through gritted teeth, letting him know by my glare that he was not getting away with this.

"Just had an awesome workout," he responded.

I smiled up at him, "Oh in the bathroom?" I knew I had turned the tables on him now.

The grin faded off his face, "What? No, befo– never mind," he walked towards his bag and extracted a new shirt before pulling it over his head and throwing his jacket over top of that.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get a coffee, you want anything?" he asked the both of us.

"No I'm good," Melina said before turning back to face me.

"Ooh can you go to Starbuck's?" I asked excitedly, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"No I was going to go to– fine. Cinnamon latte extra whip cream and caramel sauce?" he verified.

"You know it," I said enthusiastically, excited to drink the delicious beverage. "Hurry back! You got me all excited!"

He shook his head in amusement as he headed towards the door and disappeared into the hallway a moment later. I looked over at Melina to see she was staring back at me with an incredulous look on her face.

"What?" I asked uncomfortably.

"He knows exactly what you like to get from Starbuck's?"

"Yeeahh," I said as if this wasn't obvious. "Doesn't Dave know yours?" the moment I said this I regretted it.

"Yeah but Dave is my boyfriend," she reminded me.

"We travel together! Cody and Randy both like their coffee's black and Ted usually gets the drink that's spotlighted!" I said defensively.

"Hey, no judgement here," she put her hands up in defence.

"Oh yeah right, Melina Perez not being judgemental? Hell would have to freeze over for that to be accomplished! _Anyway_, what was the fight about?" I asked again.

"I just… things have been weird with us lately. You know how much we fight, and honestly over the months it hasn't changed. If anything it's gotten worse, and over stupid things at that. Now I'm not saying it's just him, I start just as many fights as he does, but I don't know what to do anymore."

"So that's what it was about?"

"No, he was angry about me talking to John," she admitted.

"John… as in Kelly's John… as in Dave's best friend?" I asked, confused as to why this would even be a problem.

"No, John as in… John Morrison," she said quietly, not meeting my gaze.

"As in John Morrison, your ex-boyfriend John Morrison?" I said much louder than I should have.

"Okay we have got to stop repeating the name!" she exclaimed, "It's giving me a headache! And yes, as in my ex."

"Wow, since when were you two talking again? I thought he hated you… or at least held everything against you to the point it was painful for him to be around you," I asked.

"He doesn't hate me," she said, a little too defensively, "We settled everything… well not everything, but we maintained a decent relationship for work purposes. It's not my fault I fell out of love with him," she said softly.

"So Dave is angry because you talked to him?" I asked again, just to be sure. "It was just the once right?"

She still had her gaze focused on something over my shoulder, "Melina?" I spoke again.

"No it was more than once," she acknowledged. "And… we've gotten together for coffee for a few times too…"

"Well it shouldn't be a big deal, I mean sure you have history, but you left John for Dave. What does he think; you're going to fall in love with John again?" I laughed to myself, thinking how ludicrous that sounded.

But when I looked back at Melina, she didn't seem as amused as I did. In fact, if anything, she looked… guilty.

The smile fell off my face, "Melina?" I spoke softly. When she didn't look I spoke her name again.

She looked up at me and I finally noticed the extra moisture that was surrounding her eyes, "I don't know how it happened," she whispered.

"Oh my god," I exclaimed, placing my hand over my mouth. "Who– does anyone know?"

"No, god no, not even John. I've been keeping this to myself for a couple weeks now. I don't know what to do Mickie… I'm so confused," the tears, finally spilled down her face.

Moving closer, I wrapped my arms around her and gently rubbed her back. "Hey, its okay, shh, we're going to figure this out okay?" I leaned back slightly so I could see her face, "Okay?" I asked again.

She nodded her head but didn't say anything more for a few minutes, until finally she pulled away and started to wipe away the tears still lingering. "God, I've keep that in for three weeks too long. As guilty as I feel, it feels so good being able to get that off my chest.

"You could've come to me sooner," I told her.

"I know, I just didn't know if I had a right to. I'm in a relationship with Dave, and you know I love him Mickie, I do. But things just haven't been as great as I expected them to be at the beginning. He makes me happy, he makes me laugh, he's always there for me when I need him… oh god I'm a terrible girlfriend," she gasped. "How could I do this to him?" she whispered.

"Melina, you're human okay? Things like this happen more often than you would think," I said, trying to make her feel better.

"When I was with John, everything always seemed so… perfect you know and I guess the reason I left him for Dave was because I took it all for granted and convinced myself I was bored. I broke his heart, and didn't even think twice about it. I feel awful."

"So what are you going to do?" I asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders, and just by taking one look I could tell how torn she was having to choose between a man who had stood by her side for so many years despite various problems, or the one man who no matter how hard she tried, she could never get over. If I had to choose, out of the two, which one makes more sense for Melina, I would choose John Morrison. But Dave was a good friend, and he loved Melina so much.

"You have to do what's right for you Melina, not what you think will be right for everyone else. If you don't do this for yourself, both guys are going to suffer farther down the road, so I'm encouraging you to make the decision for yourself. Those who truly love you will respect that decision and support you no matter where life takes you," I said, patting her on the leg, letting her know I was with her either way.

"Yeah, but what's the right choice?"

"I can't tell you, what's right for me is going to be different for you. It's your heart Melina… only you know what it truly wants."

She chuckled quietly, wiping more tears off her face. "It would be easier if you just told me who to choose."

"Life isn't that easy… besides if that's how we did things, people would very rarely end up happy and then people like Ted would just have more reason to bitch!"

She laughed, "Thanks Mickie, its great having someone to talk to."

"What about Kelly?"

"She's been distant lately… I don't know what's going on with her, but it hasn't been easy to talk with her," she informed me.

"I feel like all of this is my fault," I said quietly.

"Mickie, are you kidding? None of this is your fault… I know I'm supposed to remain neutral, but it's ridiculous for her to be mad at you."

"You're preaching to the choir… but she's being stubborn, which up until now has never been a problem with her before."

She shifted in her seat, crossing her left leg over her right, "I've tried talking to her, she just tells me it's none of my business and to stay out of it. Yeah like _that's_ going to happen."

"I don't want you to put yourself in the middle, so don't even worry about it. I'm not attempting to take the first step anymore, that's all up to her," I said stubbornly. But I wasn't no I shouldn't have to endure anymore of her and Eve's childish antics.

"I just want things to go back to normal between the three of us; there's been enough distance over the months as it is."

"I have high hopes," I offered her a smile.

"Onto less depressing and complicated subjects, what do you say to a shopping trip? Maybe next week… just you and I," she asked with a smile.

"I say bring it on… Ted hasn't quite been cutting it lately. I can't remember what it's like to shop with an actual woman," I stated theatrically.

Melina giggled, "It's a date, next Monday afternoon. Maybe it'll help to get my mind off everything that's been troubling lately. I _really_ don't want to have to face Dave today. I don't know what to say and I don't want to lie… he deserves much more than that."

"Just be honest… it's the best thing you can do now," I said sincerely.

"Honesty doesn't stop people from getting hurt," she responded.

"No, but it helps a lot in the long run. Trust me; if I've learned anything over the years, it's to always be honest. I was incapable of getting over Randy for three years because we weren't open with one another near the end of everything… and it still hurts to this day. Lately we've been much more direct towards one another and it's helped our relationship immensely."

"I'm glad you were able to work things out, even if it is only on a small level," she smiled. "Hate to talk and dash, but I still want to get a work in before tonight, and I also can't avoid my room forever."

"No, because we're adults," I grinned. "Just be honest, and do what your heart tells you. You'll never have regrets if you do."

"Thanks Mickie. See you later tonight," she winked before exiting back out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Why was it so easy to give others advice? Why couldn't I just follow my own advice? I had a feeling if that was the case, life would be much simpler.

'_It's a new day, it's a new generation, it's a new day, now we'll never look, no we're never looking back…'_

Tonight's divas match consisted of Kelly and Melina facing off against Alicia and myself in tag team action. I entered onto the ramp once Legacy's theme started playing after Alicia's music had cut off. Looking down the ramp, I saw my tag team partner rolling her eyes, playing the jealous team mate perfectly. I smiled smugly down at her and rubbed my diva's title for good measure.

Entering the ring, I kept my eyes locked on Melina and Kelly, squaring the pair of them up for tonight's match, and Melina for the coming Pay-Per-View where I knew she was going to be stiff competition.

A moment later the bell sounded as Kelly and Alicia started off the match, Alicia taking control early and maintaining it for a few minutes before Kelly started to fight back. It was only a brief period later, that Melina and I became the legal people and a little preview for Hell in a Cell was witnessed by everyone watching. Melina gained the advantage towards the end but I took it back as I nailed the Mickie DT for the three count.

Not entirely satisfied, I attacked her while she was struggling to her feet as Alicia disposed of Kelly to the outside of the ring. The both of us double teamed my raven haired best friend and left her laid out in the middle of the ring as I stormed my way to the backstage area.

"Have I ever told me that you scare me?" Ted called out as I entered the locker room.

"I take that as a compliment," I offered him a fake smile.

"Yeah but it's like psycho scary… but sexy in a way," he continued.

"…yeah you just ruined that compliment for me. Thanks," I said sarcastically before entering the washroom to get freshened up so I could accompany Randy to the ring.

Randy and John had a contract signing for Hell in a Cell, and after Ted and Cody joined us trying to ambush Cena two weeks before the PPV, DX came to the rescue making it an even three on three. Triple H suggested a six man tag match for the main event, and Randy took it upon himself to add his own stipulation. Whoever loses, Randy or John, has to partake in a three on one gauntlet match against the team of winners. Of course, John being the proud man he was, accepted without hesitation.

Legacy, being as cunning as they are, managed to pull off another win, and made it John Cena vs. the Legacy in a gauntlet match as the main event of Raw for next week.

"Raw seemed less uneventful than usual," I commented to Ted and Cody as we all prepared to leave the arena. Randy being the mysterious man that he is, left the arena almost immediately after he finished his match only stopping to get changed.

"Not for me, despite winning, I still ended up getting sweet chin music," Ted muttered, rubbing his jaw.

"I know what you mean," Cody spoke up, "it's weird because if you think about it, both of Legacy's matches for tonight were pretty important. We pulled off two impressive matches and managed to bring home two wins. And yet, it feels as if we did nothing."

"Life is weird," I stated.

"And shitty," Cody grumbled.

"No disagreement coming from me," I said.

"God, what is with you two? I get sweet chin music, and _you're_ complaining? I have to get out of here before depression hits me too," he exclaimed, and headed out the door.

"I will never get over how annoying he is," I muttered, following him out the door. "So now what?" I asked as we were all on our way to the exit.

"We could get a bite to eat," Cody suggested.

"I'm up for that," I said. "Ted?"

"Sorry, no can do. I've got a date with Maria tonight. We're hitting up a comedy club… although I doubt she's going to be entertained by anyone there if she's going to be with me. Hell, you can't get more entertaining than me," he said arrogantly.

"If you're referring to your looks than yeah, you're right," Cody said.

"You think you're funny Rhodes, but do you have a girlfriend? No? That's what I thought," Ted said.

I elbowed him in the ribs for the second time today and muttering a string of complaints about how we were ruining his good mood, he pushed on ahead of us. We arrived at the hotel only fifteen minutes later, splitting up with Cody to go to our respective rooms promising to stop by his when I was finished getting ready.

"Hey Ted, what kind of outfit should I go for tonight?" I asked.

"Hmph," he put his nose in the air, and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Oh so you're still mad at me now huh?"

He didn't answer again, "Oh Teddy, I _know_ you can't be mad at me for long. You love me far too much! Besides, it's not like you _have_ any other friends."

He offered me another glare and didn't say anything but merely picked up his pace. I had to almost run to keep up with him.

"Ted, I have short legs remember?" I whined. "Ted, stop, Ted… I have a secret!" I yelled.

He stopped walking abruptly and turned around to face me, resulting in me colliding with him. However, I was the only one who tumbled to the ground as he didn't even offer to help me up.

"What's the secret?" he asked almost excitedly.

I glared up at him before stumbling to my feet, "I don't actually have one, but I got you to talk to me!" I said with a sly grin forming on my face.

He seemed unamused, "You know what Mickie?"

"What Ted?" I asked, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes for effect.

"I realize now we have a little dilemma."

"Oh and what might_ that_ be?" I asked smugly, anticipating what stupid thing would come out of his mouth this time.

"There's only one shower and two of us."

My smile faded. He actually pointed out something that was relevant this time. My eyes darted to our door that was only a few feet behind him…

I went to lunge forward, as my hand reached into my pocket for our card key, but Ted was even quicker and snaked an arm around my waist, swinging me backwards so he was now in the lead. I sure wasn't giving up that easily. I ran after him just as he reached our door and lurched forward, locking my arms around his legs.

"God Mickie, could you be any more pathetic?" he grunted, trying to push me off.

"Oh you're jealous because the shortness of mine that you always make fun of is now working to my advantage," I shouted up at him, refusing to let go as he pushed open our hotel door.

He grasped the door frame with both hands, and tried to heave himself out of my grasp.

Looking to my left I noticed a few people walking down the hallway in our direction, "Ted, we have company, act cool," I hissed.

Ted stopped struggling and attempted to lean against the door airily, and act as if what we were doing was a normal everyday thing. I let go of his legs with one arm, so I could prop myself up on my elbow as if I was just lounging around.

I smiled up at them, "Hey how's it going?" I asked.

The old couple looked mortified, as the husband tried to veer his wife as far away from us as he could, but in order to get by they both had to step over my outstretched legs.

"For the record, she started all of this, she's crazy!" Ted called out after them, and taking one glance back, they picked up their pace and hurried towards the elevator.

"Nice going, now they think we're freaks!" I shouted, forcing both my arms around his legs again.

"They probably thought you were a freak to begin with," he hissed back.

He continued trying to free himself from my grasp, but I was locked on too tightly and he ended up falling face first into our hotel room. Laughing triumphantly I hurried to my feet and attempted to step over him, but he wasn't letting me go that easily. He grasped me around the ankles and it was me who fell face first into the carpet this time. Ow! Trust me, it may have been carpeted, but it may as well have been hardwood. I prefer a bruise, to rug burn.

Rubbing my elbows, I witnessed Ted leap over me towards the bathroom. I tried to reach out but I missed his ankles. Oh he messed with the _wrong_ Diva's champion. I jumped to my feet and hurried after him, ignoring the legs, I leapt onto his back, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his head.

"You are not getting in that bathroom!" he shouted, trying his best to pull me off.

"You wanna bet?" I shifted my arms so they were now obstructing his eyesight.

I don't know what exactly I was going to accomplish from this, or how it was going to help me get into the bathroom first, but at least he wasn't getting in either.

"Mickie get off, I can't see!" he shrieked, stumbling around like a drunken idiot.

"That's the poin–" but I was cut off as one of his flailing arms made contact with my eye. "Ow Ted you ass!" I removed my arms from his face, and jumped off of him, falling to the ground and holding my hand up against my face.

"Ha-ha!" Ted shouted triumphantly, running into the bathroom.

"I can't see Ted! Ted I can't see!" I shrieked, holding my hand over my eye.

From my other eye, I noticed the look of concern that etched itself onto his face, as he came out of the bathroom to check on me. As he came closer, I gave him a shove and lunged for the bathroom.

"Ha-ha, you're so gullible!" I shouted out, slamming the door just in time, as Ted collided with it. Twisting the lock, I turned and smiled smugly to myself in the mirror.

"That was low Mickie! I was actually concerned for you."

"Weakness gets you killed my friend," I said airily, as I turned the shower on and after removing my clothes I stepped in.

After enjoying a nice long, half an hour shower, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my body. As I was running my fingers through my wet hair, I looked in the mirror to find that the area around my eye was a greyish-purple color. Oh my god! I lifted my arm up to touch it softly, and noticed my elbows were red and raw.

"Ted!" I opened the door, "Ted I looked like I got mugged!"

He looked up from his place on the sofa and his eyes widened, "I gave you a black eye!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and rushing over to me.

"Yeah and it hurts so don't–" he reached out and touched it with his finger. I inhaled deeply, "–touch it. God that hurt!" I punched him in the arm.

"Yeah like I fared any better!" he shouted back and pointed at the bruise in the center of his forehead that I hadn't noticed before and a group of scratches on the right side of his jaw.

"Okay so maybe we both reacted just a–" instead of listening to me he darted into the bathroom, "–little bit," I sighed and walked across the room to extract an outfit from my bag.

Opting for cute and not too fancy, I pulled on a pair of black leggings, a white t-shirt and a cropped (the hem ending just below my bust) jean vest. A pair of black high heel boots for my feet and when I was finished I surveyed myself in the mirror. Tilting my head to the side, for a brief moment I wondered what it was that Randy saw in me… what could possibly have attracted him all these years.

"You look cute," Ted said, walking out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, interrupting my moment of insecurity.

Shaking my head, I plastered on a small smile, "Thanks," I muttered.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing, I'm just tired that's all. You may be a wimp, but fighting you still wasn't an easy task," I grinned back at him.

"Oh admit it; you are trying to fight back your feelings for me. Now Mickie, I know seeing me in nothing but a towel with my perfect abs directly in front of you is probably turning you on and creating mixed feelings, but we are friends and nothing more," he explained to me.

I stared at him blankly for a few moments before shaking my head dramatically, "I'm sorry I must have tuned out during your 'Randy Orton Jr.' speech. My god we need to put some distance between the two of you."

"Ah," Ted said arrogantly, "Randy only _wishes_ he was as charming and as handsome as me."

I rolled my eyes, "What's with the both of you thinking you're charming? You want to know who's charming?" I asked him, placing my hands on my hips.

"Who?" he crossed his arms.

"John Cena is charming, Phil aka CM Punk is charming, Kofi is charming, Evan is charming, DH Smith and Tyson Kidd are both very charming… hell I would consider Cody as charming and still neither yours nor Randy's name comes to mind!"

"Mickie," he said sternly, "We need to have a talk about your attitude."

"No, what I need to do is dry my hair!" I turned on my heel and strode into the bathroom to do just that. When I was finished, I didn't bother straightening it, but merely pulled it into a side ponytail.

When I exited the bathroom, I found Ted dressed in a pair of nice jeans paired with a nice black dress shirt, unbuttoned at the top.

"Well you sure clean up nice when you make the effort," I said with a grin, leaning against the door frame.

"Thanks, you ready to go?" he asked while stuffing his wallet into his back pocket.

"Yeah I just need to grab my purse," I said, searching around the room trying to remember where I had left it.

He cleared his throat, and when I looked up I found him standing by the doorway holding my purse in his outstretched hand.

"Gosh we're like an old married couple without the marriage," I said.

"Hey if our love lives don't work out, this is what we might have to look forward to," he responded.

"Spending the rest of my life with my best friend… I couldn't think of a better back-up plan," I said sincerely offering him a smile.

Wrapping my arms around him, as he did the same to me, we embraced for a few moments.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," he said before placing a kiss on the top of my forehead. "Come on, let's not keep everyone waiting."

He held the door open for me and followed me out after switching the lights off. We headed down the hall towards Cody's and Randy's room, as Ted told me Maria was still getting ready.

We knocked on the door and a moment later, Cody appeared, "God, what the hell happened to you two?" he asked when he finally looked up at us.

Randy twisted in his position to look at what Cody was referring to. My hand flew up to my face – obviously the concealer hadn't done the job I wanted it to. Looking up at Ted, I noticed that his bruise had gotten considerably darker and his scratches were much more noticeable.

"What can I say, Mickie can get a little rough every now and then," Ted said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and sending Cody.

I shoved him away, and looked at Randy who was apparently still waiting for an answer.

I sighed and sat down on the chair opposite him, "Ted and I fought over who got the first shower."

"Ted did that to you?" he asked, pointing at my eye.

"Yup," I said matter-of-factly.

Randy got to his feet and turned around to stare daggers at Ted. He walked around the sofa and took a few steps towards Ted, who cautiously took a few steps back.

"Hey man, she's not as delicate as she looks! I had to fight her off… look at all this damage she inflicted on me!" he pointed to his own battle wounds.

I chuckled to myself as Randy didn't make a sound, just continued with his death glare towards him. I got off my seat and walked in front of the two to lift up my arms.

"We were just fooling arou–"

I cut off as Randy's eyes travelled down to my arms placed in front of him, taking in the raw scrapes on my elbows.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Randy asked, looking back up at Ted, and giving me a small shove to the side.

Cody chuckled from his position on the bed, clearly enjoying the scene in front of him. I tried hard to contain my amusement, as I took in Ted's frightened expression.

"Hey as hard as it is to believe, I won… I got the first shower," I said smugly.

"How is that hard to believe?" Cody called out. "Ted _winning_ would be hard to believe."

"I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment to me," I responded.

"It's a bit of both. You're a beast and Ted's a wimp… but he's more of a wimp than you are a beast," he explained.

"Um… thanks?" I said, confused.

"Oh is that my phone?" Ted asked, his tone higher than usual. His phone hadn't rang, but he fished it out of his pocket anyway. "Oh shoot, as much as I would _love_ to stay, Maria's ready to go. See ya later," he called over his shoulder as he bolted out the door.

Randy watched the door before he turned to face me, reaching his hand up to turn my head to face him.

"Randy don't touch, it–" he touched the area gently and surprisingly his cold fingers came as a relief to the swollen and stinging area around my eye, "–hurts," I muttered the last part and averted my eyes. For the first time in a long time, I felt awkward being near him sharing in this personal moment. I was so close to him, but it felt as if we were worlds away from one another.

We were interrupted when Cody cleared his throat, "So should we, uh go?" he asked uneasily.

Randy removed his hand and turned away from me, heading back towards the couch.

"Yeah, let's… go," I said to Cody. He headed towards the door, but I didn't move. "Hey Randy?" I spoke quietly.

He turned his head slightly to look at me, "Yeah?"

"Do you… do you want to come?" I asked.

He remained silent for a moment before turning back to the TV, "No, you go ahead. I'm just going to stay in tonight."

In that moment, I don't know how, but everything had changed. I felt more vulnerable than I had felt in months, and the only thing I wanted was for him to wrap his arms around me and assure me everything was going to be okay.

"Mickie?" Cody spoke from behind me.

Glancing at the back of Randy's head one more time, I turned on my heel and followed Cody out the door not knowing what to say.

"I don't think this has ever happened before," I stated, finally breaking the silence that had enveloped us since we had left the hotel.

"What hasn't?" Cody asked as he pulled into the parking lot of a quaint little lounge.

"You and I, hanging out, just the two of us," I sang the last part, knowing I needed to let go of whatever that was that happened in the hotel room.

"Do you mind _not_ singing… brings back horrible memories of last weekend," he cringed, at the thought apparently. "It's like… burned into my brain. Although, I'll give you props, you aren't _nearly_ as bad as Ted."

"I actually don't consider that much of a good thing," I admitted, pushing the car door open and stepping out.

"Yeah I wouldn't either. That's how _bad_ Ted is," he said, slamming the door closed and starting towards the double doors.

We seated ourselves and a moment later the waitress stopped by and dropped off some menus before taking our drink order. Looking around, the lounge was only occupied by about ten or so other people – a few sitting at the bar, another few playing a game of pool and the rest sitting around the various tables.

"You'd think this _would_ be awkward," he agreed. "I mean it's usually you and Ted."

"Yeah, group things are easy, one-on-one is a little more awkward," I told him. "And yet, it's not."

Cody laughed, "I never actually expected it to be."

"Me either. You're like a brother to me Cody. Maybe we haven't had the chance to bond as much as Ted and I have, but you mean just as much to as he does."

"Right back at ya shorty," he winked.

"Look at us Cody, two people suffering from disastrous love lives, caught in the middle of the catastrophic effects love often brings about. Two losers," I sighed.

"My girlfriend turned into a jealous and insecure psych– damn I gotta stop hanging around with Ted… now _I'm_ calling her a psycho. I'm sure _that'll_ help things," he muttered sarcastically. "And you, well you're in love with your ex-boyfriend–"

"Hey, hey, whoa, whoa, did you just use the 'L' word?" I asked abruptly.

"Er, yeah?" he said. "Is there some law against using it?"

"I, it's just, I don't know if I…" I released another sigh, "How could you tell?"

"It doesn't take a genius… I mean Ted knows, and I don't think he could be classified as one even if hell _did_ freeze over," he took a moment to chuckle before his facial expression turned serious. "Mickie, there's nothing wrong with being in love. It's one of the greatest feelings in the world. Don't be afraid of it."

I looked up at him, surprised at the sincerity and familiarity behind his words. I never would have expected it from Cody of all people. I don't know why, but I felt like I could be honest with him.

"I've been in love… once in my life. I just… it's hard for me because it didn't… end well."

"You mean you've only ever dated Randy?"

"No, I mean I've _been_ with other guys. And sure at times I thought I was in love, but then I met Randy, and love with him, it was just… it was just beyond anything I'd ever felt with anyone. It was more… profound and… meaningful. I held onto it so tightly because it grew to be a part of me, and if anything, that made it so much worse when I lost it."

I looked down at my drink, struggling to hold back the overwhelming emotion that the memories brought back to the surface.

I looked up at him through misty eyes, "How do you let go of something that powerful? I whispered looking back down at my drink glass once again. "It hurt so much Cody," I said softly, looking up at him once more. I didn't know where this was coming from.

"All the injuries I've endured over the years, all the physical pain, it's nothing in comparison to the pain and heartbreak I suffered… I'm suffering since the moment Randy walked out of the hotel room all those years ago," I admitted.

"I don't understand what you're going through, but I do know that you _will_ be okay. Randy… he loves you Mickie. He may be too damn stubborn to admit it, but he does. And I think it scares him," he said.

"Oh um, do you want me to come back?" I looked up to see the waitress had come back and her expression showed she was weary of what she may have stumbled upon.

I cleared my throat, "No, no I'm fine." I looked at Cody, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," he nodded his head.

We placed our orders and a few moments later the waitress was gone and silence overtook our table. I played with the familiar colourful bracelet before looking up at Cody again.

"Does he?" I asked quietly.

"Of course he does," he said, confidently.

"He doesn't want me Cody. I mean why would he? What's so special about _me_? I've never been able to understand, even after all these years and especially these last few months, why he chose… _me_. I can name five other divas off the top of my head that are more attractive than I am… hell Laura is beyond beautiful," I felt pathetic; my moment of insecurity had shown through.

"Are you kidding me Mickie? I may not know how the guy feels about you, but I can say with full certainty that none of the other divas even hold a candle to you in his eyes. He slept with them, and ditched them. You're the only one he ever comes back to. How could you even think otherwise?"

"I'm sorry… you know I'm not one of those self-conscious women who try to fish compliments out of other people by feeling sorry for themselves. It's just this whole thing with Randy is slowly breaking me down," I admitted.

"You'll get to where you're supposed to be, and I can say that confidently. No matter what happens Mickie, you'll always have your friends, me and Ted most prominently, around for you no matter what. And that's a promise I can guarantee," he reached across the table and grasped my hand in his. "I'll never be bale to get rid of you and Ted."

I chuckled softly and wiped the tears off my face, "You sound so excited about it."

"Nah, I complain, but I don't know what I'd do without you freaks," he admitted.

I smiled up at him, "Thanks Cody, for allowing me into your life."

"It wasn't hard. I've never had friends like the three of you. It makes me feel… important or special or something. I couldn't ever give that up for anyone, so I guess in that sense I can understand how hard it was for you to give up Randy. This friendship just makes being away from home… easier."

"Same for me," I said. "So how are you? I mean with the whole Eve thing. We haven't had a chance to talk."

"Having a few days off has helped, but it's been hard. I foolishly thought she was the one. She made me happy just by breathing and surprisingly enough we had a lot in common. We could talk for hours about one topic. And her smile… it sounds clichéd, but it never failed to brighten my day. I miss her Mickie," he spoke, the hurt deep in his tone.

"You want to know what I think? Thank you," I said to the waitress who placed our food down in front of us, "I have a feeling that you two will work it out. She merely needs time to adjust and I believe, if given the time, she will do just that. She didn't just make _you_ happy, you made _her _happy too. And I think she's just hurting, and instead of wallowing, she's focused on her anger. It's a phase. She'll come around. You deserve every happiness Cody, and you _will_ get just that."

"Glad one of us has hope," he muttered.

"It's easier to believe everything will be okay when it comes to someone else. Your judgement is clouded," I told him.

"Yeah well she'd have to give one hell of an apology after all she's said and done not just to me but to you, Randy and Ted for me to even consider taking her back," he muttered. After a moment he smiled, "Have we had enough of the soap opera drama for tonight?" he chuckled.

"Let's eat," I winked at him.

"You know what?" he asked abruptly after a long bout of silence that had followed the end of our meal.

"Hmm?" I asked before tipping back my second shot of the night.

"We need to stop moping around and have fun," he suggested.

"Okay genius, how do we do that?"

He lifted his head and surveyed the rest of the bar, before his eyes settled on something in the corner. He sent me a grin before getting to his feet and making the distance across the room. I realized he had just approached a jukebox and after inserting a few coins, a moment later Journey's 'Don't stop believing' had started playing through the speakers. Cody came strutting back, a grin on his face, as a few of the other occupants let out a few catcalls, clearly approving of the change in song.

Cody extended his hand to me once he reached our table, and waited patiently for me to make my choice.

I was still for a few moments, "What, no Lady Gaga?" I asked jokingly.

"I only liked her on rare occasions to begin with, but didn't completely hate her. Unfortunately you and Ted ruined that one small guilty pleasure," he paused for a few seconds before motioning to an empty space on the floor, "What do you say Micks? Want to have some fun?"

_Just a small town girl livin' in a lonely world… She took the midnight train goin' anywhere_

"I don't mind if I do," I said, grasping his hand and allowing him to lead me away from the table.

_Just a city boy… Born and raised in south Detroit… He took the midnight train goin' anywhere_

He placed his right hand on my lower back while mine rested on his shoulder and our left hands entwined in the air as we did our best at attempting to dance. It felt great for those three or so minutes listening to a beautiful song and dancing with my best friend. He had me spin a few times and I don't ever remember feeling _this_ free from dancing before. It was like a load had been lifted from my chest.

_Strangers waiting… Up and down the boulevard… Their shadows searching in the night… Streetlights people… Living just to find emotion… Hiding somewhere in the night_

We didn't pay any attention to what we were actually doing, not caring how looked… not caring about anything for that matter, other than living in the moment.

_Some will win, some will lose… Some were born to sing the blues… Oh, the movie never ends… It goes on and on and on and on_

I was happy, and I couldn't have asked for anything more from a best friend. When I spun back into him at one point, I bumped him a little too hard and he almost fell over but managed to retain his balance. I exploded into a fit of laugher which he joined me in before straightening us out and starting our dance again.

_Don't stop believin'… Hold on to that feelin'… Streetlight people_

Cody dipped me and then leaned down so his face was inches from mine, "Don't stop believing, hold onto that feeling," he whispered to me as the song came to an end.

"Thanks Cody," I whispered back before he brought us both to a standing position.

Not until the song was over did I realize we weren't the only ones dancing anymore, and the sight itself made me smile.

He smiled back at me, "Shot through the heart and you're to blame, darling you give love… a bad name!" he shouted, singing along to the next song, completely catching me off guard.

He took a step back and started dancing by himself, attempting a few MJesque moves, but failing miserably and _yet_ entertaining me immensely. I joined him in dancing again as more and more people covered the dance floor… most of which had only recently just arrived.

_I play my part, and you play your game… You give love a bad name._

We pulled off a pretty great end dance to the song and had almost the entire bar clapping for us, save for a few men still playing pool who were shaking their heads more than likely thinking we looked ridiculous. Who cares? This was my night to let free and have fun. I turned back to look at Cody as another familiar song played through the speakers.

_It's all the same, only the names will change… Everyday it seems we're wasting away  
Another place where the faces are so cold… I'd drive all night just to get back home_

I rested my head on his shoulders as we swayed along to the music. This had always been one of my favourite songs… I mean who doesn't like Bon Jovi?

_I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride… I'm wanted dead or alive… Wanted dead or alive_

"What if things don't turn out the way I want them to?" I asked quietly.

"Things in life _always_ work out, it just sometimes takes longer than we expect. What you want and what is meant to happen are two completely different things. Maybe life doesn't work out the way you _expect, _but that doesn't mean it didn't work out at all. Life wouldn't be surprising if we always received what we desired. Life is full of adjustments, and I can promise that if you take the time to get accustomed to what life deals you, in time you'll realize it was _meant_ to happen."

I nodded my head before emitting a giggle, "God! _I'm_ supposed to be offering _you_ advice and words of wisdom!" I exclaimed.

"Just because I'm young_er_ it doesn't make me a kid," he responded.

I smiled up at him, "Trust me Cody, I know that."

"You ready to head back to–"

"Reality? No, but it seems we must. Who knows how Ted would end up if we disappeared for awhile."

"He wouldn't last, but at least his head is attached to his neck so we wouldn't have to worry about _that_ problem," he said.

I laughed again, "Come on," I encouraged and pulled him back to our table.

I had needed this, regardless of the rundown place, the simplicity and the fact that a carefree thirty minutes wouldn't actually be able to fix things. Because the moment we had decided to leave, the warm feeling from before had gone just as quickly as it had come. But this whole night went to show the effect my friends had on me, and the individual roles each of them played. I knew that as long as I had them, everything would always be okay.

**I really wanted this chapter to show that Cody and Mickie aren't just friends by association, so I hope I was successful in doing so. Reviews please, I would really like to hear your feedback; it means so much to me! And once again, thanks for the reviews from last chapter!**

**I don't know why I wrote the lyrics in. I just love those three songs and I was listening to them while I was writing and decided to put them in here. For the record I love Lady Gaga… she's one of my favourites, although I'm quite positive Randy doesn't like her considering his taste in music, so I figured I would use that in the story as well.**

**I don't own the rights to ANY of the songs I use in any chapters in this story.**

**One last thing… was anyone else angry that Randy was robbed of the Holy $#!+ Slammy? Come on, if you had to choose which one was most memorable… would it be an AA (that we've seen a million times) or an RKO in MIDAIR?**


	41. awkward tension

"What do you mean you guys just… 'talked'?" Ted asked, doing the quotation marks with his fingers. "Is that some sort of code for sex? I mean you two have terrible love lives… I wouldn't hold it against you."

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks Ted," I muttered sarcastically. "I don't believe we used the quotation marks. We just talked… you know, human beings do that once in awhile," I explained in a tone that was suggestive of him being a child.

"Yeah I know what talking is, but _you_ and _you_?" he gestured to the both of us, "I mean... since when did you two become talking buddies?" he looked back and forth between us.

It was yet another Monday and we were getting a bite to eat before I attended my shopping date with Melina. Ted had annoyed me all week, over phone calls when we were both at our houses, asking about what happened when Cody and I hung out last Monday. Apparently he didn't believe we _simply_ had a conversation.

"I mean apart from me, what else would you two have to talk about… with each other?"

Poor guy was really confused.

"Actually you only came up once or twice, and I'm going to be honest… you probably won't like what was said," Cody informed him.

"Spoken out of jealousy I presume," he spoke bitterly.

I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. "We talked about Eve, Randy, life. Ted we just talked. Why is this so important to you?"

"It's not," he pouted, crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air.

"Teddy!" I whined, putting my fork down and slinging my arm over his shoulders. "Are you jealous?"

"Pff, yeah right! Why would I– Of course I'm no– How could you think such a– You are too full of yours– Fine! Yes I find myself to be a little threatened. You and I are supposed to talk," he looked at me, "not you and… him." He turned his gaze on Cody and regarded him as nothing more than a speck of dirt on his shoe. "But I understand, sometimes we all need to slum it."

"Excuse me! We were friends before you were friends with her," Cody reminded him.

"True, but you ain't got nothing on me," I said arrogantly, before taking a bite of my food.

"She _may_ have a point, mostly because she's better to look at though," Ted said simply.

"Yeah right, she ain't got nothing on this," Cody gestured to himself, mocking me in the process.

"Yeah but would you rather me stare at you or her?" Ted asked.

Cody was silent for a moment before opening his mouth to reply. "You can have him," he said to me.

"I would _like_ to be happy about that, but I just feel… terrified. _Anyway, _Ted I didn't want to interrupt your date, and Cody and I actually have a few things in common."

"Cody has a bi-polar, psychotic ex-boyfriend?" Ted asked, looking around expecting a lunatic to pop out at any moment. "Why am I not surprised? He always seems to go for the psychos."

Cody glared at him as he merely smirked back, "I'm kidding man, just trying to have some fun. You know lighten up the mood. Besides, we all know there's only _one_ Randy Orton."

"Sadly it's the truth," I muttered, releasing another sigh.

"What _I_ would like to know is how he always manages to look so intimidating," Ted said as he held a spoon up to watch as he attempted to make himself look scary.

"Er right, Ted how about you practice that in the privacy of your own home," I said, taking the spoon from his hand and placing it back on the table hoping no one seen that.

"What? I've tried asking him, but he just uses his influence to make me leave the room. I mean _obviously_ I don't have problems getting women, but it appears as if women like brooding assholes. I've been trying to pick up a few tips over the years… to no avail," he said glumly.

"Ted you have a girlf–"

"Don't say it!" he shouted, interrupting me. "She's not my… g word," he whispered.

I scrunched my face up in confusion, "You don't like her?"

"Of _course_ I like her genius! I'm trying not to get ahead of myself. I've had some bad experiences," he said quietly.

I smiled at him, "So you _are_ human. And here I thought you were merely a vain, unsympathetic jerk," I finished with a grin.

"Do any of those words mean good-looking, because if so then you're right," he said smugly before I sent him a stern look. "I'm kidding! I know what those words mean."

"There's the surprise of the century," Cody muttered into his coffee mug before taking a sip.

I smiled at Ted, "I have a very good feeling about this DiBiase. She really likes you… don't hold back."

He scoffed, "And I'm going to take relationship advice from _you_?"

He offered me a smile and I knew that to mean he appreciated the advice and support, but was trying to save his 'apparent' ego. I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my neck, and I looked up to see Cody staring at me.

"What?" I asked uneasily.

"You gonna finish those?" he looked down at the fries on my plate – my treat for the week.

I looked back up at him with disbelief, and realizing he was serious, I sighed and pushed my plate towards him so he could finish them off. Another ten minutes passed by before we were finished and on our way back to the hotel only a twenty minute walk from the restaurant.

We entered the hotel room to find Randy once again lounging on the sofa in mine and Ted's room.

"Okay why must you guys always insist on hanging out in my room… it's the exact same as yours," I said loudly.

Randy lifted his head up from the pillow to grin, "It's more comfortable in your room."

"Yeah, I don't know how you do it Micks, but your room always feels more like home," Cody added.

"It's the same as Friends. Why does the gang always hang out in Monica's apartment instead of Joey's?" It was Ted who spoke this time.

"Why?"

"A girl's place is so much more enjoyable than a man's," Ted said, rolling his eyes, and acting as if I was supposed to know this.

"Okay…" I started, "but if would be nice if I didn't have to constantly clean up after the three of you."

"That's what you're here for," Ted clamped me on the back.

"Oh and what if I decided to boycott my supposed 'duties'?" I said sternly, folding my arms across my chest.

"You would never do that to me, you love me too much."

"Oh! Is that what the bruise on your forehead told you?" I asked smugly, allowing a smirk to form on my lips.

He narrowed his eyes, "You want to have a rematch?" he challenged.

"Bring it on DiBia–"

"Don't even think about it," Randy interrupted me, not even bothering to remove his eyes from the television screen.

"You can't tell me what–"

"I said don't bother Mickie," he interrupted me again.

"You don't think I could beat Ted?" I asked.

"It's because I _do_ think you can beat Ted that I'm saying no. I don't want you to hurt the poor guy," he admitted, finally looking over at us, his own smirk firmly on his lips.

"Oh yeah sure pick on Ted… again!" he complained.

"If this conversation is over, I'd like to get away from all of you," I announced.

"I agree!" Cody said.

Ted narrowed his eyes at him, "Don't suck up to her, she's _my_ best friend Rhodes!"

Cody merely rolled his eyes and headed for the door, "I'm going to get my stuff together for tonight. Later," he said before exiting the room.

"Hey I wasn't done talking with you! Come back her– Oh the nerve!" he said angrily before throwing open the door and stalking after his tag team partner.

"I think he does that too often for my liking," I announced out loud.

"Glad he does it to Cody and not me," Randy muttered.

"He's too scared to do that to you," I said, approaching the sofa cautiously, wanting to avoid any of the awkward tension that we experienced last week.

"Good, he should be. But you'd think that would make him less annoying," he said, disappointed that it didn't seem to ever work out that way.

"Please!" I exclaimed, taking a seat on the edge of the sofa near his feet, "Ted be less annoying? That's impossible."

Randy chuckled, "We choose our friends right?"

"Right," I smiled as he offered me one back.

We just smiled at one another for a few moments before the awkward tension from last week seeped in between us. He looked away quickly and focused on the television again. God, I wish I knew what the hell was going on!

"So your family leaves tomorrow hey?" I asked, not making eye contact with him.

"How do you know that?" he asked but answered his own question, "Oh right, you still talk to my mother."

"Yeah she called me last week when we were at the movies. I feel bad about that phone call, I kind of ended it prematurely," I admitted, remembering how quick I had been in ending the phone call.

"You hung up on my mom?" he asked.

"No of course not! I just guess she didn't only call to talk to me for a full three minutes… which is all I allowed."

"How come?"

"I was just having a bad day, wasn't in the mood to talk I guess. I probably should have called her back… just haven't gotten the opportunity," I shrugged my shoulders.

"She understands more than you know," he informed me. "Even when I think I'm being evasive, she always comes back at me with words of advice that always seem to make sense, even when I assumed she didn't know the situation in the first place."

I smiled, "She's really something Randy. You have a great mother… but I know I don't need to tell you that."

"I know," he agreed, and offered me a small smile.

"So are you jealous you aren't getting to go?"

"Not really… I mean I'd love to, but obviously it's not realistic. I've come to terms with that a long time ago, and I chose this direction in my life."

"We all have. You must make sacrifices if you want to make it in this business," I added.

"Seems we can't always have _everything_ we want," he said, looking at me, but once again seeming to be looking through me.

"Okay Randy what is this? I can't take it anymore!" I spoke abruptly, wishing instantly I hadn't said a word.

"What are you talking about?"

I sighed, "This, us! There's this weird awkward tension between us, and it's driving me crazy!" I exclaimed. "Where did it come from?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he looked away and turned his attention back on the TV, shifting his body so he was lying on his side.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before standing to my feet. I walked a few paces so I was now standing in between him and the TV. His eyes travelled upwards until they were resting on mine.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

I kneeled down in front of him, ignoring the awkward feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn't completely know what I was doing.

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, and I don't think I've ever wished more, that I did. But that's you… it's one of the many qualities about you that I love, and it's also one that annoys me to the extreme. You're so damn unpredictable. I don't want to pressure you to be open with me… that's not who you are, and that's not who I am either. But if something _is_ wrong Randy, or if _I'm_ doing something wrong, I want you to tell me."

He didn't say anything, didn't even look me in the eye.

"It's no secret that you're important to me… and that I need you to be in my life. And if that's as _just_ a friend, then fine! I'm okay with that, I truly am, because if I have to choose between that or not having you in my life, than I will choose the friendship every time. I've lived, or rather _attempted_ to live without you, and I couldn't do it… not completely. I don't want to have to do that again. I'd rather be tortured by the reminder of what we had, than have you cut me out. So please tell me what we can do to make this work!" I was pleading now.

He forced himself into a sitting position directly in front of me, "We were never friends Mickie. In our Evolution days, there was always an attraction, always underlying feelings, _always_ something more between us. I doubt we could ever be _just_ friends."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm just adjusting to everything is all. I meant what I said about not being able to have a relationship… so the decision is up to you on how we deal with this," he said firmly.

I didn't know what that meant exactly, or how I was supposed to react, but I knew I couldn't give up. He was in my life again to stay as long as this Legacy storyline went on.

I stretched myself up, still on my knees and reached out to grasp his hands in mine.

I took a deep breath before looking up at him, "I want to be friends Randy. I'm not going to pretend that I don't have feelings for you anymore. You and I both know that that isn't the case, but I understand why we can't more forward with that. What I do know is these last few months, the last_ one_ in particular, we've grown closer, and despite what you say, we _are_ friends. This entire thing between us hasn't been about sex, and you know that just as much as I do. If you can have a conversation with another person, if you can go to that person for advice, you can be friends with them."

I paused briefly, waiting to see if he had anything to add. "We're civil to one another, something we've struggled with for years. Randy I think after everything we've been through, a friendship is going to be the easiest to tackle."

"…Randy?"

He released a sigh, "Okay, but it's on my terms Mickie. I'll try, for you and for me. Truth is, I can't just cut you out of my life."

A smile formed on my face, "Thank you. You always seem to be up for an impossible challenge."

"Impossible hey? I love your confidence," he smirked down at me.

"Hey, I didn't once say this was going to be easy," I stated, "I said I wanted to _try_."

We were interrupted once by a knock on the door.

"Guys! Open up, I forgot my key!" Ted shouted through the door.

I looked at Randy as Ted pounded on the door again, "Come on you guys!"

Randy looked down at me once again, "Any chance he'll go away?"

"Ted is as relentless as they come," I sighed, releasing his hands and forcing myself into a standing position.

"Open up! I can hear you! I have nowhere to go, Cody kicked me out! Please!" he whined.

"Yeah, yeah!" I shouted back, approaching the door and finally pulling it open.

"God, what the hell were you doing?" he complained, pushing past me.

"Trying to choose an outfit to go shopping in," I muttered, not forgetting to stare daggers at the back of his head. Ted never failed in ruining a moment.

Melina appeared at the door only ten minutes later, just as I finished choosing an outfit. A pair of dark True Religion skinny jeans, nude pumps, and a black one shoulder thick strapped top.

"Ready to go girlie?" she asked with a smile, "Hey Ted… Randy."

Randy looked over at her and nodded his head once.

"Hey Melina, how are you?" Ted asked while going through his suitcase.

"Not too bad, preparing myself to put a huge dent in my bank account," she said.

"I guess that means I won't be able to confide in you to keep Mickie from _over_ spending," he said, offering me a judgemental looklook.

"Sorry, I'm the wrong woman for that job," Melina giggled.

"Don't worry _Dad_ I don't have anymore room left in my suitcase so it's not going to be a problem. Unless…" I trailed off.

"Unless what?" Ted piped up, sounding nervous.

"You know I can't believe I've never thought about this before," I said excitedly, "I'm just going to buy another suitcase," I said to myself more than anyone else.

"Mickie!" Randy and Ted both said sternly, sending me disapproving looks.

"Bye!" I said hurriedly and pulled Melina out the door.

"That's actually _not_ a bad idea," she said thoughtfully.

I looked over at her, "I was just teasing them… you're not actually serious are you?"

"A girl's gotta shop," she shrugged her shoulders, "Regardless of whether or not she has room for her purchases."

I nudged her in the arm, emitting a small laugh as I pulled her towards the elevator. I spent a wonderful afternoon shopping with my best girlfriend… something that I haven't done in so long it should be illegal. We must have visited almost every store in the mall, and left our mothership with more bags than I ever have before. We also sat down for an early dinner, and had another hour of catching up to do. I had three months of gossip, news, and information to catch her up on, as she did for me on her end.

She informed me that Kelly and John had gotten into their first technical fight the night she found out about me and him, and she didn't talk to him for almost two weeks. I was surprised at this piece of information, and my heart went out to the Cenation leader. I wish he would have come and talked to me about it… but I guess that wouldn't have helped the situation all that much considering Kelly told me to stay away from him. The good news is that they were talking again, and apparently their relationship was on track once more. I was thankful for that because Kelly and John, I couldn't stress it enough, were perfect for one another.

I was hoping that she was going to forgive me soon as well because it would be nice to be able to get some advice from my two best girlfriends. They weren't biased as Ted and Cody were because they weren't friends with Randy and would be capable of giving me an objective opinion on my situation.

After saying goodbye to Melina, I stepped off the elevator onto my floor and, tugging all my purchases behind me, I set course back to my hotel room. I had to set a few of my bags down so I could fetch my card key out of my purse, and once I inserted it, I pushed the door open to find a sight I didn't ever want to see.

"Oh god!" I quickly turned my back as Maria emitted a scream, seemingly as surprised as I was.

Thankfully both still had their undergarments on, not that it made this whole situation any better. Why did this happen to me! If I wasn't getting walked in on, I was walking in on other people. I should really start getting my own room.

"In _my_ bed Ted, really?"

"Like I actually take the time to choose!" he exclaimed. "So do you… mind?"

"I need to take a shower before we– Fine!" After grabbing one of my suitcases, I slammed the door out of sheer irritation and made my way back down the hallway to the second last door on the left.

"Mickie what are you–" Cody started once he opened the door.

"I need to take a shower," I shoved past him into the room.

"And you can't in _your_ room why?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"Excuse me! You all hang out in my room and I don't complain… that much," I added as an afterthought.

He just continued to stare at me, "Ted is 'busy' with Maria!" I informed him.

"Already? Damn he's better than I give him credit for," he said with a grin.

"Whatever, it better not be a repetitive thing," I said sternly, as if saying it would make it happen. I turned away from him and dumped all of my bags onto the closest bed.

Without saying anything more, I made my way to the bathroom.

"Mickie don't go–"

"What?" I shoved open the door of the bathroom realizing I probably should have knocked first.

"You don't know how to knock?" Randy asked, hurrying to wrap a towel around his waist.

Placing my hands up in defence, I chuckled nervously and allowed him to close the door. What a day this was turning out to be!

"You could've warned me," I hissed.

"I did. I said 'Mickie don't'," he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's very helpful of you Cody," I said sarcastically.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before," he said simply before taking a seat on the couch.

"Apparently people don't know how to lock doors around this place!" I complained.

"Most people knock when a door is closed. Or did you plan that?" Randy spoke upon exiting the washroom, now clad in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Yeah _that's_ it," I muttered.

"Holy shit I thought you were kidding?" he exclaimed when he took in the heap of shopping bags and my newly acquired suitcase.

I offered him a sheepish grin, "It's not like I planned it! I was only teasing when I brought it up… but I… I guess I kind of got out of hand."

"Kind of? Did you buy the entire mall?" he half-shouted.

"Not quite," I attempted a joke.

"You need therapy," he muttered, walking over to the bed to search through them. "Wow another pair of yoga pants because you don't already have a hundred of those," he said sarcastically.

I grabbed them from his hands and held them against my body as if shielding them from his harsh words. "They were on sale!" I said quietly, "Besides you can never have enough yoga pants."

"I count three pairs of shoes, _another_ pair of boots… books? When's the last time you actually read a book?" he looked at me, expecting an answer.

"The other…" I started to think, "It doesn't matter! They were on the discount rack _and_ reading is on my to do list," I justified myself.

He rolled his eyes and went back to searching in the bags, "A shit load of shirts, some more pairs of jeans, a new dress, three new bags, a new wallet… Coach are they?" he acted as if we were in an interrogation room!

"Yes," I said quietly, failing to meet what was sure to be his scrutinizing gaze.

"And… what's this?" he asked, holding up a box and trying to make sense of what it was.

I smiled and took it from him, "It's a slice solutions brownie pan!" I said excitedly. "They were doing a demonstration at bed, bath and beyond and it's so neat! You put the sectioner inside the pan, and then you dump the brownie batter in and place it in the oven. When the brownies are done, you have perfectly cut brownies!"

With each word his expression grew more horrified, "Mickie! You don't even know how to cook let alone how to mix brownie batter!" he shouted.

The smile on my face vanished and I narrowed my eyes, "Well… if I did, _you_ wouldn't be having any!" I exclaimed, throwing the box back on the bed, grabbing my suitcase and storming towards the bathroom. "Oh and don't be expecting one for Christmas!" I shouted, before slamming the door.

"She's crazy!" I heard Randy exclaim.

After a long and soothing shower, I pulled on a pair of black yoga pants, a dark blue v neck t-shirt and a simple pair of black flats. I opened the door and walked out of the bathroom, placing my suitcase at the end of the same bed that my other bags were lounging on and turned to look at Cody, purposefully ignoring Randy.

"I need to get ready; do you think Ted is… done?"

"He was probably done a few minutes after you left," Cody chuckled.

"Seriously!" I stomped my foot with impatience.

"How do we know? We don't know how long Ted can last during sex," he said rudely.

"Wow that's two times you've been helpful today," I said sarcastically.

"So are you gonna punish me by cooking me brownies?" he said smugly, watching me intently no doubt so as to see what my reaction was going to be.

I widened my eyes angrily and whirled around to face Randy who was doing squats in the corner. "I could kill you! Both of you!" I shrieked, as both he and Cody started to laugh.

"Sorry Micks, but you set yourself up for that one," he said, amusement shown on every inch of his face, as he stopped with his warm-ups.

"I hope you get your ass kicked tonight," I said nastily as I opened my new suitcase and started to shove every shopping bag into it that would fit.

The ones that didn't I gathered in my hand, and tugging both suitcases behind me I stormed to the door. I almost tripped once, which resulted in Cody and Randy laughing even more, and offering them the middle finger, I shoved all my stuff into the hallway and slammed the door behind me.

After a ten minute fight with my bags down the hall, and a fleeting moment of regret about buying so much, I finally found myself outside my own room. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, hoping they were finished doing whatever they were doing.

After a few moments the door was pulled open.

"You can open your eyes," Ted chuckled.

I slowly opened one at a time and found him fully clothed and freshly showered. Sighing with relief I reached up and punched him aggressively on the arm.

"Ow! It's not my fault you didn't knock… especially after all the Randy situations."

"We are switching beds."

"Wouldn't make a difference," he said smugly, as he relieved me of the bags leaving me with just my suitcases.

"You had sex in _both_ beds? God you are a horrible roommate," I complained.

"Don't get jealous because your bed gets more action than you," he winked.

"You aren't sleeping in my bed," Randy said.

"Yes I am, and you're sleeping on the couch," I said firmly. "You didn't hear the things Ted was bragging about," I shuddered at the disturbing mental images.

"Your problem, not mine," he said with a smirk.

"Fine, I'll share a bed with Cody," I offered my own grin.

He was silent for a moment, "Fine, but only for one night. You snore."

"Doesn't bother you when you're sharing my bed," I said before strutting off in the direction of the gorilla position with the divas championship slung over my shoulder.

Tonight's outfit consisted of a pair of jet black leggings, a white lace tank top and a pair of black boots. My hair was in loose curls.

Tonight I was accompanying Alicia to the ring for her match against Melina, and making our way down the ramp, we were on the receiving end of an enormous amount of heel heat. After Melina made her signature entrance, the bell rang and the two divas locked up as I watched ringside.

When Melina gained the upper hand, I walked over to the announce table and placing a chair near it, I ordered Michael Cole to grasp my hand and help me onto the announce table.

"Oh Melina!" I shouted, getting her attention and holding my title up and making a show of taunting her, wiggling my hips and posing seductively with my title.

She approached the ropes, "Why don't you come closer and try that?" she shouted back at me.

I got down off the announce table and jumped up on the apron, allowing Alicia a chance to recoup. She grabbed Melina by the hair as the crowd booed and I laughed to myself turning my back to the divas in the ring. I was arrogantly waiting for the three count, but instead I felt a hand on my hair. Turning around awkwardly, I came face to face with Melina who brought her leg up and kicked me in the head knocking me to the floor. Moments later her music resounded in the arena and she was at the ropes taunting _me_ as I clutched my head in pain.

"Jeesh Mel," I said as I approached her in the women's locker room. "Could you have kicked me any harder?" I teased, offering her a smile.

"Gotta sell it hon," she smiled and hugged me quickly.

I leaned my back against the wall, "I haven't been in here for awhile," I said in reference to the women's locker room, looking around and crossing my arms in a show of discomfort.

"Things are certainly different nowadays, that's for sure," she angled her body to me, leaning against the wall as well.

"I don't feel… welcome around here despite the fact that I _am_ the reigning divas champion. Kind of ironic isn't it?" I chuckled softly.

"You'll always be welcome," she assured me.

"I know, I do. I'd rather just avoid unnecessary confrontation," I admitted. "I do believe things will improve, but until then I'm content with staying away. As long as you promise not to cut me out!"

"It would take a miracle," she promised, looking over my shoulder, her smile vanished.

Following her gaze, I looked over my shoulder to see Kelly and Eve had entered the locker room. The smile vanished off my own face and the giggles from the girls died down when they noticed me.

"Oh look who graced us with her presence," Eve said bitterly as she continued past us. Kelly followed her without a word, not even to Melina.

Looking back at my raven-haired best friend, "I better go, I'm accompanying Randy anyway. I'll talk to you tomorrow," I said.

After another brief, comforting embrace, I was on my way back to the Legacy locker room to wait to accompany the WWE champion to the ring tonight to continue our road to Hell in a Cell.

"Ready to go champ?" I asked, interrupting the silence as I pushed myself to my feet and checked my appearance in the mirror.

Cody and Ted had left for the gorilla position ten minutes prior and we had just witnessed Ted lose to John before Cody made his way out there to continue the gauntlet match.

A few minutes later we were approaching the gorilla position and after a brief wait, we heard the ringing of the bell and the announcement of Cody's disqualification. Ted had remained at ringside after losing, and when John was about to perform the AA on Cody, he had gotten back in the ring and both men double teamed Randy's opponent.

"Have fun," Cody winked just before we stepped out onto the stage.

Cena was still laid out in the middle of the ring when we stepped out onto the stage. Randy turned to me as we approached the stairs, pulled me into him and kissed me fiercely before handing me his title and ascending the steps. Entering the ring he intended to take advantage of a fallen Cena.

But Cena had somehow managed to stumble to his feet, and he and Randy were now face to face. They stared daggers at one another until the former lifted his arm and pointed to the ceiling. The steel cage hanging in the air started to lower. Randy whirled around, his eyes glued on the ceiling, pissed off at this turn of events, and when he turned back to face John, he was tackled to the ground by the Cenation leader. Randy tried his best to get out of the ring, I even extended my hand to attempt to pull him out, but John had a good grasp on him while the cage continued to lower.

Randy finally broke free, slid out of the ring, but the cage was too low for him to crawl under. Finally it made contact with the ground, and Randy was stuck inside with John. I ran around to the other side of the cage, and pulled the door open, yelling at Randy who was on the opposite side of the ring.

John looked over at me from his position in the middle of the ring and sent me a grin; he had Randy right where he wanted him.

Randy crept slowly around the ring, and when he was halfway there, he attempted to run the distance, but John cut him off at the door laughing to himself.

"You want it? Earn it… Come on," John said to Randy, preparing himself for a fight.

He positioned himself so that he could keep an eye on the both of us and waited for Randy to make his move. Randy threw the first punch, but John countered quickly, the fighting now taking place outside the cage... I hurried forward dropping both belts to the floor and throwing myself onto John. It didn't do much, but the distraction helped immensely and allowed Randy to gain the upper hand.

It was only a second later as I watched on, cheering on Randy, that I was knocked to the ground. Looking up I saw Melina had come down the ramp, obviously tired of my interferences. The crowd roared with excitement, watching both battles take place. Randy, who had gained the advantage on John, approached us, and grabbing Melina around the waist, he gave her a hard shove into the cage wall.

Meanwhile John had staggered back to his feet, and when Randy turned around, he was set up for the AA. The Viper smartly grabbed onto the cage wall and hoisted himself up, climbing to the top. John, no doubt followed him up, while Randy looked for a way down. I stumbled to my feet, clutching my head; I looked up and shouted for him to climb back down.

But it was too late, Cena had already reached the top – he had Randy right where he wanted him. They started to exchange punches, but Cena ducked out of the way, scooped Randy up and delivered the AA onto the steel cage.

I screamed; looking distraught at what had just happened as John's music blasted over the speakers and he stood tall over the fallen Viper. I ran around the cage frantically, yelling for someone to get Randy down from there. After another few minutes, and John was at the top of the ramp, Randy started to move, and he managed to climb down from the cage. About three quarters of the way down, he just let himself go and he dropped to the ground. The crowd cheered at his state, as I rushed over to help him to his feet. Together we stumbled to the backstage area, with both titles slung over my shoulder.

"As much as I _wanted_ to help, I just couldn't. Seems karma had it in for you," I told Randy as I was attempting, despite his best efforts to keep me away, to help him back to our locker room.

"Oh I'm sure you really wanted to… whatever, I don't need your help," he gave me a little push away.

"Okay Mr. Ungrateful," I muttered and quickened my pace.

There was just something about his attitude that seemed distant these last few weeks, despite our conversation last week and earlier today. I couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the deal I practically forced him into today and the various conversations going on between us. I guess in that sense it made it more real and the thought _was_ rather scary.

I was used to his snarly attitude, but this just seemed… different. There were various times throughout the last few weeks, when he acted normal. Like today when he was going through my bags and ridiculing my shopping habits, that was the normal Randy Orton. But there were other times when he seemed so remote, and instead of looking at me, he looked… through me.

And it wasn't as if he was angry, god that would make things loads better, it was like he was torn about something and I wish more than anything I knew what was wrong.

As for myself, I felt scared. I could sense everything changing and considering the feeling in the pit of my stomach the last couple weeks… it didn't seem to be for the better. And on top of that, the way I acted to Randy earlier... letting my desperation show through, it just went to show how serious things were getting. But I couldn't go on pretending these last few months didn't happen, pretending I didn't have feelings for him, it would be too hard and to be honest I was scared of not having him in my life as a friend.

"So at the risk of sounding insanely repetitive, how about we go out and eat?" Cody asked while all of us were walking in the parking lot heading towards our car.

"Well then I'm going to _be_ insanely repetitive and say I'm in," I said.

"I can always count on you to have no plans," he grinned.

"Yeah that's m–" the smile faded as I realized his words.

"How about you Randy?" he asked.

"What?" Randy looked over at us, confusion spreading across his face.

"Grabbing a bite to eat!" Cody repeated.

Randy's eyes darted in my direction briefly before he turned away from both of us, "No I'm not hungry. I'm gonna grab a shower and some rest."

He pushed on ahead leaving Cody and me to watch after him in confusion.

"What was th–" Cody started but was interrupted by Ted clearing his throat.

We both turned to look at him, "Whoa, I forgot he was here," I said to Cody.

Ted narrowed his yes, "Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"Um no?" Cody and I exchanged looks. "Cody? Anything come to mind?" I whispered, hoping I hadn't forgotten anything important.

"Nope," Cody shrugged his shoulders effortlessly.

"Are you going to invite _me_ out to eat?" Ted asked bitterly.

"Ted you _just_ told us you were going out with Maria," I reminded him.

"Yeah well maybe I should cancel and go out with you two," he said.

"Teddy? Are you jealous?" I asked, a sly grin forming on my lips.

"What?" he asked, his tone far too high pitched. "Me? Jealous? Of course I'm not– I don't get– stop acting so–" I sent him a stern look, "Yes! I'm jealous. Who do you think you are trying to take my place?" he shouted angrily to Cody.

I chuckled, "Awe I'm flattered, but do you actually think I'd choose Cody of all people?" I scoffed and threw my hair over my shoulder.

Both guys turned to face me, "Thanks," Cody muttered sarcastically.

"Betrayal hurts doesn't it?" Ted said bitterly to Cody, both of them had their eyes narrowed in my direction.

"This is where we walk off angrily together," Ted muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Cody rolled his eyes and turned to look at him, "I'm not walking off with you," he gave him a shove before walking off alone.

"Betrayed by two friends," Ted muttered to himself and followed after his tag team partner.

I chuckled to myself briefly before realization hit, "Hey! Wait up guys! That's _two_ times now!' I muttered before following after them.

**So there's chapter 41, please let me know what you think as usual. I do realize I've probably dragged the story on a lot, but don't worry, it's all coming to a head soon. There's a few things I have to get in before then, but everything is planned out. There will be drama… so hope you are prepared ;)**

**So TLC is tonight. I've decided to go watch in theatres despite the fact that I don't think Randy is going to win. I want this feud to continue, so that when Randy wins it back, it's going to be so meaningful not just to him, but to us. I have complete faith in him. **

**I am also very excited to see this Divas table match… although to be honest I don't have high expectations for it. I think that WWE is doing this because of the Steel Cage match between Tara and Mickie on TNA. But I guess we won't be able to judge until we see. I hope that the four divas can pull off something great… but like I said I'm not getting my hopes up.**


	42. Hell in a Cell

Another city, another pay per view event. This month is _Hell in a Cell_ and once again Legacy's gold is being put on the line, and I can only hope that we can come out on top once again. We've proved over the weeks how dominant we are, so I have faith in the four of us.

"Ted hurry up! I have to get ready!" I shouted at the bathroom door. It seemed as if I spent more time doing this than I should have to!

The door to the bathroom opened up and Ted strutted out, a smug expression on his face.

"Can't rush perfection," the smirk on his face irritating me more than usual.

"You know… had I known how arrogant you were before, I never would have entered into this friendship," I muttered.

"You couldn't resist my charm," he grinned back at me.

"Well I've sure done a good job resisting your '_charm_' so far," I retorted, "not that's it's been hard."

"Oh yeah! You wanna say that again?" he hooked an arm around my head, pulling me into a headlock. "Not so tough _now_, are you James?"

"Watch and learn DiBiase. This is my apology in advance."

"What does that mean…? Mickie!"

Instead of offering a response, I swung my arm back and bringing it forward, I connected my fist with his stomach.

"Ooph," he grunted, letting go of me and falling to the floor in pain, as his face turned a bright shade of red.

"Ted?" I asked, leaning over to rub his arm. "I'll give you a few minutes," I said softly, stepping over him to approach my suitcase.

After extracting an outfit to wear after the show, as well as my attire for the night, I was in the process of placing the articles neatly in my tote when a knock sounded on the door.

"You wanna get that Ted?" I chuckled, "No? That's okay, I'll get it. We wouldn't want you to strain a muscle."

Opening the door, I found Melina standing opposite me. "Hey Mel!" I greeted, pulling her in for a hug, and ushering her into the room.

"Hey Micks, I just came by to wish you– Oh my goodness, is he okay?" she gestured to Ted, still sprawled out on the floor.

"Yeah he's fine," I shrugged it off, "What were you gonna say?"

"What happened?" she ignored my question, and took a few steps towards him.

"He messed with the wrong Diva's champ. So what were you gonna say?" I asked again.

She looked torn between the both of us, but finally tearing her gaze from Ted she looked at me. "I just wanted to wish you luck for tonight," she smiled.

"Aw, you too!" I said gratefully. "We're gonna rock it tonight, I can hardly wait!" The excitement in the pit of my stomach could hardly be ignored.

"Ohhh, what did the idiot do _this_ time? Hey Melina," Cody surprised me, strutting in through the open door, an amused expression on his face.

"Hey Cody," she responded, "see you later Micks," she offered me a wink, before disappearing into the hallway.

"So… what did he do?"

"I like how I'm laying on the ground in obvious pain and all of you act like I'm not even here," Ted complained, slowly rolling onto his back.

"That's not true; I'm highly amused that Mickie could take you down. _Besides_, I _did_ ask what happened, that's hardly pretending you aren't there," Cody said haughtily.

"She came at me with a cheap shot!"

"He pissed me off! He thinks because I'm shorter he can take advantage of me! And trust me, I was easy on him," I reasoned, crossing my arms.

"For my sake, don't be easy on him next time," Cody grinned.

"Is there a reason you stopped by?" I asked, continuing my task from before of packing my belongings.

"Do I need one?" after I shook my head he continued, "If you must know, I just got back from the gym and was going to enjoy a shower, but Randy wouldn't let me in the room. He was on the phone or something," he said indifferently.

"Oh secret phone calls," Ted spoke up, stumbling to his feet, "That's usually a sign of an affair," he said, looking over at me.

"Okay Ted, Randy and I aren't dating; he can have secret phone calls with whomever he pleases. Now keep your comments to yourself unless you want a repeat of what just took place," I threatened.

"Just saying," He put his hands up innocently, "maybe there's a new special lady friend."

I looked back and forth between both guys incredulously, "You're kidding right? Randy Orton doesn't date." My words seemed confident of the statement, but I myself wasn't so sure. I mean… it _would_ explain a lot of things…

No Mickie, if there was someone else he would have the decency to tell you. I smiled to myself, comforted at the thought, and entered the washroom to start my make-up and hair.

Satisfied with the outcome an hour later, I walked back into the room to find Cody had gone and Ted was playing on his phone.

"Hey you ready?" I asked.

"Sure am," he responded without looking up from his phone.

"Well can we go then? If we go now, we can stop for some food. I'm starving. I haven't had a chance to eat yet… Ted let's have sex."

"Yeah sure," he muttered, waving his free hand airily.

Rolling my eyes, I picked up my empty water bottle and threw it in his direction watching as it collided with his face.

"What was that for!" he shouted.

"You weren't listening to me!" I complained.

"I was so," he said defensively.

"Ted I just asked you to have sex with me and you said 'yeah sure'," I said, unamused by this new behaviour.

"Oh," he said sheepishly, "I mean if you want to…"

"Ted!"

"I'm kidding!" he exclaimed.

"Can we please go? I haven't eaten, and I'm really hungry," I said.

"Yeah come on let's go. Are we going with Cody and Randy?" he asked, climbing to his feet and placing his phone into his pants pocket.

"I imagine so… we do every other day," I said, scooping up my tote with one hand and my cell with the other, "Let's go to their room."

_Randy's POV_

Extracting a bottle of water from the fridge, I took a glance at my watch. It was time to leave for the arena soon, as the Pay Per View was scheduled to start in a few hours.

"Hey Cody, did you talk to Mickie and Ted? Who's driving?" I shouted at the bathroom door.

"I don't know, we can stop by on our way out," he responded.

While taking a sip of the water, my cell phone started ringing from its place on the nightstand. Picking it up and placing water in its previous place, I checked the caller ID to see that it was Laura.

I looked at the bathroom door, still hearing the shower going, "Hey you miss me already?"

"Don't be so full of yourself," she giggled, "I forgot to ask what time your flight was getting in Tuesday. Your parents invited us over for dinner, so I just wanted to know what time I should tell them."

"Uh… should be around three, so whatever you tell them is fine."

"Perfect," I could tell she was smiling, and the thought made me smile. "Excited about tonight?"

"Looking forward to retaining my title… that's for sure," I responded.

"You're gonna do great, you always do," she assured me.

I smiled, "Thanks… I miss you," I said.

"I miss you too Randy, I can hardly wait to see you."

"I'm sure the wait will be _well_ worth it," I said, smiling smugly to myself.

"Oh I'm sure it will," she giggled once more. "I hate PPV's though, I mean I love them, I do, it's just with all the extra promotional duties you're away much more than usual."

"I know, but as they say, absence makes the heart grow–" I was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

"Randy?"

"–fonder," I finished, getting up off the bed to approach the door.

Looking through the peephole, I took in the figures of Ted and Mickie. The members of Legacy, me included, were gifted with the worst timing.

"–together soon," Laura spoke.

"Sorry I gotta go. Ted pissed Mickie off and… she's trying to teach him a lesson," I lied. Damn, that had to be the worst lie I've ever used. What's happening to me! I used to be able to lie _convincingly_ at the drop of a hat!

"She always did strike me as the butch type," Laura muttered. "Okay, say hi to the boys for me. And don't forget to call me later like you did last night. I love you."

"I'll try my best. Love you too," I responded quickly, ending the call before pulling the door open.

"And you complain about us taking too long to answer _our_ door," Mickie complained pushing her way past me to enter the room.

"Yeah imagine that," Ted said disapprovingly, before following after her.

"I used the time debating whether or not I actually wanted to allow you in here," I said, careful to avoid Mickie's gaze.

No matter how many times I attempted to end things with her, it always seemed to backfire. How could I, someone who is so mentally disciplined, continuously give into my weaknesses regarding Mickie? She was my sickness and I was immune to the cure.

It wasn't _just_ that I didn't want to hurt Laura; it was also about not wanting to hurt Mickie. She acted as if she was going to be okay when whatever this was between us was over, but I didn't believe her even for a second. Everything she said last week was a direct reflection of my own feelings, but I knew, given that Laura was now involved, that I had no right to reciprocate the gesture.

I knew that what the both of us needed was for me to be firm and force distance between Mickie and myself, but after witnessing the desperation in her eyes earlier, I couldn't bring myself to say no to her offer. Besides, not only did we travel and work in the same company together, but we were in the same damn storyline with one another, so any distance I _attempted_ to force, was never going to last.

I could barely look at myself in the mirror most of the time these days, which made having to look Mickie in the eyes, knowing I was deceiving her, even more unbearable. I'm sure she's noticed and is under the impression I'm trying to avoid her, and knowing Mickie, she thinks it's because she's done something wrong.

"Uh Randy?" Mickie snapped her fingers in my face bringing me back to this room.

I shook my head, focusing on the small brunette in front of me. "What?"

"I said I'm hungry… god it seems like I've had to repeat that a hundred times tonight," she complained, and for a moment I wondered what she meant by that. "I want to stop for a bite before we head to the arena, so can we go?"

"Yeah sure," I responded quickly, turning my gaze away from her.

"What's with you?" she asked, not being one to let go of something easy. Looking at her, I found she had her eyes narrowed suspiciously in my direction.

"Nothing," I muttered, watching as Cody rushed out of the bathroom and started to get his things together. I guess I probably should have let him in the room earlier, but I was on the phone with Laura for the first time today and didn't want to risk him overhearing anything.

I looked back at her to see she had a stern look placed on her face. "Do I have the word stupid written on my forehead?"

"It's my… mom," I lied.

"Is she okay?" concern spread across her face.

"Yeah, no she's fine. She just…" think Randy! "...hates PPV's because it means I'm away longer, you know more promotions and such." I looked away quickly, and kicked myself mentally. The women in my life, excluding my mother of course, were slowly breaking me down.

It was confusion that covered her face this time, "Your mom? …Who's married to your dad? … Who's a former professional wrestler?"

"Yeah," I said simply. I chose the lie, now I had to ride this out. Since when did lying become such a damn work out?

She shrugged her shoulders, "Okay," she said, the tone of her voice suggesting she was still sceptical, but didn't bother to push me on the subject. "Well I love Pay Per Views. They're so… magical," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. "…and important. The one night a month we need to step up our game so we can create those PPV moments that will live forever in the history books and in our hearts."

The look on her face was one I easily recognized – it was passion and pure desire at its finest. Mickie would _always _be capable of understanding what being a WWE superstar means to me. Me being away from home for almost three quarters of the year and constantly travelling all over the world would _never_ be a problem if we ever pursued a relationship.

I nodded once, "Come on, we don't want to be late to creating our own moments," I offered a small smile, and directed her towards the door where Ted and Cody were patiently waiting.

"Legacy for the win?" Ted grinned.

"You know it," Mickie said confidently.

"Let's go!" he said, leading the way out the door with Mickie following.

"Hey man, you okay?" Cody asked, placing a hand on my shoulder briefly to stop me from following suit.

"Yeah why wouldn't I be? Let's get going," I made to head out the door, but he stepped in front of me.

"Randy you've been acting weird lately, we've all noticed," he said.

"You've all been talking about me when I'm not around… that's hardly a surprise," I said, probably more rudely than I should have.

"No actually, not openly. But we aren't stupid you know. Even Ted's noticed, and that's saying _a lot_."

"Nothing is up man. I've just been focusing a lot on the ring. Don't worry about it, it's not your concern," I said, not waiting for a response before I dodged around him and continued out the door.

The last thing I needed, let alone wanted, was a heart to heart with… anyone at this point. It seemed I was having too many of those conversations with people that I shouldn't be. I was acting far too unlike myself and to be honest it was starting to both scare _and_ annoy me. I missed the old me – the 'don't give a shit attitude' – and surprisingly Ted helped me realize _that_ the other night on the car ride home from Trish's get together.

Fuck! I missed not giving two shits about anyone other than myself. Being stuck in the past may not be preferable or healthy by any means, but it made life much simpler. What happened in the past with Mickie almost broke me, I vowed to never let myself go through it again, and stupidly I found myself slowly doing just that.

Some changes needed to be made, but the new me, didn't seemed to want to take the steps to do that.

_Mickie's POV_

"I think we should discuss my birthday," Ted spoke up, interrupting the tense silence.

Leave it to Ted to not notice or partake in the sacred act of _not_ talking.

"Your birthday isn't for a month," I reminded him, pushing my plate forward to signal I was done.

"It's never too early, _especially_ when it comes to me," he said in an obvious sort of tone. "Besides, I knew about _your_ party for like two and a half months."

I think my jaw literally dropped.

"You knew?" I exclaimed, reaching across the table and hitting him on the arm. "How could you do this to me! You _know_ I hate surprises!" I reached across once more to attempt another shot, but Randy was quick in locking his arms around my body to restrain me.

"You ass!" I said, glaring at my best friend.

"You guys witnessed that!" he exclaimed, "She needs to be locked in a cage. Did you hear about what she did earlier! You need to restrain your woman," he said sternly, pointing at Randy.

I stopped struggling at the same time Randy released me, both of us taking a glance at each other, before averting our eyes and turning in opposite directions.

"Now that I have order at the table once again… let's discuss a surprise party approach to my birthday," he continued as if nothing had even happened.

"Dude you're such a dick," Cody spoke up, both surprised and irritated towards his tag partner.

"What! She's abusing _me_ and _I'm_ the bad guy?"

"Yeah you are, for once how about you shut up," the brunette retorted.

Ted seemed taken aback by Cody's harsh tone, "What the he–" he started, but was interrupted by Randy.

"How about you both shut up," he hissed, climbing to his feet, "Let's get the hell out of here," he dropped a couple twenties and headed for the door.

"Mickie…"

"Save it Ted, I'm _really_ not in the mood," I said coldly before sliding out of the booth and following after Randy.

It may have been harsh, and up until now I've never given him reason to believe it's such a big deal, but things are different now, and the issue has gotten to be more serious. It's not exactly funny anymore… it's embarrassing.

Instantly I felt guilty as we all entered the car in silence, because I've never had this attitude towards him. And yet I couldn't _not_ be angry towards him right now. I was tired of being the butt of the joke and it taking a toll on my relationship with Randy. Each little thing was pushing him further and further away, and I didn't need Ted adding to that.

This is it Mickie – time to put your game face on and bring the best you know you're capable of. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes. God this is the first time in a long time I couldn't get in the zone before a match. I was ignoring Ted despite his, now that I think about it, rather feeble attempts to talk to me. Hey, I'm a woman I'm allowed to be angry!

But on top of that Randy hadn't so much as looked at me since the incredibly insignificant yet significant mishap at the diner. That was the cherry on… no that was the _entire_ cake – my _entire_ problem. Gah! Why must life continuously punish me? Okay so I was being melodramatic… sue me!

I didn't have any more time to contemplate my growing list of problems as the familiar Adelita's Way song and Legacy's theme sounded throughout the arena. Closing my eyes briefly for another moment, I took a deep breath, plastered on my arrogant smile and headed beyond the curtain.

The heel heat I was attracting almost caused my 'better than you' act to falter. I wanted to smile and, although it sounds weird, it meant a lot to me that all these fans in attendance cared enough to give me this kind of reaction.

Turning my attention to my opponent waiting patiently in the ring, a small smile playing on her lips anticipating what was next; I made sure to tell her with my eyes that she wasn't getting this belt. The rest of me was excited – Melina was one of my favourite competitors. She brought so much uniqueness to the match with her style of wrestling, and it seemed to work well with my own style. Every time we squared off with one another, we brought something new to the table each and every time.

After my entrance was complete, the referee for our match held the title above his head and not ten seconds later he called for the bell.

"Ready?" Melina asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Bring it on bitch," I teased.

After a gruelling match – a suplex off the top rope, surprising brawling in the crowd long enough to _almost_ get counted out and some rather hardcore, yet _very_ legal, wrestling – I ambled back through the curtains, _very _sore but still the diva's champion.

Congratulations were offered on my route back to the locker room, and when I entered I was on the receiving end of a congratulatory hug from Cody of all people.

"Congrats Mickie, that was a damn good match the two of you pulled off. I am _very_ impressed," he grinned.

"Thanks Cody, that means a lot," I said sincerely placing my title on the table.

He nodded his head, "I was just about to take a walk, but I wanted to wait to congratulate you. See you in a bit," he said before disappearing into the hallway.

"You did great Mickie and represented Legacy very well," Randy said, offering me the smallest of smiles.

"Thanks," I said softly, looking away quickly.

"Mickie, can I talk to you… in private?" Ted asked, his tone of voice was different than I was accustomed to. I could tell he was upset.

"I have to get changed to accompany you guys," I responded, not bothering to look at him.

"Mickie… please?" he pleaded. Looking up, I could see the desperation in his eyes.

"You have two minutes," I said firmly, leading the way outside into the empty corridor.

"First off, you did amazing. I can't stress enough how proud I am of you," he stated, to which I merely nodded. He sighed, "And second, I'm sorry and not just about earlier, but for lately. I've been very insensitive and self obsessed, well more than usual, towards both you and Cody. I've been paying more attention to my own life, and I've been ignoring you."

I turned away from him briefly, "Ted, I'm sorry for the overreaction," I said, turning back to look into his eyes for the first time since we left the locker room. "But you just don't seem to see what I've been going through lately. I haven't said anything because I know what it's like to be at the start of a relationship – nothing else seems to matter when you're there. But I'm scared to death about losing Randy, and I can't shake this foreboding feeling that I've had for a while now. It's too much to have to deal with on my own, and it would be nice to be able to talk to you. On top of all of this Randy is acting differently and I don't know what it is that I did wrong," I looked down and fidgeted with my hands.

"Everything is changing and I wish it would slow down. I never used to mind the jokes, but things are different now, and life just seems to be more serious," I finally looked back up at him. "All the jokes and comments are slowly and yet so surely freaking Randy out and pushing him farther away from me," I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

After a few moments of silence, I leaned against the wall before opening my eyes and looking into the comforting eyes of my best friend. "He won't talk to me Ted and it makes me feel so hopeless… not knowing what to do or what I _can _do. I'm losing him, and I care so much… and for what? He doesn't feel the same or obviously he would have done something about it. I'm not good enough for him… I mean look at me," I released a small bitter chuckle. "What would he want with me, when there are so many other women out there who are prettier, smarter and don't come with all of this baggage that both of us would rather just forget."

"Mickie…" he said putting his fingers under my chin and tilting my head up so I was looking at him, "it breaks my heart to hear you say that. I'm sorry for not being here earlier, but don't you _dare_ think for _one_ second that you aren't good enough for him. You are intelligent, beautiful, and talented and on top of that you have the kindest heart out of anyone I know. If anything _he's_ not good enough for _you_… just don't tell him I said that. He scares me," he added, mostly as a way of lightening the situation I'm sure.

I smiled up at him, "Secret is safe with me," I murmured.

He smiled down at me, "Don't sell yourself short Mickie. I've seen the way the guy looks at you and trust me; it's not in a way a guy would look at someone he doesn't care about… not even close."

"Thanks Ted, I'm sorry for being so hard on you today."

"I can admit I can be an arrogant, annoying ass sometimes," he shrugged his shoulders as he pulled me into his embrace.

"Sometimes?" I repeated.

"Hey I was trying to maintain _some _self-esteem."

I giggled, "So a surprise party eh?" I took a step towards the door and was surprised to find it ajar. Pushing it open, I looked around, didn't see Randy, but I did witness the bathroom door being pushed shut. He couldn't have heard… could he?

"Yeah! We could even have a theme!"

"No theme Ted, you are turning twenty-seven, not seven," I said, turning my attention back on my best friend.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" he said confidently.

I smiled, "I'll think about it."

When Randy was finished in the bathroom, he exited back into our room, avoiding eye contact with me. Rolling my eyes I grabbed my dress and slammed the bathroom door behind me. I don't think I'd ever been more frustrated in my life, although lately I've been saying that almost every day I was on the road and in the vicinity of Randy Orton! All I wanted was a nice hot bubble bath and an Ipod blasting in my ears to drown out my thoughts.

"Hey Mickie!" Ted called, "The door's for you!"

Wondering who it could be, I finished pulling my dress on. I stumbled to the door clutching it against my body, as I pulled the door open a crack.

"Hey Ted! I need you to zip me up," I told him.

"I could do it for you," a familiar voice spoke as I watched Brie Bella make her way across the room, uncomfortably so, until she reached me.

"Hey Brie," I smiled, allowing her access into the bathroom and closing the door after waving at Nikki and Maria who were immersed in a conversation with Ted.

"Ooh cute dress," she complimented, motioning for me to turn around so she could give me a hand.

"Thanks, so to what do I owe the pleasure? You wouldn't have walked into the Viper's pit to compliment my dress," I teased, turning around to face her.

"Are you kidding? Of course I–" she stopped and then smiled, "Okay maybe I wouldn't. But we wanted to congratulate you on your win and invite you… all of you, out with us to celebrate another Pay Per View. What do you say?"

I looked at her smiling face, "I would love to… I'm not sure about the others, but I'm free tonight. I guess we'll see how the other matches turn out."

"Fair enough," she sent me a wink and turned to open up the door to let us out. "So just let us know, if not that's totally fine. There will be other nights, and different things to celebrate," she winked at me.

"Congrats Mickie! You and Melina pulled off a hell of a match. I hope you'll join us tonight," Nikki placed an arm around my waist, and gave me a small squeeze.

"I'm not sure yet, but thanks so much for the support," I smiled back at her.

"Well whatever you decide is cool with us, but we definitely need to hang out and catch up soon," Maria spoke up.

"Yes, yes we do," Ted grinned.

We all turned to look at him, "Keep dreaming Ted," I said, unamused by his statement.

"Oh trust me, I will," he said, staring off into space in a dream like stance.

The three girls giggled as I merely rolled my eyes. We were interrupted by Randy clearing his throat before getting to his feet. The ladies stopped laughing and the amusement fell straight off their faces.

"Don't you have a match to be preparing for?" he said to Ted, boredom evident on his face and in his tone.

I glared at him before turning to the girls, "I'll talk to you later. Thanks so much for stopping by, I _appreciate_ it," I said, throwing Randy another glare.

They all offered me a quick hug before Maria led the twins out of the locker room and I closed the door gently behind them.

"Where did they invite you?" Ted asked excitedly the moment the door was safely closed.

"Brie asked if we wanted to join them tonight for drinks and dancing," I told him not caring at the moment as I turned to face Randy.

"How do you know who is who? I spent the last five minutes thinking that _I_ was talking to Brie and that Nikki was in the bathroom with _you_."

"I figured it out years I ago," I said airily, attempting not to laugh at this statement. "As for you, I can't even trust you to be nice?" I exclaimed, causing Randy to look up at me.

"That's your first mistake, you _can't_ trust me," he snarled before walking past Ted and me to leave the room.

"He takes his character _way_ too seriously," Ted muttered.

Sighing, I folded my arms across my chest, grabbed my heels and entered the washroom, shutting the door behind me. I leaned against it, dropping the shoes to the floor, and closed my eyes. Things needed to change around here. The only problem with that is not knowing _how_ they needed to change. What was I supposed to do? What _was_ the right thing to do?

"Mickie?" I was surprised to hear Cody's voice. "Mickie, we should probably go. Are you ready?"

I sighed once more and combed a hand through my hair, pushing off the door and leaning down to pick up my heels.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute," I shouted back as I placed a shoe on each foot.

Walking over to the mirror, I fixed my hair, and pinned one side back with a butterfly barrette. After touching up my make-up, I pulled open the door and exited the washroom.

"Let's go," I said, picking up the diva's title and heading to the door without making eye contact.

We all left the room together, and made our way to the gorilla position in silence. We waited ten minutes before we walked down the corridor until we were right behind the curtain.

"Hey," Ted pulled me off to the side, "Are you alright?"

I nodded my head defiantly, "Randy Orton is going to have to work a hell of a lot harder if he wants to ruin _my_ day. Let's focus on your match. It's Hell in a Cell Ted… Triple H's specialty so to speak."

"It's in the bag," he winked.

"Don't come crying to me when your arrogance costs you your titles," I retorted.

"What arrogance?" he asked airily before we all stepped out onto the stage.

The crowd didn't seem excited to see us, but that wasn't anything new. I needed to be out here for the support of the reigning tag champs, despite knowing they didn't actually need it. Ted and Cody, wearily enough, entered into the cage as I found a spot on the outside, and together we waited for our opponents.

After a moment of silence, the familiar theme sounded in the arena, as the crowd erupted into cheers showcasing their support for the showstopper and the game. Would Ted and Cody be able to outlast and outsmart two of the greatest wrestlers in the business, or would their inexperience be their downfall? I didn't know how this was going to end, but I hoped it was going to favour Legacy.

"Hey come on you can't win them all," I said, turning around to stop Ted and Cody from moving forward.

"Out of all the words in the English language, _those_ are the ones you use to comfort us?" Cody asked judgementally.

After a long, intense and punishing match, Shawn Michaels and Triple H came out on top to become the new tag team champions. My Legacy team mates were upset and beyond that they were disappointed in themselves.

"Guys, come on! Don't beat yourselves up over this. I cannot express enough how proud I am of both of you. You did such a great job and it was your first time in the _Cell_. You've proved yourselves once more, you should be very proud."

"Proud eh? We just lost the tag titles and you want us to be proud?" he asked bitterly.

"Yes! God," I exclaimed, "You didn't see the match. You pulled off a damn good one… the both of you. You've proved time and time again over the last few months that you belong here! That you have a future here. No one can take that away from you!"

"Whatever… tell_ that_ to Randy," he muttered before pushing on ahead of us.

I shook my head before looking up at Ted, pleading with my eyes for him to believe me.

"Just let us sulk Mickie," he said dejectedly before following after his tag partner.

Shaking my head once more and mumbling a string of complaints I turned and followed suit back to the locker room where I found Cody sitting on the bench with his head in his hands, Randy on the sofa, and I assumed Ted was in the washroom as the door was closed.

"Could this day get any worse?" I muttered before slumping down on the sofa, putting my belt on the arm rest.

"Yeah Randy could lose his title–" Cody started but I was quick to interrupt.

"_Don't_ say it!" I shouted.

"That's not gonna happen," Randy said coldly.

"It's funny… the stuff that happens when you don't expect it to," Cody said, placing his head in his hands again.

I looked at Randy who reciprocated the gesture, and without words I pleaded for him to say something.

He sighed, "Cody," he got to his feet, "Look I know I can be a bit of a controlling ass at times," I offered him a stern look, "Okay most of the time, but that's only because I expect the best out of all of you. Being the best is what is going to cement Legacy in the books. Tonight you guys lost the titles–"

"Thanks for the reminder," Cody spoke bitterly.

"–but you established your worth out there. I've faced Triple H _and _Shawn Michaels, and they aren't easy opponents. You faced them in the _Cell_ none the less and that shows me something. It shows me I chose the right guys to align with. So don't beat yourself up, there'll be other opportunities because trust me, Legacy is just getting started," he patted Cody on the shoulder once.

I smiled at his words. Randy had the annoying ability to put people on edge, but he was just as good at putting them at ease.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it," Cody said.

"Oh you appreciate _him_? When I tried to make you feel better, you got all pissy," I complained.

"I have a way with words," Randy said.

"If by that you mean you're intimidating, then yeah."

"Is there a difference?" he asked without a trace of amusement.

"Not to you," I muttered, shoving past him and exiting the locker room.

Ignoring the presence of those few people littering the hallway, I leaned up against the wall and laid my head against the wall. It seemed like I spent far too much time "reflecting" on my thoughts. A half second later the door was pulled open and the Viper stepped out into the hallway.

"Time to go?" I asked.

"Mickie… I'm sorry alright?" he spoke, surprising me. "Life is a bitch at the moment and the past seems to be catching up with us."

"You think I haven't noticed?" I asked, pushing off the wall and angling my body towards him.

"It's hard… having you around. I got so comfortable with my lifestyle and who I was, and then you come back into my life and things have changed far too drastically in such a short time slot. But I want you to know that what's going on with me isn't your fault. I have some issues to work over but you aren't to blame. So stop beating _your_self up."

"Randy…" I sighed once more. "What _is_ going on with you?"

"Too much, and not anything I'd like to share at the moment. I just wanted you to know that alright?"

I surveyed his face, looking for any sign of what may be going on, but I found nothing.

I nodded my head, "Yeah," I said softly. "Ready to go?"

"Actually I've decided to go solo tonight," he announced.

"Oh," I said, "Okay, well… good luck," I offered a small encouraging smile before he disappeared down the hallway.

The smile grew wider – Randy Orton didn't need luck, he was greatness personified. Everything he accomplished was from hard work, determination and destiny. There would never be another like him.

"Come on guys, we need to have fun. The girls invited us out… we can get our mind off tonight," I pleaded.

"What is there to celebrate?" Ted asked.

"Well Randy and I both retained, which means Legacy is _still_ at the top," I reasoned.

"Wahoo," Cody said unenthusiastically.

"Well I'm going I guess," I said, turning away to pick out an outfit to wear. "Randy are _you_ coming?"

"I don't think I'm moving off this couch," he responded, adjusting the ice pack on his head. He suffered from a few rather nasty collisions with the cage wall, as well as falling on his tailbone.

"So what are you guys gonna do then?"

Ted looked from Randy to Cody, "PS3?" he asked.

Cody shrugged his shoulders, "Works for me. Randy?"

"I'm in… not that I have a choice," he shifted awkwardly on the couch, apparently deciding on how to move so as to endure the least amount of pain.

"Mick, you can go with the girls' right?" Ted asked.

"Yeah of course," I said, "although I thought I was already with them. Ohhh!" I exclaimed before laughing.

All three guys fake laughed, but otherwise ignored me.

"You're no fun," I muttered to myself. "I need help with an outfit," I announced.

"Go with…" Ted spoke up, appearing to think. "The new blue skinnies, the black Jimmy Choo's and the grey scoop neckline halter," Ted said confidently which resulted in Cody and Randy shooting him looks of disbelief. "What? Her clothes and shoes interest me. I like to look through them once in awhile," he shrugged his shoulders as if this was normal.

"We've _got_ to get rid of him," Cody complained to Randy.

"Good luck with that," Randy muttered.

"I'm right here," Ted complained.

"So?" Cody said.

I laughed to myself – this was a happy moment. I was with my guys and there was nothing that could make this moment any better.

After finding the outfit Ted described, I slipped into the bathroom to put it on. Pulling my hair into a stylish ponytail, I added some gloss to my lips before leaving the bathroom.

"So… how do I look?" I placed my hand on my hip.

"Like a superstar," Cody said. "Does this ever get old to you guys?" he asked the other two before offering me a wink.

"I just knew the outfit was going to work," Ted said, apparently more to himself than to anyone else. "I mean… you look great."

I looked at Randy, "I'm pretty sure we all know what I'm thinking. No need to give Ted the room to make an unnecessary joke about it."

I thought about that for a moment, "Glad you nipped that in the bud," I said sarcastically as I walked across the room to pick up my cell phone.

Placing the phone to my ear, I heard the redhead's voice a few rings later.

"Hey Ria, have you guys left?"

"No not yet, we were just getting ready to. Why do you ask?"

"Can I tag along? The guys want to be hermits tonight and I don't feel like going alone," I chuckled.

"Of course you can!" she exclaimed. "I would offer to stop by and get you, but actually… do you think you can stop by here?"

"That's fine with me," I said. "Just give me ten."

"Sounds perfect. Say hi to Ted for me, and tell him I don't forgive easily," she giggled, "see you soon Micks."

I hung up the phone and turned to face the three men of Legacy.

"Ted, Maria is angry you aren't coming tonight. I think she basically hinted she was cutting you off. Which means…" I stopped and did a victory dance, "no _me_ walking in on _you_ having sex… awuh yeah!"

Randy and Cody started to laugh at me while Ted tried to decide whether or not I was telling the truth. I continued my little victory dance for a few more seconds before stopping to head in their direction.

"Ted's used to not getting sex," Cody said, continuing to laugh.

Ted narrowed his eyes, "Worry about yourself buddy."

I smiled before sitting down on top of Randy's outstretched legs, which received a groan from him.

"I just finished a Hell in a Cell match! There _are_ other places to sit!" he complained, trying to pull his legs out from underneath me.

"Awe but this is the most comfortable one," I teased.

"Oh I'm sure," he said, unamused by my actions.

"Okay grumpy, I have to go anyway," I said, slowly getting up off the couch. "Enjoy your… guys' night. Don't be doing anything you shouldn't be," I warned as I picked my clutch and jacket up off the bed.

"Hey you watch how much you drink! You get kind of crazy when you drink too much," Ted called out.

"Her? Worry about yourself you lunatic!" Cody exclaimed.

I smiled, "Don't worry, I don't think I'll be singing Lady Gaga tonight, but if I do, I'll be sure to think of you three," I said.

"Thank god I've decided against going," Cody muttered as he continued digging through the bag in his lap trying to decide on which game to play.

Giggling I walked the distance to the door, "See you guys later," I called out and after hearing three separate good byes, I closed the door behind me and made my way to Maria's room on the first floor of the hotel.

I felt disappointed for some reason, and honestly I couldn't place why. Maybe what I needed was a good time out. Smiling confidently I stepped off the elevator.

"Mickie!" Maryse squealed when she saw me. "Sorry we've been having pre-party cocktails!"

I laughed, "Hey Maryse, how are you?" I said as she pulled me in for a bone crushing hug.

"Je suis fabuleux," she expressed.

"In English please," I responded.

She giggled, "I'm fabulous Mickie James. Come in!" she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room.

Looking around the room, I noticed there were more divas in here than I had expected. Maria and Nikki were in front of the mirror working on the twin's hair. Brie was putting on a pair of shoes, and to my surprise I found Kelly, Melina and Eve seated around the table in the far corner of the room.

"Mickie…" Kelly spoke, clearly surprised at my sudden appearance.

I looked to Maria who glanced back and forth between us, "Okay ladies, grab your jackets, and let's get going." She walked over towards me, "Except you Mickie… I think you should probably stay for a few moments."

Confused, I watched as each of the divas walked out the door single file… all except Kelly. What was going on exactly? Leaving two divas that aren't on great terms in the same room alone, probably not the best idea they've ever had.

"What's going on?" I decided to speak first.

"Uh, well it seems as if the ladies have decided to keep us locked in here until we can resolve our issues," the blonde spoke. I considered it a good sign that I couldn't sense any hostility in her tone.

"How long is that going to be?" I asked, glancing down at my cell phone, a little irritated at the turn of events.

Kelly got up off the chair she had previously been perched in and took a few steps in my direction. "Mickie… I want to apologize. Actually I've wanted to apologize for awhile now. I just never seemed to find the right time to do it. I've really been scared of what you might say to me."

"You were scared of what_ I_ was going to say? Kelly, you're the one who's been acting nasty towards me, so don't try and put this on me."

"I'm not, and I know I've been wrong. Honestly, I've regretted it everyday since. I've just been too stubborn to do anything about it. I'm really sorry Mickie; it's been torture enough just knowing that you're disappointed in me."

I took a few steps forward until I was right in front of her so she was forced to look at me. "Kelly, I haven't been waiting for an apology. I want you to tell me why you were so angry about it."

She looked away and took a few steps to her right before turning back to look at me, "I guess… that I was jealous you know. The way you and John are around each other. How simple things are between the two of you. He's always happy when he's around you… I just… when I heard that you two slept together in the past, I got defensive. I mean John could have anyone, especially when you two have that in your history, what's ever stopped him from going for you?" she said quietly. "What could stop him from going for you in the future?"

"Oh Kel…" I took a step forward and grabbed her hand. I guess I'm not the only one around here who gets self-conscious because of a man. "You're so silly," I chuckled. "John doesn't want me, he's never wanted me. There has never been any sort of attraction between the two of us, not even after sleeping with him. The way he looks at you… Kelly he's in love with you. He wants _you_. Don't let the past affect your relationship with him. _That_ would be the biggest mistake you could ever make."

"I feel so stupid!" she exclaimed. "I knew, I just didn't think. I know how you feel about Randy, and I knew that there was nothing between you and John. But can I hardly be blamed for feeling threatened by someone as perfect as you?"

"Perfect! Are you kidding me? Kelly I'm in love with a guy I should hate at this point. After three years, I'm still not over the guy that broke my heart. I am so flawed, it's not even funny."

"You're beautiful Mickie, you have a good heart, and you can get along with everyone so easily."

"Kelly you are all of those things times two! And I'm not just saying that because I'm your best friend… I'm saying it because I mean it. You can make a situation better just by being there."

"Everyone looks at me and thinks I'm just a kid or a Barbie. People take _you_, seriously."

"Who cares what people think? If I've learned anything from Randy, it's that you are only happy as long as you are living for yourself and not others," I said. "I know that you aren't a kid Kel."

"Even after this situation?" she asked sheepishly.

"Especially after this situation. Coming clean and admitting you were wrong, that takes a mature adult Kelly. And you've always been just that. I'm simply glad you're talking to me again," I admitted.

"I've wanted to talk to you for ages! Being angry is _so_ hard!" she exclaimed.

"Don't think of that as a bad thing. Being angry is a waste of time… too bad we usually don't see it that way," I said.

"So all is forgiven?" she asked.

I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face, "Of course, you couldn't get rid of me that easily," I said slyly, opening up my arms so I could wrap them around her.

"I missed you," she said quietly, tightening her embrace around me.

"I missed you too! We have a lot of ground to cover," I informed her, pulling away.

"Oh do we ever! We will have to set up a girl's day…or night. Whichever works out the best. I can't wait to hang out with my two favourite girls," she beamed. "Thanks Mickie."

"Don't thank me, thank the meddling nature of the rest of the divas," I said.

"Well let's get on that then," she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door, so we could enjoy our first night out as friends again.

I watched as the rest of the ladies enjoyed themselves on the dance floor, basking in the happiness the moment was bringing them. I myself was enjoying my first and only cocktail of the night, perched on a stool, having come up for a breather only an hour after arriving. It had been fun, hanging with the ladies, not having to worry about any drama or any other problems for that matter. But for some reason, I still didn't seem satisfied. It felt as if something was missing…

"Hey Mickie," I looked to my right to find… Eve?

"Uh, hey Eve," I responded, not knowing what else to say. Was she actually talking to me… without the bitterness I was accustomed to?

"I know this is probably awkward, because it's like insanely awkward for me…" she mumbled.

"Eve…" I cut her off, "What is it?" I asked, not wasting any time.

Her eyes finally met mine, "I wanted to say sorry for this entire mess. I don't want you to think I'm only apologizing because Kelly did, because truth is I've been feeling guilty about it for awhile now. Especially everything that's happened with Cody, and I think the only thing that's going to fix this is if I start with you."

Placing my drink down on the counter, I jumped off the stool to face her. "You're apologizing to me?" I asked, making sure I wasn't getting the wrong impression.

"Yes…" she said firmly. "…for my beyond bitchy attitude. Honestly, I wouldn't blame you if you hated me and didn't accept my apology, but I had to try regardless."

"Like I told Kelly, I don't want an apology. What I want are answers. An apology is something you should be extending to Cody."

"I know, he's… he's actually next on my list. I wanted to make things right with you first," she said.

"Why did you act this way in the first place Eve?" I asked softly.

She raised her shoulders sheepishly, "I'm not used to coming second when it comes to a guy. I guess I got a little scared… or intimidated."

"But why? Cody loves you," I said sincerely.

"I know," she looked torn over the entire situation. "I guess in a way I resented all of you because of how high Cody regarded you guys in his life. I thought to myself… why couldn't he be that way with me? Turns out that during my worrying, I had completely disregarded that he _was_ that way towards me."

"When I realized that, it was too little too late. Cody had broken up with me, and instead of blaming myself like I should have, I placed the blame irrationally on you. I'm really sorry Mickie, I've made such a fool of myself," I took in the fact that she was actually crying.

"He loves you Eve, and he would never put you second to anybody. Despite the fact that he's trying to put on this macho show, I can tell he's a mess inside. He misses you, but you really hurt him. I'm sorry if that reason is because of me, but if you ever expect to be in a relationship with him, you need to accept me, Ted and… Randy as being part of his life. We help one another Eve; we're each other's support system. Don't ask him to give that up," it was more of a helpful warning if anything.

"I wouldn't… I won't," she insisted, wiping the tears off her face. "Trust me; I've more than learned my lesson. Now all I have to do is prove that to Cody."

"Give him some space. I think in time he'll be able to forgive you. He really cares about you, you know. He said he's never felt this way about a girl… hell I don't think he's ever been heartbroken before. It may not seem like it, but I'm rooting for you guys, I've always supported your relationship with him. Even when you were angry, I still held out hope that you would find your way back to him," I admitted.

She smiled, "I miss him," she spoke softly before letting out a small chuckle. "And to think, I used to think he was weird. Now I can't stop thinking about him!"

"People jump to conclusions about guys like him. I know that I did before I came back to Raw… and boy was I surprised at how different both he and Ted turned out to be," I chuckled to myself, thinking back on our earlier days.

"Hey Mickie?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about the remarks I made concerning you and Randy. You were right; I don't understand him because I don't know him. But I do know that he cares about you, and it wasn't my place to pass judgement. I don't know what you guys had, but I do hear stories every so often, and if must have been special."

All I could do was offer a small smile as she said goodbye and walked away. It _was_ special… what Randy and I shared, and I knew that it was worth fighting for. If Randy needed time, or space, I would give him as much as he needed. When you find something extraordinary, you don't just give it up that easily. The fight is what makes it worthwhile.

I looked over at the group of giggling divas who were making their way towards me. I met them halfway, grabbing Kelly's hand and pulling her slightly away from the pack.

"I'm going to go," I told her.

"What? No we just got here!" she pouted.

"I know, but I'm tired and I just feel like relaxing. We will get together for that girls' day soon okay?" I promised.

She offered me a smile, "I'll hold you to that. Take care babe," she hugged me briefly before releasing me.

After saying goodbye to the divas, and trying to ignore the protests, I was finally in my jacket and on my way out the door to hail a cab.

"I've got a surprise!" I exclaimed, kicking the door open with my foot as both hands were currently occupied and getting the card key into the slot had been hard enough.

The three men of Legacy all craned their heads away from the TV to see what the disruption was.

"Mickie, what are you doing back so soon?" Ted asked.

"Yeah we didn't expect you back for a few hours," Cody added.

"I guess I just felt it was time to leave," I shrugged my shoulders, placing the bags down on the ground.

"You tore yourself away from a potential night of drunkenness?" Randy asked, sceptical about my answer.

I smiled, "Fine, I missed you," I teased.

"Ted!" both me and Randy said sternly as the blonde went to open his mouth.

"You missed me, I knew it," he exclaimed. "So what's the surprise?"

"Anybody hungry?" I asked with a grin.

"I'm fucking starving!" Cody jumped out of his seat, "Ted went out to buy supplies for a guys' night and he came back with beer. I appreciate the gesture, but I would have preferred him to buy food."

"You could have left to get food too," Ted said, appearing to be offended at his tag partners lack of appreciation.

"I'm too lazy," he shrugged his shoulders.

"What did you buy?" Randy asked.

I smiled again, "I think the question is, what _didn't_ I buy?"

"Holy shit man, she wasn't kidding!" Cody said, digging through the bags. "Three bags of chips, nachos–"

"Supplies to make ice cream sundaes, chocolate bars, a few bags of candy, more beer, I even went to McDonald's. How awesome am I?" I finished.

"You're kidding right?" Randy asked.

"Why would I joke about this?" I removed my coat.

I looked at Ted who was grinning, "This sounds like it's about to become the perfect night!" he said, climbing to his feet and coming over to call dibs on what he wanted.

"A food hangover anyone?" I asked coyly.

"Do you think junk food is the way to go?" Randy asked.

"Come on, how often does this happen? Don't be such a pain in the ass Mr. perfect."

He surveyed me for a few seconds before slowly pushing himself to a sitting position.

"Did you buy–"

"M&M's? I sure did," I grinned.

"Randy likes M&M's?" Cody asked, turning to look at the Viper.

"What's wrong with M&M's?" I asked, "They're our– my favourite."

"I've just known him this long and have never known that. M&M's are so colourful and happy I always picked him for the beef jerky type," Cody shrugged his shoulders.

I laughed, "He does seem like that type!"

"M&M's are my guilty pleasure," Randy admitted.

"Glad we got that out of the way," I muttered sarcastically, and giving Cody and Ted a shoved, I grabbed the bags and brought them over to the table. "Cody grab some bowls and silverware, I'm having me some ice cream," I grinned.

I unloaded the bags as the guys admitted they were glad I bought the snacks. We all settled down in front of the TV, Ted on the floor, Cody on the armchair, Randy laying on the sofa, and me sitting by his feet. We talked, laughed, and took turns playing some hockey game that I couldn't get the hang of and then Smackdown vs. Raw.

It took me awhile, but I finally realized that the feeling from before, as if something was missing, was no longer hanging around. I smiled to myself thinking how happy I was right now – how weirdly happy Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes made me. I knew that this relationship between the four of us, was a forever sort of thing, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"What are you smiling about?" Randy asked, as Ted and Cody fought over control in the ring on TV.

I looked over at him, "Everything," was all I offered as a response.

It didn't surprise me that the look on his face told me that he understood exactly what I meant.

**Just wanted to update before I head out for some Christmas festivities :)**

**Let me know what you thought! I know there wasn't anything big happening, but trust me it's all leading up to something and soon… I promise :)**

**The Divas table match was better than I expected, and I'm so happy that Nattie and Beth prevailed. Did anyone see that nasty fall Beth took? She's tough as nails that one!**

**Hope you all have a **_**very**_** Merry Christmas and an even better New Year :) :) :)**


	43. a hell of an apology

"So what do you do on these 'girls' days'?" Ted asked, doing the air quotations with his fingers.

Smiling, I playfully rolled my eyes before snatching up my purse, "It's a normal girl's day Ted… shopping, appointments to get our hair and nails done, lunch and a whole lot of gossip."

"I can do all that," he insisted, "how about I tag along?"

After allowing a laugh, I placed my bag down and took a few steps closer to him, "Don't feel threatened Teddy! No one can replace you," I assured him.

"Pff that's not what I'm concerned about. I'm just rather curious about all of those things that you listed," he revealed.

"Okay _why_ do you get insulted when Randy and Cody call you a woman?"

"It's a _manly_ curiosity!" he insisted.

I let out another chuckle, "And I'll pretend I believe you."

"Fair enough," he crossed his arms, "so you seem really excited about this."

I smiled again, "I am… it feels like forever since it's just been me and the girls."

"I'm happy for you… but it _could_ become a foursome," he offered, grinning at me.

"Sorry, I wouldn't want to be responsible for giving Randy and Cody _more_ reasons to make fun of you."

He tilted his chin up, appearing to be pondering my statement, "You make a valid point," he stated thoughtfully.

I laughed once more and punched him playfully on the arm. I could always count on my dear Teddy to lighten my day. Sometimes I can't even fathom what I would do with out him. At other times of the day I imagine life would be more peaceful.

"We'll get an early dinner before we head to the arena okay? I'll probably be back around three," I told him.

"Works for me," he claimed, just as a knock sounded on the door.

"I'm in such a good mood, I'll even get the door," I said proudly, making my way over there.

"Oh one time out of the last hundred. I'm _so_ proud," he muttered sarcastically.

"It's not my fault I outwit you on a daily basis," I teased.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled bitterly and turned away from me.

Smiling, I pulled open the door to find Cody standing on the other side. By the looks of things, he wasn't sharing in the same happiness that I was.

"You know, it would save a lot of time if we had keys to each others rooms," he complained.

"Yeah so we could have repeats of the 'walk-ins' we've endured over the last few months… no thanks," I responded, closing the door.

"Good call. I was getting annoyed of all the sexual encounters I stumbled upon more times than I would like to remember."

"Don't blame you," I muttered, sending an angry glare in Ted's direction. "So what's with you? You don't seem to be too cheery today."

"Should I be?" he asked bitterly. "Randy kicked me out of the room _again_ and on the way here I ran into Eve."

"Oh…" I said quietly, "how did _that_ go?"

"I'd rather have avoided it."

"Did you get into a bitch fight?" Ted asked excitedly from his position on the sofa where he was playing the play station.

Cody rolled his eyes, "Do you _ever_ get tired of hearing yourself speak? Because I know_ I_ do."

Ted scoffed, "What kind of a question is that? If I could, I would record a tape so that I could do a voice over of my life."

"What did she have to say then?" I asked, ignoring the ridiculous yet terrifying thought Ted had in his mind at the moment.

"She tried apologizing… told me she regrets it all. Yeah as if that's going to make everything better."

"She _did_ apologize to me too…. _And_ admitted that she was wrong."

"I know, but just because you've forgiven her doesn't mean I have to. An apology doesn't erase the past. She ruined our relationship over jealousy and insecurity. That's not exactly someone I want to have in my life."

"But you love her…" I reminded him.

"So?" he shrugged his shoulders. "Love doesn't fix everything."

Isn't that the truth?

"But it helps," I said softly.

"You just don't understand," he said.

I took a step forward, "What is there to understand Cody? When you love someone you do everything you can to–"

"Mickie!" he shouted, catching me off guard. I turned to see Ted had abandoned his game, seemingly surprised himself. We both exchanged looks of incredulity. "No offence, but you're hardly qualified to give advice about love right now." 

I was taken aback by his words, but I knew he was hurting and that I couldn't hold them against him. He turned away quickly and made his way over to the window – staring down into the streets.

"You're right," I said quietly, staring at the back of his head, "I'm not qualified, but I do know what I'm talking about. When you fall in love, it's such a powerful thing. And when you know it's real… you hold onto it because it's more than worth it."

I inhaled deeply, "I love Randy, Cody. I have since I met him and I always will. It's the only reason I've let myself conduct myself in the manner that I have since coming back to Raw – in the hopes that he will realize it too. All the pain, the heartbreak and the suffering, it's worth the love that I feel every time I get near to him, because at the end of the day _that's_ all that matters."

I took a few steps more so I was standing behind him, and placed a hand on his arm gently so that he would turn to face me, "No one is perfect Cody. We all make mistakes, god knows mine and Randy's history is littered with them, but that's life. Love is hard, and it's scary, but that's all a part of the experience. Don't make the same mistake I did Cody. Don't let your pride get in the way of love… because if I've learned anything, you'll live to regret it."

A silence overtook the room for a few moments as Cody and I merely continued to stare at one another. I was surprised at the sincerity of my words and at how much I truly believed every word of them. I hated regret, but my history dating up to this very day was filled with it. I didn't want to have to watch someone I cared for so much go through the same thing.

"You aren't going to kiss are you?" Ted asked, interrupting the silence.

Cody and I simultaneously rolled our eyes, "Leave it to Ted to ruin a moment," he muttered.

"That was beautiful!" Ted shouted theatrically, clapping his hands and pretending to wipe away a tear.

"Sometimes I wish I could clap my hands and you'd disappear," Cody said, "life would definitely be more peaceful."

"You know…" I started, "I had that exact same thought earlier. What life would be like without Ted… Sadly though," I clamped him on the shoulder, "Ted's one of those human beings who'll never go away. He's going to outlive us all just to spite us."

"No it will be because I'm healthy and handsome," Ted spoke up, correcting me.

"Yeah sure, well I'm gonna go," I said, "Maybe I'll be able to escape his ever growing ego."

"You could fly halfway across the world and not be able to escape Ted's ego," Cody commented.

I'm surprised him and Randy could honestly fit into the same room together.

"No harm in trying," I said before walking across the room to pick my bag up once more, "Talk to Eve!" I insisted before quickly heading out the door.

A few hours later I was walking down the streets of Newark, New Jersey, shopping bags in hand and my freshly cut hair bouncing as I walked, searching for a suitable place to eat. It wasn't cold outside, it also wasn't warm enough to go without a jacket, but to me it felt perfect.

Minutes later, Kelly, Melina and I entered a quaint little bistro to sit down for lunch. The place was crowded which was to be expected as it was lunch time for all of those on their lunch break. Nonetheless, we still found a table in the corner, near the window looking out into the busy streets.

"So how are you doing Kel? I mean with you and John," I asked, pushing my plate away, having just finished. "Or is this territory a little awkward to be discussing?"

"Of course not… the both of us are your friends, and I'm sorry I tried to keep you from him."

"I understand you felt threatened… unnecessarily so," I grinned, "but I don't hold it against you."

She smiled, "And we're good by the way. It's hard sometimes, but we get through it together which is all that matters to me."

"Spoken like a true diva in love," I winked at her. "And you?" I turned to Melina, "how's your love life?"

"Same as last time we talked about it," she released a small sigh, "Except Dave seems more distant than ever, and it's really all my fault. I've been neglecting him because I'm ashamed."

"Ashamed of what?" I asked.

Melina looked sideways at Kelly before looking away abruptly, a look of guilt spreading across her face.

"I-I've been spending a lot of time with John lately, you know, movies, talking, coffee, going out for drinks… I, uh," she looked out the window, "I kissed him Mickie," she spoke quietly.

Kelly reached out and grabbed Melina's hand in hers, and with the other hand she rubbed her shoulder gently.

"It doesn't help that the both of us live in L.A… not that I'm using that as an excuse," she said quickly. "I just feel so guilty… Dave deserves so much better than this."

"How does John feel?"

"He said that he'd be willing to give it another go. Of course he said we weren't allowed to see each other until I made my decision," she added.

I offered her a sympathetic smile, "You need to be honest Mel… with Dave and with yourself. Trust me, once you are, things will seem so much easier. Who you choose is the right one," I gave her an encouraging smile.

"I think they will appreciate it more if you do it as soon as possible, as opposed to dragging it out and keeping it a secret," Kelly spoke softly.

"Yeah," I agreed, "makes the decision easier too."

"I guess, if anything I'm just scared of making the wrong decision," the Latina admitted.

"Life is full of mistakes, it's how we learn," I smiled. "Damn I am on a roll with this advice thing lately…" the smile faded seconds later. "Ya know, you'd think because of that reason that my love life would be considerably less complicated, but no-oo not me!" I said dramatically.

Both girls giggled at my statement, "So how is everything within the Legacy group?" Melina asked.

"Extremely good," I smiled.

"And Randy?" Kelly asked, a hint of caution in her tone.

I turned my head slightly to stare out the window, watching as the various cars buzzed by and the hundreds of pedestrians hurried along to their destinations. How was Randy? Hmm, well he was distant a lot of the time and continuously bi-polar. I just didn't know where to begin with answering that question. It really depended on the time of day and what mood he was in.

"Mickie?" a soft voice interrupted my thoughts. Looking across the table at both women, I realized that it was Kelly who had spoken. "You love him… don't you?" she asked, her tone, if possible, quieter than before.

"What would give you that idea?" I said airily, attempting to keep the atmosphere light, but failing miserably.

"How? I mean… well that's a stupid question, but I mean… are you sure? Even with the way he's been treating others. Maybe you just think he's still the same as before," she offered, each word spoken with more caution than the last.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," I smiled weakly, "and I don't blame you. In your position I'd probably be wondering the exact same thing. But I love him for who he _is_, not who he _should_ be. I didn't fall in love again; or rather _realize_ my love again, with Randy Orton from my Evolution days. I fell in love with the _Viper_ from the Legacy. He's not perfect… but who is? I look at him and I see the same guy I met six years ago, but I also see a man who's taken all of the hardships he's endured and used them to make himself stronger. He's tough, he's had to be, and sometimes he takes it to a new level, but he has such a good heart."

"He's confident in himself, it's the reason he's so successful. And he doesn't care what others think of him. He lives life for himself, and that's what I love about him. If only you could understand what it feels like to _be_ loved by him… you'd understand. But you aren't me, so you probably never could. It's like the way John loves you," I said to the blonde in front of me, "but different in its own way. When Randy does something, he doesn't do it half-assed, he goes all in, and love is no different. It's such an incredible thing," I found myself smiling at the thought.

No matter what happens; at least I had the time with him that I did.

"Have you told him that?" Melina asked.

I shook my head, "No," I smiled, "but I'm pretty sure he knows how I feel. He has this annoying gift of always knowing what I'm thinking or feeling."

"I have faith that everything will work out… for all of us," Melina said.

"Uh… I don't mean to be pushy or awkward, and I don't want you to think I'm against Randy. But… he hurt you Mickie. I mean back when you dated him," she reminded me… not that I needed to be reminded.

I stared at her for a few moments, contemplating her words and taking a few more reflecting on the meaning behind them. If they only knew how wrong she was… But of course they didn't because I hadn't told them everything.

I averted my gaze, "Yeah… he did," I scratched the back of my head, not knowing what else could be said. "But that's in the past."

Kelly opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything her cell phone rang from its place on the table.

"Hello?" she spoke, placing it to her ear. "Hey Eve… no, no it's no problem. Are you okay?" I noticed the concern that showed on her face. "Yeah I'll come by soon."

A moment later she ended the call and placed the phone into her purse.

"What's wrong, is she okay?" Melina asked.

"She's upset… apparently she had a run in with Cody and she wasn't going to call because she knew we were out, but she wants someone to talk to. Do you guys mind?" she asked, looking at me.

Thankful for the interruption, I smiled at her, "Of course not, do you think she'll mind if I stop by as well?"

"I think the more company she has, the better," Kelly smiled back.

After paying our bill, we stepped out onto the sidewalk and Melina hailed us a cab to bring us back to the hotel. A short while later, we were standing outside Eve's door waiting for the Latina to open it. When she did, it was instantly obvious that she had been crying as her eyes were red and puffy.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry," Kelly spoke softly, pulling Eve into her arms, as Melina closed the door behind us.

"He hates me," she cried, the tears falling slowly down her face.

"He doesn't hate you," Kelly assured her, guiding her over towards the sofa.

I looked up and realized that all three girls were staring at me, an expectant expression set on their faces.

"What?" I asked before realizing what they were expecting. "Oh right," I was friends with Cody, so surely I had the inside scoop? I sighed, "He doesn't hate you Eve, if anything he's upset. You hurt him, and it's hard to get over something like that."

"So what am I supposed to do?" she asked, wiping the tears off her face.

"Give him time. Trust me… I'm confident that he'll come around. He's just being stubborn right now, but he'll realize that he's supposed to be with you," I assured her.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

I tilted my hand slightly and smiled, "I'm sure," I stated. "Actually… if you would just show him how sorry you are, maybe that would help."

"I have," she insisted, "I've apologized, but mostly he won't give me time to actually say anything."

"Be forceful," I suggested, "Make him listen to you."

She seemed to be pondering my words for a few moments, and the rest of us remained silent as she did so.

I reached out a placed a hand on her knee briefly, "Trust me Eve, he loves you… a lot. He's not going to let you go."

She smiled weakly, "Thanks Mickie," she whispered.

We sat for another hour, immersed in conversation, mainly about the guys in our lives as well as new gossip we happened to have come across, and by the end, Eve seemed to be in a relatively better mood. I hoped that she would think of something soon because I wanted happy Cody back, and she was the only one with the power to bring that back.

Kelly also did my hair for the evening, playing around with it mostly, but she ended up creating a really cute look and I decided it was going to stay that way for the show tonight. By the time I got back to my room, the guys were just about ready to leave and I had to hurry to get all my gear packed so we could head to the arena to prepare for tonight.

Before heading to the arena, we stopped off quickly so that the guys could eat as I was still full from my meal with the ladies. We talked about tonight and our strategies on what was to be taking place.

"So what did you do earlier?" I asked Randy, taking my eyes briefly off the road to look at him.

Yes, I was driving, which probably comes as a shock, but I was relentless and eventually all the guys gave in and piled into the car.

"Not much really. I visited a couple stores, bought a couple pairs of jeans and a new jacket," he told me.

"You went shopping?" I asked.

"Yeah… is that illegal?"

"No of course not. Awuh you should have come with me and the girls," I teased.

"Oh yeah that would have gone over well. I'm quite positive Kelly and Melina hate my guts, and would try and shove me in front of a moving car," he stated.

"I think _I'm_ more likely to do that," I teased.

"Oh you may be attempting a joke, but I believe it with every fibre of my being," he stated matter-of-factly.

I chuckled, "You are far too high on yourself. I wouldn't waste that amount of energy on you," I commented, "especially when I'm supposed to be shopping."

It was him who laughed this time.

"Besides, Kelly and Melina don't hate you," I insisted.

"Oh, is that what they told you?" he asked.

"No… but that's what I assume."

"Yeah well don't assume things Mickie… it gets you into trouble," he commented.

"Don't I know it," I muttered more to myself than to him.

"So how about you just keep your attention on the road. I'd like to live to be able to kick Cena's ass again."

"Ha-ha-ha," I said sarcastically, but didn't offer any kind of verbal response.

It certainly wasn't the first joke directed towards my driving, and I knew with certainty that it wouldn't be the last.

We were all lined up in the ring – my team versus Melina's. I was in the middle staring down Melina as Maryse and Alicia stood on either side of me staring down Kelly and Maria respectively.

Eve stood off to the left in a referee's uniform and a moment later she called for the bell and signalled for the match to begin.

I smirked at Melina, "Give it your best shot, but your best is my worst… bitch."

Melina merely offered a smile before she lunged forward and tackled me to the ground, resulting in the rest of her team doing the same to my own. The both of us fought for control, until finally I gained it when Maryse dealt a kick to Melina's back. Eve banished the other four divas to the outside making Melina and myself the legal women. I maintained control until the raven haired diva came back with a knee to the jaw. She kept on top, until finally she tagged in Maria who immediately went to work on me. I did manage to fight her off just long enough so that I could tag in the French-Canadian.

The match kept up, with each diva having a chance in the ring until finally it came down to me and Kelly. Maryse and Alicia were busy on the outside with Melina and Maria, and it allowed me the opportunity to take control back for my team when I delivered a vicious axe-handle to my blonde adversary. I pulled her up by the hair and succeeded in delivering my patented Mickie-DT. I went for the cover but looked up to see that Eve was shouting at Maryse and Maria who were still battling on the outside. I jumped to my feet to confront her, but was surprised when Melina whirled me around to face her, delivering a kick to my midsection and then performing the sunset split.

I felt her drag Kelly over top of me, and a few beats later Kelly's theme was playing throughout the arena, and the fans were cheering wildly in support of my opponents. I rolled out of the ring, and Maryse came around to help me up the ramp along with Alicia as we stared down the three divas in the ring who were celebrating their win.

"That was a good match out there Mickie," Maryse said.

"Too bad we didn't win," I responded, offering her a wink.

"Next time," she assured me. "So how's Ted these days?" she asked nonchalantly.

"He's good Maryse… he's happy with Maria," I told her.

"I heard they were dating… good for him. So, does he miss me?" she asked, a playful grin forming on her lips.

"I'm sure he does… but we don't talk about it. He really liked you Maryse," I said.

She looked away, "Look, you probably think I'm the bad guy in all this. But I really cared for him too… I just… I care for Mike too and I didn't want to hurt him. It just seemed like the easiest way you know?"

"It probably was… but it seems to me that you're regretting your decision."

"Maybe… but if he's happy I don't want to get in the way of that. I'll talk to you later okay?" she offered me a wink before turning and heading in the direction of the divas locker room.

I watched her go before turning and making my way towards the Legacy locker room, but was stopped by Josh Matthews asking for an interview.

"Mickie, in terms of non-title matches; it seems that Melina has your number after being victorious many times over the last few weeks. That has to make you uncomfortable in some way knowing that she is still vying for your WWE divas championship," Josh spoke.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "No Josh, it doesn't make me uncomfortable. It's one thing for her to win tag team matches, or a singles match against an opponent that isn't me. Quite frankly, I think Melina is overrated. She had to cheat to win tonight. I had that match won, and if the officiating hadn't been so poor, I would have been the one standing in that ring with my hand held high. The fact of the matter is Josh that Melina had her chance last night at Hell in a Cell, and she was unsuccessful. So as far as I'm concerned, as long as _I'm_ divas champion, Melina is _never_ going to have another title shot."

Satisfied with my answer, I strode out of the view of the camera and continued on my previous path back to the Legacy locker room. But before I could get there I came across a superstar I hadn't had the opportunity to talk to in what felt like forever.

"John Cena," I said, crossing my arms as he strolled up to me. "Approaching me with his tail tucked between his legs, as he should be."

"I guess I deserve that," he said. "I came to apologize. I can't believe how stupid I was in bringing that up. I honestly don't even know where it came from."

I relaxed, "That's not what I'm mad about John."

"Okay than what are you mad about?"

"The fact that you haven't talked to me in like a month," I stated.

"I couldn't Mickie. Not with the way Kelly was acting. I just didn't want to make things worse with her. Surely you can understand that?"

I shook my head, "No I can't actually. The John Cena I know would never have pulled something like that. We've known each other too long, and you should have known Kelly never meant what she said."

He sighed, "I didn't want to make things worse. I screwed up big time, although she did overreact to the extreme, it didn't stop her from being upset. It was torture knowing I was the cause of it… I didn't want to make matters worse for her. Or give her more speculation to believe her deluded idea that there was something going on with us."

"But you're right," he continued, "I never should have cut you out over the last little while, and so I'm apologizing from the bottom of my heart."

I could detect a hint of teasing in his tone which caused me to smile, "It's alright," I pulled him in for a hug, "but if you pull something like that again, I will have to keep you in the doghouse," I threatened before releasing him.

He chuckled, "I would take my punishment with dignity and realize the error of my ways. Of course I don't plan on pulling something like that again, so I think we're going to be okay."

I smiled, "So you ready for Bragging Rights?" I crossed my arms and leaned up against the wall.

"Yes and more than that I'm excited," he admitted.

"Ooh excited? Any particular reason?"

"The iron man match. There hasn't been very many in history, and I get to be a part of that. Besides, I couldn't think of a better opponent than Randy. I'm not a fan of the guy, but he knows what he's doing and I can respect that," he admitted.

Earlier in the night, Cena had come down to the ring and proposed the iron man match for the WWE title at Bragging Rights which was to take place in three weeks. It wasn't just for the championship… no there were stipulations. If John wins, he becomes the new champion and Randy is no longer able to face him for the title as long as he is champion. But if Randy is to win, John will be forced to leave Raw and head to Smackdown.

"You guys will do great. I love watching you two in the ring… you have such… chemistry," I offered.

He chuckled once more, "I guess you could say that."

We talked for another ten minutes before the both of us continued on our way in preparation for tonight's main event. It was to be Ted versus Cody versus John, and whoever wins becomes part of team Raw for Bragging Rights.

"Yo James, tough break. But at least you _technically_ did have it won," Ted said when I entered the locker room.

"Yeah and the interview, you did a good job with that," Cody remarked.

"Thanks gentlemen, you're up next," I said. "Hey Ted, Maryse asked about you."

I don't know if I should have told him, but I figured he had a right to know. If he was as happy with Maria as he claims to be, than this piece of information will be of no importance to him.

He seemed surprised, "Really? What did she say?"

I hesitated, "I think she insinuated that she _may_ have made the wrong choice."

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded my head, "That doesn't change things does it?" I asked sceptically, wondering if maybe I should have kept my mouth shut…

"No of course not, I'm with Maria. It's just… kind of nice to hear that. That she's the one who regrets it," he didn't smile or acknowledge at all that he meant this, but instead he walked into the bathroom.

"Should I have told him that?" I asked the other two.

Cody merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe," Randy offered, "He probably regrets ending things with her. It may have been an affair, but you could tell the guy cared about her."

"Great… and I just planted doubt in his mind," I complained, slumping down onto the sofa.

Randy chuckled, "You did not … Ted's smart–"

"Did you just say that?" Cody asked, interrupting him.

"I guess I did," Randy said, clearly amused. "He knows what he wants, and he knows what's best for him. He'll figure it out… don't beat yourself up."

"Well aren't you just full of advice today," I teased.

He offered me a smirk but continued lacing up his wrestling boots in preparation for tonight. An hour later, the four of us continued to the gorilla position and waited for our moment to enter onto the ramp.

Despite the fact that Ted and Cody were supposed to be opponents, the four of us entered onto the stage together, Randy and I walking side by side as we lingered back, giving Ted and Cody the spotlight for tonight.

The crowd was electric as John made his way out to the ring – a reaction that he seemed to always be capable of bringing about whether it was negative or positive or a mixture of both.

Ted and Cody tried surrounding him, but he quickly took down the latter with a clothesline and then went to work on Ted with a couple of right hands and an Irish whip to the corner to be follow by a running bulldog.

But he wasn't able to counter a beautifully executed dropkick from Cody, knocking him to the canvas and allowing our Legacy team mates to gain control as Randy and I cheered them on from ringside. Ted capitalized and rushed forward to deliver some right hands to the downed Cena before allowing Cody the chance to do the same. This was basically a two on one handicapped match as me and Randy enjoyed the view from ringside.

Poor Cena was sure taking a beating, but I knew that if anyone could take it it was John Cena. At one point Ted had him set up in the corner, but John moved and Ted went shoulder first into the corner ring pole. Cody capitalized though, and rushed into the ring to deliver a swinging neck breaker and a pin to which Cena kicked out of. Randy was getting antsier by the minute and I could tell how bad he wanted into the ring.

Cena managed to regain control around the ten minute mark and managed to dispose of Cody and was left with just Ted in the ring. The blonde of Legacy attempted to fight back, but John's anger was playing a huge role.

Randy ran around to the other side of the ring as I jumped onto the apron. Cena noticed me and gave Ted a shove to the ground, but I jumped off. Despite the disturbance he managed to get Ted into the STF but Randy jumped onto the apron this time, distracting John and making him abandon Ted for the time being.

But Cody got up from his position on the outside of the ring, and after sliding into the ring he rolled Ted up and got the three count as continued to stare down Randy.

After John exited the ring, I jumped up onto the apron and climbed in, attempting to help Randy in keeping Ted and Cody away from one another. Randy and I were just as surprised as Ted, as John made his way up the ramp, smiling no doubt at the fact that Legacy was now fighting within itself.

Randy approached the ropes, to stare Cena down as I kept my position between Ted and Cody, trying to keep the peace as well as figure out why Cody did what he did. Placing my hands on Ted's chest I gave him a little shove back, to keep him from attacking the brunette out of anger.

When John disappeared behind the curtain, Randy joined me in trying to restrain Ted. But the blonde, being as angry as he was, shoved Randy out of the way and rolled out of the ring, making his way up the ramp without turning back. I looked at Cody, and shouted in his face, lecturing him about his actions.

I stood at the ropes, watching Ted walk up the ramp, appearing to be torn between Randy and my other Legacy team mate. Eventually we all exited the ring, and argued the rest of the way up the ramp about how this was going to affect Legacy.

Later, Ted, Cody and I were on our way to meet Randy in the parking lot, and Ted was arguing about how if something were to happen to Randy, he should automatically become the leader.

I didn't realize at first, until I looked at Cody and noticed that he was transfixed on something in front of us. Turning, I found Eve, and I had to smile knowing what she was going to do.

"Eve, I don't want to deal with this right now," Cody stated.

"I don't care Cody, I want you to listen to me," she said defiantly. "I've been stupid, childish, and immature and I know that if I was in your position I would be angry too. But I love you, and I don't want to lose you. No one makes me smile the way you do, and I can't picture life without you anymore. The last few months have been the greatest of my life, and I'm sorry if I ever gave you the wrong impression about that. I understand now the importance of having Mickie, Ted and Randy in your life and I promise you that I will never get in the way of that again. You are too important for me to lose, and more than anything I want you to forgive me," she pleaded. "You're everything to me Cody; please don't make me live my life without you."

The words were soft spoken and meaningful, and more than anything I knew how much she meant them.

"_Yeah well she'd have to give one hell of an apology after all she's said and done not just to me but to you, Randy and Ted for me to even consider taking her back."_

I reflected on those words he had shared with me before leaning into him, "I'd have to say that that's one hell of an apology," I commented.

All of us remained silent and none of us moved until finally Cody stepped forward and pulled Eve into his arms so he could plant a kiss on her.

"Well looks like my work here is done," Ted remarked.

"You didn't do anything," I reminded him.

"My beauty makes everything better," he said arrogantly.

I laughed out loud, "Come on," I placed an arm around his shoulder and lead him towards the exit where Randy was waiting for us in the car.

"Where's Cody?" he asked.

"Reunited with his girlfriend," I stated, pulling the seatbelt over me.

"So are we leaving without him then?" he asked.

"I don't know," I responded. "I guess it doesn't matter because from the looks of things he has no problem walking back to the hotel."

"You're being held liable then," Randy grinned.

An hour later I found myself alone in the hotel room bored out of my mind. Cody was still out with Eve, not that I expected anything different, and Ted had gone over to Maria's room. I was hardly ready for bed, and to be honest, I didn't want to spend the night alone.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," Randy stated when he opened the door to find me standing on the other side.

"I'm bored, it's too early to go to bed and I'm much too hyper to stay in the hotel. Let's do something."

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know. A movie, dinner, a walk… there's like endless possibilities buddy. Although you'd have to have an imagination… which you don't have," I stated.

"Hello, I'm the Viper; I kind of need to have an imagination."

"Yeah… but in-ring is different," I stated. "Even when we were dating, I usually planned the dates."

Randy grinned, "Yeah maybe that's true, but I had my moments," he insisted.

I smiled up at him, "Yeah, maybe I shouldn't take _all _the credit." There was silence for a few moments before I opened my mouth to speak again, "Anyway, do you want to sit here and reminisce or do you want to go out?" I asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Randy asked, grabbing his jacket quickly.

I laughed at him, knowing that he would do almost anything to avoid having to bring up the past. But before we could get out the door, the ringing of his cell phone stopped us both in our tracks.

"Do you need to get that?" I asked, prepared to go back to my room if he said yes.

He hesitated before looking up at me, "No, it's… it can wait," he insisted, smiling at me, "Let's go," he spoke before turning and leading us out the door.

**Thanks for the reviews, it's truly wonderful to read them!**

**So it feels like forever since I've updated! I'm sorry, I've been busy and haven't had much time to do anything. You're probably disappointed with this chapter, but there are some last minute things I needed to write so we can continue on.**

**The chapter you've been waiting for is coming up, it's not the next one, but will be chapter 45 where Mickie finally finds out about Laura. I haven't finished writing it yet, although the majority has been written for months, I just need to complete it. I couldn't tell you which chapter it will be where the truth about their past is revealed, but it's coming up soon as well, so please bear with me :)**

**Any thoughts on who's going to win the Rumble? I read somewhere that the championship match at Wrestlemania is going to be Miz vs. Cena, does anyone know anything about that?**

**One last thing, a hell Melina? I love it :) And the fact that she's feuding with Nattie! I can't wait to see how it plays out. Both women are tremendously talented, and I'm excited for the coming months. Melina seems to be much more exciting as a heel as she doesn't have as many boundaries.**


	44. Is there a future for us?

"So when's the wedding?" Ted asked the couple sitting across the table from us.

Cody, who had his arm draped over Eve's shoulder, looked up at the both of us and smiled, "Is that intended to bother me?"

The smiled slipped off Ted's face, "Yes, but obviously I've approached this from the wrong way," he said thoughtfully.

"_Obviously_. It's Randy who gets terrified at the first mention of commitment. Hell I think you're more scared of commitment than I am these days," the brunette commented, the smile still on his face showing he was proud of that statement.

Eve smiled up at him before looking at us, "I guess I should count myself lucky that those words are coming from his mouth, but if anything I'm feeling relief."

I allowed a small laugh, "Right you are, consider yourself lucky."

"Trust me… I do," she insisted.

Smiling, I didn't get a chance to respond as Maria appeared at our table. Great, now I was stuck with _two_ lovey-dovey couples.

"Hey everyone, sorry I'm late," she gushed, as Ted scooted more towards me so she could take a seat beside him.

I guess it would have been smarter of us to have requested a bigger table. Surprisingly the thought hadn't occurred to any of us beforehand.

"Maybe I'll just pull up a chair," the redhead suggested.

"Actually," I spoke up resulting in everyone turning to me and stopping Maria from grabbing a chair, "I'm going to take off."

"What?" Ted gasped, "You can't!"

"And after pondering your intelligent reply I'm going to counter it with… let me out," I demanded.

"Nope, not happening," he said childishly, crossing his arms.

"DiBiase, don't make me crawl under the table. I don't want to have to ruin my reputation."

"What reputation? You could probably get away with crawling under the table considering how short you are," Ted replied, a smug grin settling on his face.

I gave him my best unamused face, but continued to wait patiently.

"How come you aren't staying?" Cody asked after he finished laughing at us in amusement.

I turned my head to look at him, "It's obvious and because I don't want to be rude, I'm not going to say it. Now Ted, don't make me hurt you," I offered him a stern look.

He seemed to be unaffected by my best threatening face, but a few seconds later, just as I expected, he cracked under pressure. I guess all those times I showed I was not to be messed with were really paying off.

"Okay, okay," he put his hands up, "just please don't hurt me… again."

I looked up at Cody who was laughing once more at us, "It's pretty bad when you have to say that at all, let alone having to add the 'again'," he said, sticking his hand out for me to high five.

"She's mean!" Ted reasoned, getting to his feet, "I'd like to see you on the receiving end of one of her violent outbursts."

I slid out of the booth, "Oh no that wouldn't happen," I stated matter-of-factly, "Cody is nowhere near as annoying as you," I grinned giving Ted a quick hug.

Turning to face Maria I said, "If Ted ever gives you trouble, you know who to call," I winked.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" she asked.

"I'm sure. It's nothing against any of you. I want to give you all time to hang out without having to worry about me," I insisted.

Turning to face Cody I leaned down and put an arm around his shoulder, "Keep an eye on Ted," I instructed.

"Sadly you know I will. Sure you don't want to stick around? Leaving Ted alone here might reflect badly on Legacy… I'd much rather give a good impression," he teased.

"I'd rather stick my head in a microwave," I muttered, offering him a second wink, before straightening up. "See ya Eve, have fun guys."

They all offered responses as I turned and headed out of the restaurant, which seemed kind of ironic considering I hadn't actually eaten. I was probably being rude, although I knew with certainty that Ted and Cody wouldn't see it that way, but I hated being stuck with couples. It had nothing to do with the people, after all I would probably be the same way if I had a boyfriend, but that didn't make it any less torturous. I had to endure that enough with Kelly, Melina, John and Dave and trust me the process hadn't gotten more bearable since then.

I was happy for the guys – happy that Ted and Cody were happy themselves. They deserved every happiness, whether it is from love or from their careers. At least some of us, from Legacy, had _their_ love life figured out. I couldn't say the same for myself or Randy. Would there _ever_ be a time where our lives in reference to one another wouldn't be complicated?

_Randy's POV_

Exiting the bathroom back into the main room, a towel around my waist, I picked up my phone from the coffee table to check my messages and found a new one from Laura.

-_Missing you :)_

I smiled. She seemed to have that effect on me until I remembered how extensively I had betrayed her over the last few months. It had nothing to do with me not taking our relationship seriously but more to do with the fact that I cared far too much about Mickie to just let her go.

I've known Laura all my life and she knew just about everything there was to know about me from a home/growing up perspective. Since we were children we had always stuck by one another. We helped each other through break-ups, losses and family problems that only served to make our relationship stronger. Mickie didn't know the real Laura… and I admit she got a little out of hand when it came to the diva's champion, but it's only because she's protective over the things most important to her.

Laura was kind, sweet, generous and beautiful and no matter what she was always there serving as a support system. After the break-up with Mickie, she was there despite the fact that I never wanted to talk about it. I knew she loved me, but not once did she try to move in on me. She was patient until finally she found the right time to come forward and confide in me that she still had feelings for me.

She was best for me, the healthiest path that I could choose for my life, and I knew that.

…But I needed Mickie. And through some screwed up situation, Mickie and I had forged a bond, and no matter what, that was never going to change. We were _right _for one another and through everything that is the one thing that has remained constant. It was beyond unfair, in fact it was cruel of me to play both sides, but I couldn't seem to help myself.

I could see clearly from both sides of the situation.

On one hand there was Laura. We had extensive history dating back to my childhood and to throw in there the fact that life with her would be easy was a no brainer. She has waited and remained patient for so many years, why should she always have to play second best?

But Mickie…. God the way Mickie makes me feel… and how I am constantly drawn to her even after everything that has happened. Looking into her eyes made me feel as if nothing else in the world mattered. And yes, Laura knew me better than most, but _no one_ understood me, especially these days, better than Mickie.

And for that reason it would be unfair, because no matter what I did, Laura would always play second best. I could never love her in the way that I did the petite brunette who captured my heart all those years ago.

Which was why most would assume this would be an obvious choice, that I should choose Mickie. But life didn't work out the way we wanted or expected it to and I needed to stop bouncing back and forth. But I wasn't ready to be with Mickie again, and part of me felt that I never would be. I made my decision when I agreed to start a relationship with Laura again and I needed to stick to it. I didn't want to hurt her, she hardly deserved it and I hardly deserved her. That's not how she saw it though and I was lucky enough that she still wanted me.

The last thing I needed at this point was my personal life interfering in the ring. I was the WWE champion and I needed to be at the top of my game _all_ the time. When I entered this company I made it my top priority and it was to come first before everything else including my love life. I was dedicated to this business and I would do anything to remain on top of it. Anything.

After responding to the text message I placed my phone down and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I had just settled in to watch some TV when there was a knock on the door. Grumbling a few swear words, I got up to open the door and found Mickie standing on the other side.

"Hey," I leaned up against the door frame, "I thought you guys went out to eat."

"We did… but I realized I didn't want to have to do lunch with two _new_ couples."

"Don't blame you there," I muttered. "So what are you doing here?"

"I didn't get a chance to eat before the grossness of the couples forced me away," she said.

"Who would've thought… Ted and Cody in love," I remarked.

"I know… our little boys are growing up," she said theatrically faking tears.

I chuckled, "Very funny. So you're asking me to grab a bite then?"

"It's not like I have anyone else to ask. Everyone I know has a significant other. It's sad that we're like the only two single people on the planet."

I cleared my throat, "Yeah, sort of pathetic if you think about it. Let me just grab my wallet," I turned away quickly and headed towards the nightstand.

"Oh you're going to buy, how nice of you!" she teased.

"Yeah right, I think it's your turn," I spoke over my shoulder as I picked up my cell phone and my wallet in one hand and my jacket in the other. Mickie was waiting in the hall and after I pulled my jacket over my shoulders I followed her out and was about to close the door when I remembered I had forgotten the hotel key.

"I forgot the–" I turned to tell her only to find she was much closer than I had anticipated.

Looking into her eyes, I could tell she was surprised by the close proximity as well. I also detected a hint of lust in her eyes, which I'm sure was a direct reflection of my own. She was about to turn away, obviously realizing the nature of the situation, but before she could I surprised myself and pulled her into me placing my lips on hers.

I guided us into the room, slamming the door behind us before leading her over to the bed.

What the fuck are you doing Randy? I don't know, I almost shouted, but my attention was brought back to Mickie and nothing else seemed to matter.

_Mickie's POV_

There was nothing more that I wanted now than to continue, but a part of me, a small one, was telling me that this was wrong. I didn't know why, however it was growing by the second. It took a significant amount of willpower, but eventually I was able to bring my hands up placing them on Randy's chest, forcing him away from me.

"What?" he asked.

"We can't do – oh god," I turned away from him, "I can't believe I'm actually doing this," I said loudly, but it was more or less directed to myself.

"Mickie?"

After a few moments I finally turned back to face him, "We can't do this Randy," I said firmly. "I _won't _do this. We've come way too far in our relationship to start going backwards. We have potential here, and I don't want to ruin that. I'm sorry, you don't, or maybe you do know how hard it is for me to force myself to stop this, but it's for the best," I insisted, despite the regret that was growing.

He stared blankly at me for a few seconds before turning away to take a seat on the bed. He stared into space for what felt like forever until he muttered a swear word and placed his head in his hands.

"Randy?" it was my turn to be confused this time.

I heard him sigh once before he lifted his head, no signs of his prior moment of weakness showing on his face.

"You're right," he said firmly, looking into my eyes. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking and it's not going to happen again.

There was something in his face that was unsettling. He almost sounded robotic, with no emotion in his words.

"Randy please don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Shut down and cut me out. This was a minor mistake, one we realized quickly. I wouldn't expect anything different given our history and the last few months. It's not a big deal."

I detected something in his expression, something that he wasn't telling me, and it was a little unnerving. But a moment later it was gone making me wonder if I'd only imagined it.

"I'm sorry," he spoke, "this was my fault and it won't happen again. Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"For using your head… for being the adult," he said.

"It sure as hell wasn't easy," I muttered, a thought creeping into my mind. I walked over towards him and sat down beside him, "Randy?" I asked.

It seemed like it took him forever to make eye contact with me, and what I saw in his eyes scared me. They were filled with guilt, and he seemed almost withdrawn. I swallowed, as a huge moment of hesitation came over me.

"I," I took a deep breath, "I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me."

He didn't say anything, just continued looking at me so I took it as a sign to continue.

I looked down at my hands resting in my lap, "Is there a future for us?" I whispered.

He remained silent, so I finally forced my eyes to meet his. He appeared to be pondering my question, but also struggling with what to say.

"I mean apart from Legacy, apart from Ted and Cody just… me and you?" I added. "You can't deny your feelings for me, and I stopped denying mine a long time ago. You are so important to me Randy, and I know our history is working against us, but I know that how I feel about you is stronger than that. I tried, for the last three years to move on and I couldn't. What does that tell you?"

I couldn't bear the silence. I had just been honest with him, and more than anything I needed him to extend the same courtesy, good or bad.

"Randy please, don't leave me on the ledge here," I pleaded.

"I don't know Mickie," he said quietly. "I don't know what the future has for us. And yes I do have feelings for you, I always have, but you can't just get over the problems that we have. I know that I don't…" he seemed to struggle with finishing the sentence and I really wondered what was going on in his mind. "…want a relationship. So let's just drop it for now alright?"

He didn't seem angry, if anything he was pleading. And I didn't want to make him uncomfortable or push him away any further, so I nodded my head in understanding.

"This…" I sighed, "…isn't going to make things uncomfortable is it?"

He shook his head, "No," he cleared his throat, "no, we both knew it without having to tell one another. Let's just continue how we've been."

"Good," I forced a smile, "now how about you take me out to eat, I'm starving."

After enjoying a quiet, and yet oddly comfortable meal, we drove to a nearby park to take a walk before heading back to the hotel. It was beautiful here, despite the cloudiness of the skies. There was a path that looped around a huge pond and a bridge that stretched overtop of it. There were various trees, and I imagined there would be flowers blooming in the summertime. Benches were also placed all over and there was a gazebo overlooking the entire area. It was relaxing to say the least.

We walked along the path that lead to a dock right on the water's edge, discussing whatever came to mind and enjoying the moments where nothing needed to be said.

"What would you do if I pushed you in right at this moment?" I asked, grinning up at him.

"You don't want to know," he responded.

"Oh yeah? Because I think you wouldn't do anything."

"Do you want to test that theory?" he challenged.

I tried my best to give him a shove, but his footing and balance was no match for me and I barely managed to move him an inch.

"Now that that's over, what would you do if I pushed _you_ in?" he asked,

The smile faded off my face, knowing that if it came down to it, he would win hands down.

"You wouldn't," I said, crossing my arms, suddenly very unsure of myself.

"And I thought you knew me better than that," he smirked down at me and took a step forward.

"Randy!" I shrieked as he grabbed hold of me and gave me a shove towards the water.

I expected to hit the water, but then I took note of the fact that he was still gripping both my arms. I opened my eyes and turned my head to look up and find him laughing, clearly amused at my reaction.

"You really think I would shove you into a pond? You do remember I have to endure a car ride back to the hotel with you, and you smelling like pond water wouldn't benefit me. Although…"

"Although? No I don't like although!" I exclaimed.

"I could always leave you here…" he said thoughtfully.

"No!" I shouted, pulling myself free of him and booking it back to solid ground, releasing a sigh when I was as far from the water as I could be.

He caught up to me a few minutes later, a smug expression still on his face.

"That'll teach you not to threaten me in the future."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "That wasn't funny!" I hit him on the arm.

"It was to me. You should've seen your expression," he chuckled, doing an impression that was apparently supposed to be me, girly high-pitched scream and all.

I hit him again but joined in with him laughing, leaning up against the side of the gazebo and revelling in this moment.

I don't know what made me think of it, or what made me voice my question, but it had escaped my mouth before I could stop myself.

"Do you ever think about… you know?" I asked quietly and instantly regretted it the moment the words left my mouth when the smile slid off his face.

I figured by now either he wanted to kill me for always bringing up the past or he was used to it by now. He turned away from me and looked out over the pond.

"Sorry," I muttered quickly, "I don't know… why I said that."

An unbearable silence came over us, and I wished more than anything that I hadn't said a word. Was I ever going to learn from my mistakes?

"More often than I'd like," he spoke, surprising me. "It's one of those things I'd rather just forget."

"Me too," I said, silence taking over once more. "Is it easier just… cutting everyone out? Just shutting down and withdrawing from everyone else?" I asked.

"Sometimes I guess. The less you let people see, the less vulnerability and the less chance to get hurt again. But the other fifty percent of the time you're left alone with your own thoughts… with the guilt that never seems to go away. There is no easy way Mickie," he turned briefly to look at me. "We both just took different paths."

Nothing more needed to be said. At least the both of us were on the same page. It was funny thinking back to even a year ago when I was on Smackdown and the times that Randy and I happened to cross each other's paths unexpectedly…

_Flashback_

"_Melina, I think I'm ready to go back to the hotel," I told my raven-haired best friend who was standing next to me while we chatted with a few other ladies._

_She turned to look at me, "Are you kidding? Mickie I barely get to see you and you want to cut this evening short?"_

_I felt guilty, but I just couldn't seem to get in the mood to be out right now. We only arrived an hour and a half ago but I hadn't wanted to come in the first place. The only reason I had decided to come was because Melina and Kelly pulled the 'we never get to see each other' card and how could I say no when it was the truth?_

_I forced a smiling hoping she wouldn't see through it, "You're right; I'm just going to get another drink."_

_She smiled, "Hurry back, we'll go dance."_

_Smiling in response, I turned and forced my way through a crowd of people and headed for the bar area. I hadn't told Melina, or anyone for that matter the reason why my mood wasn't better than it was because let me tell you when I first agreed to come out I was more than excited to spend a night with my friends._

_That was, until I laid eyes on him back at the arena. He hadn't seen me because I had, childishly enough, dodged behind a stack of boxes the moment I had seen him, but the damage had been done. Seeing him on television every week was one thing, but seeing him up close and in person was a whole different story. I wasn't prepared for how much it was going to hurt, even after all this time. It certainly wasn't the first time I'd seen him since I'd left Raw, but it was still just as painful even though._

_I squeezed in between another group of people, and had to turn back to apologize for stepping on a young man's foot, and when I turned back to continue on, I ended up bumping into the back of another._

"_I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying att–" I stopped abruptly as the man turned around and instantly I wished I was anywhere but here. "Randy…" I whispered._

_Surprise was noticeable on his face for a split second, but was soon replaced with a look of… hatred._

"_Well isn't this a surprise," he spat._

_I flinched at the venom in his voice, and I couldn't bring to respond so I kept my mouth shut._

"_I certainly didn't expect to run into you considering you've been jumping behind stacks of boxes to avoid me," he said in a mocking tone._

"_I haven't–" I started quietly, but I wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. He wasn't supposed to know that._

"_I know when you're lying Mickie… it's all rather pathetic isn't it? Or rather you are. What, you don't want to have remember what you're missing?" he asked, the bitterness seeping into his tone._

"_Keep dreaming Randy. I wouldn't take you back if you begged," I stated defiantly, not believing myself._

"_Oh because you could get any guy right?" he laughed bitterly. "Well considering your outfit choice for the night I'm sure you won't have a problem with that. I'm sure you're not picky either… just opening your legs for anybody these days desperate for a little bit of attention." He lifted his glass to his lips and took a swig of it._

_He must have noticed the shock on my face because he offered me a malicious grin a moment later as I crossed my arms across my chest uncomfortably wishing I hadn't worn this mini dress. Why couldn't I have worn the jeans I had initially chosen?_

"_How could you…" I couldn't even finish the sentence, my emotions overwhelming me._

"_The pathetic thing is…" he spoke slowly studying my face, "…is that despite everything, I have no doubt that that I could get you on your back in an instant," he hissed, taking a step forward so that we were only inches apart._

_For a moment we did nothing but maintain eye contact. I didn't know what he meant by any of this or how he was expecting me to react, so I just kept my mouth closed. After another few seconds he looked over my shoulder briefly before taking a step back._

"_Too bad I don't like reusing my old trash," he hissed just as another girl walked into his arms._

"_Hey who's this?" she asked him, gesturing to me. "I'm Rachel," she stuck her hand out for me to shake but withdrew it when I didn't reciprocate. I could hardly hear myself think let alone striking up a friendly conversation._

"_She's nobody important," he said quietly but with a hint of arrogance before pulling the blonde into his arms and bringing her in for a brief make-out session._

_To my horror I felt the tears building in my eyes, and before I could make my exit, Randy had pulled away and locked eyes with me. The hatred I witnessed was unbearable and I hurried past the both of them and didn't stop until I was safely outside the building._

_Leaning against the wall, I allowed the tears to fall and I truly felt as pathetic as I no doubt looked. The sad thing was… he was right when he said he could have me in an instant._

I looked over at the man sitting next to me as we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and surveyed his face witnessing no trace of hatred anywhere on his expression that I had that night. He must have sensed me looking because he turned his head slightly and upon realizing I was looking, he offered me a small, comforting smile.

"Can't help but admire me hey?" he teased.

I smiled softly, "We've come a long way haven't we?"

He drove into a parking stall and placed the vehicle in park before angling his body towards me

"Yeah," he agreed.

I maintained eye contact for another few moments before breaking it and unbuckling myself, "We better head in, I should start getting ready," I informed him.

"Yeah if you don't start now, we won't make it in time," he teased once more.

"That's right, so don't keep me or you'll be the one paying," I insisted.

I couldn't believe what I was witnessing as I watched from my place at ringside. The match that was taking place, unfortunately, was Ted DiBiase versus Randy Orton. Confused? Let me catch you up.

Last week on Raw Guest Host Nancy O' Dell created a match for the main event that pitted Ted and Cody against the mismatched team of Randy and John Cena. After Ted complained to her about being cheated out of the Team Raw qualifying match, she created the stipulation that if Ted and Cody won, the former would be given the last spot on team Raw. So we saw it as a win-win. Throughout the match, Randy refused to tag in, so basically it became a two on one handicap match much like the week previous.

Finally, after becoming sick and tired of Randy's games, John slapped him on the chest, tagging him in, but before he could get out of the ring, Randy delivered a kick to John's midsection. Randy's intent was to make it three on one when the Cenation leader gained a surge of momentum and took down Ted and Cody before angrily delivering an attitude adjustment to the Viper and leaving the ring area.

It was only seconds later that Ted, realizing the situation and also being the legal, did the only thing he could do and pinned Randy for the three count. Ted, Cody and I were shocked at what had just taken place, but surely Randy wouldn't mind if it meant Ted getting a spot on team Raw… right? Wrong. The Viper was seething as the former tag team champions stood at the top of the ramp. I spent my time in the ring with Randy trying my best to calm him down, to no avail, as he paced the ring, livid at what he deemed a betrayal. The plan had not gone his way.

So earlier _tonight_, during a backstage segment, Randy challenged Ted to a match and made it clear that the blonde was _not_ to fight back if he expected to remain in Legacy.

And here they were, squaring off against one another. I knew the match would be crucial to the future of Legacy but I certainly wasn't expecting… this.

Randy started off, a few kicks here and there, and Ted didn't attempt to fight back. Even after Randy gave him a couple shoves and yelled bitterly in his face, Ted still didn't make a move. But his face was beet red and he was shaking with anger – he wanted nothing more than to hit Randy square in the face.

It was only a few minutes after that that he snapped, not wanting to put up with the abuse anymore. Randy gave him a shove into the ropes, and the blonde Legacy member, allowing his anger to take over shoved the Viper back hard enough to knock him to the canvas. Randy retreated to the corner with Ted following wanted so badly to capitalize on the shove.

But that wasn't what shocked me. It was the live crowd. They were… cheering… for _Ted_.

"Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!"

I think Randy was just as surprised as I was, and I knew that Ted more than likely was too although he needed to stay in character. The fans wanted to see the Viper taken down so severely, they didn't hesitate in cheering for the guy who had been contributing to Randy's dirty work for the last year.

But the match was over moments later as Ted thought better of his actions and it resulted in an RKO to end the match. Randy left the ring angrily with his WWE title as I hesitantly climbed into the ring to check on my team mate, sending a few glances here and there to the curtains Randy had disappeared behind.

A few minutes later, with one arm draped around Ted's waist, I lead him up the ramp and into the backstage area. Both of us stared at each other… not saying a word.

"That was…" I finally broke the silence.

"…wow," he finished, staring off into space.

"Yeah," I agreed. "The crowd was nuts!" I exclaimed.

"Of all the things I expected to come from that match, _that_ was not one of them," he admitted.

"You and me both. They were fully behind you Teddy," I stated.

He looked down at me, "Yeah, kind of a shame I had to let them down."

"Still," I started, "that's incredible. Last week they booed you out of the arena and this week they were chanting your name."

He didn't have a chance to respond as Cody came rushing down the hallway towards us.

"Did you watch?" I asked.

"Of course I did and holy shit is all I have to say. I've never heard them cheer for you like that."

"Me either, but now that I think about it, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. I mean with my obvious awesomeness and all," he said arrogantly, a grin forming on his lips.

Cody and I exchanged looks of disbelief before simultaneously turning and strolling in the direction of the locker rooms.

I was positioned at ringside once more watching as Alicia Fox faced off against Eve who had Melina in her corner. It had been announced right after Randy and Ted's match that Melina was to be facing me for my title at Bragging Rights so I made my entrance out to the ring in a foul mood. If Alicia were to win, I would get to choose what type of match it was going to be and if Eve wins, the choice is Melina's.

My anger wouldn't have a chance to be lifted as only a few minutes into the match, Eve scored a pinfall despite my attempts to make the match go my way. Out of fury, I entered the ring and took Eve down with a clothesline and before I could take advantage of her, Melina knocked me to the outside of the ring where Alicia helped me up.

The number one contender grabbed a microphone and stood at the ropes as I slowly made my way up the ramp backwards clutching my title to my chest.

"Before you go, I just wanted to let you know what kind of match I'm going to beat you in on Sunday to become the new Diva's champion," she said with a smile on her face. "It's going to be… a Falls Count Anywhere," she announced as the crowd went crazy.

"What!" I screamed, appearing to be unhappy with the outcome.

To be honest, when I heard about it earlier, I was ecstatic to be involved in a match that was different than a regular match, especially when my opponent was Melina.

I was heading towards the locker room so I could get changed when I was stopped by Josh Matthews once more.

"Mickie, the WWE Universe, as well as myself, is curious as to what the state of Legacy is going into Bragging Rights as well as your thoughts on Melina's choice of match for your title defence this Sunday."

"Melina can choose any type of match she wants but the fact still remains that I am a better wrestler than her and I am certainly a better champion than her, which means that I'm going to beat her this Sunday and make her wish she _never_ crossed paths with me in the first place. As for Legacy, what you witnessed earlier was a small problem that was dealt with and now we're moving forward. Not only am I going to retain my diva's title, but Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes are going to lead Team Raw to victory and Randy Orton is going to prevail in his first ever iron man match and show you and everyone else just why he's the WWE champion."

"Hey you guys wanna do something?" I asked Ted and Cody while pulling my jacket on.

"As much as I'd like to, Eve and I are getting a late dinner so we can catch up," the brunette answer, stuffing his belongings into his bag.

"Okay yeah I understand," I smiled, turning to Ted. "How about you?"

Ted grinned at me, "Maria invited me to her room," he got up from the sofa and slung his bag over his shoulder, "Next time, I promise alright?"

"Oh yeah sure," I forced a smile.

"Okay," he offered a smile and leaned down to place a quick kiss on my cheek. "See ya later," he said before leaving the locker room.

"We'll have breakfast before I catch my flight okay?" Cody confirmed before following Ted out the door.

"Okay," I shouted after him, the disappointment somewhat annoying to me.

Someone cleared their throat behind me and when I turned around I found Randy leaning casually against the door frame.

"Oh I forgot you were here," I muttered, putting my hands on my hips.

"Is that a look of disappointment I detect on your face?" he asked, a mocking grin on his face.

"What?" I said defensively, "Of course not! I'm just… tired."

He stepped into the room, "Mickie, Mickie, Mickie…" he chastised. "Have I taught you nothing?"

I knitted my eyebrows, "Um no."

"Yes I– never mind. So they have plans… why should you care?"

"I don't," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Right and I'm supposed to believe _that_ when you're sitting in here pouting?"

"I'm not pouting!" I stated defiantly.

"The key to confidence is to act like you don't give a shit."

"I thought the key to confidence is being happy with who you are," I said, confused.

"That's bullshit," he scoffed.

"Okay well did it ever occur to you that I don't care?" I said, crossing my arms.

He stared at me, amused, "Maybe that's your problem. Maybe you should care. Come on," he grabbed my arm, picked up both of our bags and pulled me towards the door.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I'm going to give you a few pointers."

"Oh yay the _Viper_ is going to give me advice," I muttered sarcastically.

He merely offered a smirk in response as he lead the way down the hall.

"You want to know what your problem is?" Randy asked, placing his beer back on the table.

He had brought me to a lounge not far from the arena that was much more populated than I would have expected. However, we did get a lot of stares and a few approaches so I assumed quite a few had just left the show.

"Just what every girl wants to hear," I muttered. "My problem… uh associating myself with you?"

"Cute," he said sarcastically. "Your problem is that you're too nice… which don't get me wrong, isn't a bad thing, but sometimes being nice can be a pain in the ass and can really hold you back."

"So I'm supposed to stop being nice?" I asked sceptically.

"No of course not," he said, "it's one of the best things about you."

"So what are you getting at?" I asked, confused as to where he was going with this.

"Sometimes things are easier when you drop the nice act and opt for a more… tough exterior," he suggested.

"Why? I've been pretty content with my life thus far thanks," I spoke before taking a sip of my coffee.

He remained silent, appearing to be struggling with whatever he was planning to say next.

"Okay, so you know after we broke up?" I nodded my head so he could continue. "I was a…"

"Dick?" I offered sweetly.

He smirked, "Sure we'll go with that. Anyway, not that I'm proud of it and these days I can't even fathom why I acted in that way, I guess I–"

"Hated me?" I offered again.

"_Resented_ you… would you let me finish my sentences?" he asked, a hint of irritation to be detected, "but more than anything I was angry and… upset," he admitted hesitantly. "So I wanted to hurt you back."

"What does this have to do with anything?" I asked, uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"I guess," he cleared his throat, "it was like a game to me. Seeing your reaction each time and knowing I was hurting you. For a second it made me feel better… justified even."

I stared at him in disbelief, "Justified?" I whispered, "Justified?" I repeated a little more loudly.

I felt the anger rising in me, and before I could do anything I would regret, I jumped to my feet and headed for the door. Before I could make it a few steps, Randy reached out his hand to stop me so he had the chance to plant himself in front of me.

"Get out of my way," I hissed, keeping my voice as low as possible so as not to make a scene.

"Mickie listen, don't be mad. I know how wrong I was, and I'll never be able to express how sorry I am. Don't take a step back here," he said.

I sighed and looked away, knowing that he was right. Past is past, there's no way to change it.

"Come on, sit down," he said.

I narrowed my eyes before releasing yet another sigh and turning back to sit on my seat at the table. We sat in silence for a few moments, Randy obviously not sure what to say.

"So why tell me this?" I asked.

"If you had just… pretended that you didn't care, maybe I would've given up."

"So you treating me like shit was my fault?" I asked.

"No, no of course not, that's not what I'm saying. I don't want you to allow people to walk all over you, to make you feel bad about yourself."

"Just _you_ right?" I asked bitterly.

"I'm serious Mickie. Don't give others the satisfaction of knowing they got to you. You're too good for that," he said.

"Why is it so important?"

"Just because…" he shrugged his shoulders. "…vulnerability right? Don't become vulnerable for anyone. Pretending that you don't care is the best way to deal with the situation… it's basically telling that other person to fuck off. Think of it as advice from one friend to another."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, silence coming between us again.

"For the record, despite wanting justice, I never once felt… justified. It killed me knowing I was hurting you," he said quietly.

"And yet you never stopped."

"I felt… angry at you. I didn't know how else to react."

"Um civilized maybe," I said before taking a deep breath. "Whatever, past is past, we're moving forward," I reminded him.

"I'll drink to that," he took another swig of his beet. "So you know it's just a phase right?"

I looked up at him, "What is?"

"Ted and Cody spending a lot of time with their girlfriends," he said.

"I don't care," I stated.

Another smirk grew on his face, "You can't lie to me Mickie."

I rolled my eyes,"Oh yeah, I forgot," I muttered sarcastically.

"Perks of being me I guess," he said arrogantly.

I looked away and focused on a game of pool taking place in the corner.

"I just got used to it you know… the four of us. Even just Ted and I, but now he has Maria. And don't get me wrong, I'm happy for him. I just miss him that's all," I admitted.

"Don't be such a baby," he said.

I looked over at him, surprised at his insensitive response.

"Life doesn't revolve around what we want, trust me. The four of us are friends, that's not going to change, so don't bitch about it."

"Thanks for the kind words," I muttered.

"I'm just telling it like it is. That's what I'm here for," he shrugged his shoulders.

I smiled. Tough love I guess. I knew he was right. Randy, Ted, Cody and I would always be friends and that's all that mattered. I was happy for them, and that's the most important thing. The worry seemed to fall away as I was replaced with something else. Contentment.

**There's chapter 44, let me know what you think :)**

**Thanks again for the reviews, I love reading each and every one of them.**

**Any thoughts on what's going to happen on Raw?**

**Also did you see the trailer for HHH's new movie? And I agree that he's probably going to win the Rumble… it's going to be him or Cena, I guess depending on the severity of Cena's injury.**


	45. familiar territory

_A/N: So here is the much anticipated chapter. I do hope it wasn't built up to much that you are disappointed. Trust me when I say there's much more drama coming your way. Hope you enjoy this. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, it means a lot._

I think overall the diva's title match was going a lot better than expected. Melina and I had gone over endless possibilities all week long, and none of the ideas sounded as good on paper as how they were now playing out. I had just hit her over the head with a trash can, and had continued down the hallway in the back, the referee checking on Melina as I pulled open the women's locker room door and rushed inside.

The room was empty at first glance, but I didn't have time to check completely as Melina came barrelling in the door throwing herself at me knocking us both onto a table where I fought for control but she remained firmly on top pulling my hair and delivering a few right hands. That was until the blonde French-Canadian Maryse came up and pulled Melina off me, locking her arms behind her so I could get a few cheap shots to the midsection.

The help of Maryse was short lived as Kelly came into the room and tackled the Canadian to the ground, leaving Melina to shove me into the wall and then throw me back out into the hallway. Minutes later, we were back out on the ramp and as she came running towards me, I ducked, spun around and delivered a clothesline so hard it took her out a resulted in me crashing to my knees. She clutched her head in pain, as I laid over top of her for a two count.

I kneeled over her, delivering various punches to her head, before grasping her hair tightly and pulling her to her feet. I lead her over to the edge and kicking her in the stomach resulting in her falling backwards off the short stage and landing on her back on the ground. Pinning her once more, it was almost a three count but not quite as she managed to get her shoulder off the ground.

I let out a cry of frustration, before literally dragging her by her hair back towards the ring, but she caught me in the head with her foot, throwing me off balance for a moment giving her the chance to stagger to her feet. She tried with a clothesline on me this time, but I ducked once more, slapped her in the face and then threw her roughly into the barricade keeping her down for a moment while I recuperated. After a couple seconds, I came forward and pulled her to her feet once more, shoving her into the steel steps this time.

"You want some more Melina! Huh, you wanted this match! I told you I was going to beat you!" I shouted at her, kicking her in the side.

"I'm better than you!" I screamed. "You don't deserve to be champion!"

I bounced her head off the steel steps and then pinned her once more for a two count. I was getting more irritated by the second, so I threw her back into the ring. I irish whipped her and delivered a double axe handle and then another right after that.

Smiling to myself, I was confident I had it won, so I pulled her up for what I hoped would be the last time and kicked her in the stomach and was about to hit the roundhouse kick, but she ducked out of the way, delivered a kick to _my_ midsection and set me up for her 'Last Call' and three seconds later her music was playing throughout the arena, and she was announced the new diva's champion.

I don't know how long I laid there for, not really wanting to get up. The match had been physically demanding, and despite being proud and happy for my best friend, I was disappointed at no longer being the diva's champion. But I took comfort in the fact that if I were to want to lose it to anyone, it would be Melina because in my opinion there's no one better than her.

I made my walk of shame slowly back to the locker room, not pausing to talk to anyone until I was safely inside. The first person I saw was Ted who was waiting for me with his arms wide open.

Smiling weakly, I walked into him as he wrapped his arms around me, "You'll get it back," he whispered, kissing me on top of the head.

"I know, I'm happy for her. She deserves it," I muttered before pulling away.

Cody offered me a comforting smile before my eyes rested on the Viper, waiting to see what his response to the match was going to be.

"Randy Orton as the leader of Legacy on-screen would be very disappointed and angry that you lost the title, but Randy Orton off-screen would say that that was one hell of a match. I speak for all of us when I say I'm very proud of you," he said, offering a small smile to prove his point and I couldn't help but allow my own at the truth of the statement.

"Thanks," I replied, slumping down onto the sofa and resting my head on the back of it.

I can say with honesty that I was proud of myself too. The match had gone much better than I had anticipated, and Melina and I added that match to the history books proving that women were just as tough as men.

The guys set about getting ready for their own evenings as I tuned them out and closed my eyes, wondering where I was to go from here. I hadn't realized I'd dozed off until I was being shaken awake, and when I opened my eyes I found Randy leaning over me.

"Hey," I sat up, rubbing my eyes, "you let me sleep?"

"Didn't realize you were until you started snoring," he responded.

I narrowed my eyes briefly, "How long did I sleep for?"

"Half an hour maybe?" he responded. "Ted and Cody's match just finished… which they lost," he added.

"This night is _not_ going how I expected it to at all," I complained. "I guess I should fix myself so I can come with you out there. You nervous?" I asked as I approached the mirror to fix my mess of hair, and reapply some make-up.

"Excited would be a better word," he responded.

I smiled, "That's what John said. He also said he's glad you're his opponent because he respects the fact that you know what you're doing."

"Oh I'm touched," he teased, "Well I guess the feeling is mutual."

"You're going to do great Randy," I encouraged, "Like you usually do. Besides, you have luck tonight. Not only am I out there with you, but your family and Laura are watching out there too."

Tonight's Pay Per View was taking place in St. Louis, Missouri so he definitely had home town advantage playing on his side. Plus add in the fact that his family was cheering him on practically at ringside, a superstar couldn't ask for better circumstances.

"It _is_ nice knowing they're out there," he admitted.

"You'll do great," I repeated with confidence.

_Randy's POV_

Despite interference from Ted and Cody, who were eventually chased away by Kofi (whom Cody attacked backstage earlier because he blamed Team Raw's loss on him), and a little help from Mickie, Cena had still come out on top with a 6-5 win over me.

"Another loss to add to the list of the Legacy," Mickie muttered as we entered the backstage area, feeling more than sorry for ourselves. Three losses in one night was _hardly_ something to be proud of no matter how great the matches had turned out.

"Don't remind me," I responded bitterly.

"I'm sorry Randy…" she said, "if it's any comfort, you did really great out there," she said cautiously.

"Not much comfort right now," I responded, knowing it wouldn't be fair to take my anger, or rather disappointment, out on her.

"Oh water!" she exclaimed. "I feel like I haven't had a drink all night, I'll catch up with you, I'm just gonna grab myself one," she informed me as she made her down a connecting hall.

"Grab me one," I shouted after her, but continued walking, wanting to get back to the locker room so I could relax.

"Randy!" I looked up at the change in voice, to find Laura, my parents and Nathan approaching us.

"Wh- what are you guys doing back here?" I asked, looking over my shoulder and thankfully not seeing Mickie anywhere.

Laura approached me and grabbed my hand in hers, "It's not often you guys have shows in St. Louis, we had to come back here and say hello to everyone. I wanted to see Ted and Cody and Elaine wanted to see… Mickie," she said with disapproval, but quietly so my mother didn't hear.

"Well, Ted and Cody are probably with their girlfriends, so you'll have to wait to see them," I tried to give her a little nudge to keep moving, which she seemed confused about, but chose to ignore as she smiled up at me.

The rest of my family greeted me, and I knew by the look on my dad's face that he was eager to discuss my match. But it needed to wait until later, as I needed to get Laura out of here as quickly as possible.

"Hi Mom," I leaned down and gave her a quick hug.

"You did wonderful out there, don't forget that. I'm very proud of you," she smiled.

"Thanks," I muttered before turning away and trying to hurry them all back down the hall.

"Randy, what's wrong? It doesn't matter. I'm really sorry about you losing the title. Tough luck sweetie, you'll get it back, I have complete faith in you," Laura said with confidence. Before I could stop her, she reached up and placing her hand on the back of my head she pressed her lips softly against mine.

I reciprocated against my better judgement and a few seconds later I heard a clattering from behind me. Before I even looked, I knew exactly what was waiting behind me.

"Mickie," my mom said pleasantly, strolling past me and when I turned around I witnessed my mother pulling Mickie into her arms, seemingly unaware of the change in atmosphere.

Mickie paid no attention to my mother though, as her eyesight was fixed on me. I couldn't, as much as I wanted to, tear my eyes away from her. A look of betrayal resided in them and it broke my heart to see it there. It was only last week I had told her I didn't want a relationship at the moment and right now she was processing the fact that I had lied to her. What was worse was that she just didn't know how extensively.

"Mickie are you alright?" my mom asked, looking back and forth between Mickie and I. "Randy what's going on?"

I couldn't seem to find my voice, but I didn't need to as Mickie spoke up for the first time.

She forced a smile, "Nothing's wrong, I'm just… exhausted from my match earlier and _so_ surprised to see you back here," her tone sounded wrong, and I had to resist the urge to flinch at the pain I could detect.

My mom smiled at her, "I wanted to see you. It's been ages. I also wanted to invite you to dinner tomorrow night as well, please say you'll come. I have so much to tell you about our trip."

Mickie looked at me one more time, and I could tell instantly that she was only just holding it together. I couldn't bear to look at her, so I averted my gaze to my left to see Laura seemingly unamused by the scene in front of her.

"I, I'm sorry. I have plans," Mickie whispered. "I'm really sorry."

I think the realization finally became too much as she muttered a barely audible goodbye and hurried past us continuing towards our locker room.

My mom looked at me, searching for any indication about what that might have been about. "What was that about? Is she okay?"

"Don't take it personally, she's… we've had a rough night. Tonight didn't exactly go the way we wanted it to in case you hadn't noticed. I'll go and talk to her. I'll see you all later."

Ignoring the confused expressions that came over them, save for my brother whose interest was fixed on the Bella's and Kelly down the corridor, I hurried off down the hall after Mickie.

Reaching the locker room, I shoved open the door to find her quickly gathering all of her things into her bag, not bothering to organize any of it.

"Mickie, just give me a chance to explain," I started.

She finally zipped up her bag, "How long?" she said without looking at me.

"Mickie it's not import–"

"How_ long_ Randy!" she shouted catching me off guard at the loudness of her tone.

"I don't know… I guess, sometime before Summerslam," I muttered against my better judgement.

"Oh my god," she whispered, "Randy that was over three months ago."

"Mickie I wanted to tell you I just–"

"Slipped your mind right?" she muttered sarcastically.

"We had gotten into that argument about how you wanted me to give you more respect. I had a flight home that week, and she told me she still loved me. I decided to give it another try. When I came back the next week I wasn't expecting you to want to continue things at all let alone that I would actually allow it to happen knowing I had a girlfriend."

"You're pathetic," she spat before shoving past me and out the door.

I ran my hand down my face, trying to decide on what to do and after deciding I really needed a chance to explain, I attempted to go after her, but when I threw open the door I found my mom waiting on the other side of it.

"Randy what's going on?" she looked down the hall, undoubtedly wondering what was going on with Mickie.

"Nothing, uh Mickie isn't feeling well, and she got… she got into a fight with Ted earlier, so she isn't having a very good day."

She scrutinized me for what felt like an eternity, "You haven't told her?" she exclaimed. "Oh Randy…" she shook her head in disappointment, "how could you do this?"

"Mom, it's not like I planned for this to happen. I would never want to hurt Mickie like this," I defended myself.

"This isn't how I raised you to treat women Randy. You informed me that you had taken care of this situation. I told you that you needed to choose, and you said that you had decided on Laura."

"I did, I chose Laura, but I just couldn't… let Mickie go. After all these years I finally had her back in my life again… I love her," I said quietly.

Around my mother, I never seemed to have problems letting my guard down. I guess the main reason was that she always seen through the lies anyway, so it was ridiculous to even attempt it.

"I know you do… I know you always have. But that doesn't excuse your actions. You have to be honest with the both of them, they deserve much better than how you've been treating them," she told me.

I turned away and rubbed my hand down my face once more, trying to decide on what it was that I needed to do.

After a few moments of silence I turned back to her, "I know… She's never going to forgive me," I said with certainty.

"Mickie?" I nodded my head, "You don't know that for sure, but the only thing you can do at this point is be open with her… with _them_. Randy despite this exterior you've put up, you're a wonderful man. Don't forget that Mickie loves you too, so don't judge the situation too early."

Before I could respond there was a knock at the door and a moment later Laura poked her head in the room. "Hey there you are. What's going on?"

It took a surprising amount of energy to force a smile on my face, "Nothing, everything is fine."

"I'm going to go find your father and see if he's keeping an eye on Nathan so he doesn't get into trouble with the divas," my mom said, offering me a sympathetic glance before disappearing into the corridor closing the door behind her.

"Mickie storming out of the building means everything is fine?" Laura asked, taking a few steps towards me.

"She just… isn't having a very good week. She had a fight with Ted…"

When were the lies going to stop?

"Like I care," she muttered before looking up at the look of disbelief I allowed onto my face. "Sorry, it's just me and Mickie? Not exactly the best of friends."

"Yeah I know," I sighed, "Let me get changed and then I'll drive you home. I'm tired, so can we just grab lunch tomorrow?"

"You don't want me to stay with you tonight?" I could tell instantly she was disappointed.

"I'm beat, I just want to get a good nights rest and enjoy the time I have in my own bed. I won't be much company tonight but tomorrow I'll be good as new," I assured her, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek before heading into the bathroom to get changed.

I couldn't silence the thoughts, every one of them to do with Mickie, about how I could possibly salvage this situation and make everything right. This was hardly the way I wanted her to find out let alone at all. I knew I should have told her months ago… but instead I acted like a child and now she was hurting once more.

_Mickie's POV_

I now understood what it was like in movies when the character found out a life altering secret and everything turned into slow motion. It was as if the world had stopped. I shoved open the door to my hotel room and found it empty, Ted probably out with Maria. I don't know how I managed to make it back here without breaking down; I guess I wanted to wait until I was in private so as to avoid any embarrassment.

I sunk to the floor moments later not knowing what to do. _How could he do this?_ After everything we have gone through these past six months, both good and bad, after making me fall in love with him again, after telling me he didn't want a real relationship, it turns out it wasn't being in a relationship that was the problem it was being in one with _me_.

I didn't feel angry, I was hurting. I let him jerk me around, and throughout all this time I meant nothing to him. I was his little toy when he was on the road, and every week he went home to _her_. Oh god, I was mortified. _Humiliated_! Jillian had been right and Randy had lied right to my face when I asked him about _that_ phone call. It hadn't felt like the right timing, but I had myself _so_ convinced that she was wrong.

What am I supposed to do now? Maybe if I just curl up into a ball and stay there, all of this will go away. All the pain and all the hurt will leave me. Maybe if I do that I will wake up and realize that this was all just a bad dream, and that the last little while hadn't meant nothing to him - that _I_ hadn't meant nothing to him.

But all of me knew that this wasn't a dream and if I believed even for a second that it was, I would only be fooling myself. This was my reality and it had all come crashing down around me. This was my punishment for letting things happen the way they did – for letting myself be used by someone who enjoyed being in control of others. And I didn't realize it. All the phone calls, excusing himself for random periods of time, the various moments I had witnessed the guilt in his eye – not even the fact that he wasn't alright with what he was doing was any comfort to me.

The door was shoved open, interrupting my thoughts and looking up I took in the form of a frantic Randy.

"You have been leading me on for months and all of a sudden you have a girlfriend?" I whispered.

He was silent, "Huh?" I shouted this time, getting to my feet.

"I guess so," he muttered, closing the door behind him.

"You _guess_ so? You have been dating her and you have been screwing me on the side, wow you had a good thing going for you huh? What the hell happened to 'I'm not a big fan of relationships' huh?" I pushed him as hard as I could, "You told me just last week you weren't ready for a relationship!" I shouted and pushed him again.

He grabbed me fiercely by the arms, "Enough!" he yelled.

"No it's not enough! You made a fool out of me!"

I started punching him everywhere I could reach until my strength left me. The tears I had been struggling to hold in spilled down my face and became a sign of my humiliation, a sign of the damage that had been inflicted on me by a man that I idiotically convinced myself I could trust again. I would have crumpled to the floor had Randy not grasped me tightly to his body. I sobbed into his chest for what felt like an eternity while he held me.

I pushed him away from me as the tears were still streaming down my face, "Mickie… I'm sorry I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just-"

"Just what Randy? You knew what you were doing this entire time, and you didn't even attempt to stop it. You had the best of both worlds. You had a little something from each woman you have ever loved. Why was I on the short end of that stick?" I wiped away the tears but they just kept flowing. "Am I not good enough?" I whispered.

"No it's not like that, it's just . . . less complicated with her," he sighed, "Mickie I'm sorry."

But it didn't matter what his answer was, because not once did he say he was going to pick me and that he was going to end things with her. _I_ was the _other_ woman.

I felt winded, as if at any moment I was going to pass out. I couldn't breathe; I gasped for air as the room started to spin around me.

"Mickie?" the concern was apparent in his voice.

I swayed on the spot and brought my hand up to my forehead. I clutched a chair for support and placed my hand over my mouth. Feeling a wave of nausea I made it to the bathroom just in time to throw up.

How was it possible for things to change so drastically in such a short period of time? How was it possible to be in love with someone one moment, and then the next the sight of them made you sick? How could someone betray you over and over for such a long period of time, without you even realizing it? I guess I knew deep down that something was up. I thought that the reason he didn't see other girls was because I had asked him not to, turns out _I_ was the other girl, and he was cheating on his girlfriend with _me_.

"Mickie," he spoke behind me. I didn't respond. I _couldn't_ respond. So I just sat there with my back towards him, unaware but not caring how much time was passing.

I thought that things were different lately; I thought that he just needed time to figure everything out, that eventually he would come back to me. Somehow we had managed to create a relationship that, wasn't perfect by any means, but worked for us. We had grown to be able to confide in one another, to trust each other again, and despite all odds we had become friends again. Or at least I thought we had…

Eventually I stood up and took my time brushing my teeth because I didn't know what to say _or_ do. The thoughts of him with her – holding her in his arms, going out for dates when he had free nights, enjoying a happy, _healthy_ relationship – brought a fresh set of tears down my face. That was supposed to be me, not her. It was always supposed to be Randy and me. In spite of every bad thing that had occurred between us, a part of me always figured we would reconcile. We were the ones who were supposed to get married and have . . . I flung myself at the toilet again as a fresh wave of sickness came over me.

_He doesn't want you Mickie. _It was her voice that floated through my head.

He doesn't want me; I'm not good enough for him. I ruined him last time, why would he want me back? I'm just a reminder of the things that he lost – the things that went wrong in his life. The only thing I'm good for is when he needs someone to mess around with.

…But this wasn't _my_ fault. This was his fault. He led me on, he created this mess, and he continued knowing that it was going to hurt _me_.

He was still standing in the doorway and without meeting his gaze I pushed my way past him.

"Mickie can you just under–"

"Don't you _dare_ ask me to understand. I thought I understood you, but I won't _ever_ understand what goes on in that head of yours and _why_ you thought this was okay even just a little bit is absolutely beyond me."

"I didn't think it was okay, I just didn't know how to end it. Mickie… I love you," he whispered. I whirled around to face him and despite that his face proved he regretted saying it, I knew deep down that he had _meant_ it.

An hour ago him saying that would have made me the happiest woman alive, and now it just made me want to be sick again.

I shook my head, "You don't love me," she whispered. "Just get out," she sounded more confident this time around.

"Mickie I think we need to talk about this," he said.

"There is nothing left to say Randy. I have ruined relationships with my friends, gotten into fights with people that I love because I was defending _you_! I have screwed up my entire life for _you_!" there was silence for a moment because I was hoping he would say something, anything to make this better but he didn't. I shook my head in defeat, "I'm sick of making excuses for you Randy. I'm just… done."

"Can we-"

"Can you please, please can you just go? You've caused enough damage; the least you can do is leave me in peace. Please?" I pleaded. I could feel the tears coming on again – I fought hard to restrain them.

He took a step forward and tried to comfort me, but I couldn't hold my anger in. Slapping him across the face, "Get out of my face, I can't even stand the sight of you," I spat.

I rushed into the bathroom before he could respond, not hesitating in slamming the door behind me.

It was a few moments as I sat listening, before I heard the door to my hotel room close. I collapsed to the floor but to my surprise the tears didn't start again, but that didn't stop the pain. I wished for a numbness to envelop me, but it didn't come. It was as if life wanted me to feel this way, as a punishment for every choice that I had made in my life as of late.

All the memories – every kiss, every laugh we shared, every time he held me in his arms, and especially every precious moment I spent with him, Ted, and Cody as friends – every one of those precious memories flowed to the surface threatening to shatter me. It was like the break-up all over again, except this time it was worse – much worse. I had allowed myself to become vulnerable for him. He had betrayed me and there was no going back. I was alone in this, and I had no one to blame but myself.

I knew it was going to end badly, I just never expected this to be it. I never factored… Laura into any of this. Not once had I ever had a thought that she might be the reason that Randy could never truly be with me. More than anything I wished someone would rip my heart out because I had no use for it anymore. Anything would be better than what I was feeling right now. I knew that it was such a ridiculous thought, because my heart had nothing to do with this aching pain in my chest, but I would never be able to enter into a relationship with someone that wasn't him. This pain was never going to go away, no matter how hard I would try to ignore it.

I don't know how long I laid there before I was able to pull myself off the ground and open the door. A small part of me wished he hadn't left, and that he would hold me in his arms and tell me that everything was going to be okay. But I wasn't a child anymore, and life wasn't like fairytales. Life was realistic – it enjoyed kicking you while you were down to make you miserable.

I felt hopeless and cold as I shut the door again before turning around, and not bothering to remove my clothes I turned the warm water on and sat under the shower. But no matter how much I turned the handle, I didn't seem to get any warmer.

I heard the door open in the other room, and my heart fluttered at the thought that maybe it was Randy. How pathetic was I? He did this to me and I would still give anything to be with him. I didn't have any strength left. How could I face anybody? I was so ashamed. Randy had been right all those times when he called me pathetic. When I was too stubborn to believe it, _he_ had been right.

"Mickie!" Ted shouted from the other side of the door, "Mickie where are you? I don't care if you don't want to see anyone, I'm not leaving you alone."

I wished the tears would stop at least, so I didn't look as pitiable as I felt. I wish I could muster up the courage to open the door and pretend as if nothing was wrong, but I'm not the Mickie James I used to be.

I was broken and overused.

Ted, looking frantic, barrelled through the door and the moment he took in my appearance his face went from shock to sympathy.

"Ted," I whispered, needing him more than ever.

He walked forwards slowly, and sat down beside me in the shower not caring about his expensive clothes he had bragged about mere hours earlier.

"I ran into Randy, he told me everything. Oh god Mickie I'm so sorry. I had no idea," he pulled me into his chest as I started sobbing again.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the flow of tears. Not even the sun in my life, Ted DiBiase, could stop the pain. There was no way around this, so I finally gave up fighting and just let every ounce of hurt flood through me as the tears fell heavily down my face.

"I just feel so . . . ashamed," I admitted.

Ted, after coercing me out of the shower and into a bathrobe, had held me for hours–literally–while I cried myself to sleep. Every time I woke up I had asked him if it had only been a dream, and each time he shook his head and apologized. I knew he wished more than anything that he could have given me a different answer. I would cry myself back to sleep, only for the cycle to repeat itself.

At some point Cody had shown up having brought food and in the scuffle I had awoken and realized it was already light in the outside world.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of Mickie. This is entirely on Randy's head," Cody insisted.

"I started everything. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I was just so weak… so pathetic." I pushed the food around the container not having taken a bite of it.

"Stop calling yourself pathetic Mickie. He's the pathetic one. He's responsible for all of this," Ted said sternly while rubbing my back.

"I was just deluded with the idea that we were going to live happily ever after ya know?" The thoughts threatened to bring the tears again, but I knew there were none left to cry.

"Mickie, I mean we all knew your situation was different and unpredictable, but we all assumed you two were going to work things out," Cody admitted.

Ted nodded in agreement, "Yeah we just figured you had issues to get through, but we didn't have doubts. He was different you know, almost as if he changed because of you - into something better."

My thoughts drifted back to the conversations Randy and I had had on more than one occasion when he admitted that I had a good influence over him. That I always seen the good in him and that I made him a better person just by being around him.

I shook my head at them, "All that proves is how delusional we are. He's the Viper; don't ever assume you know what he's thinking. Look how things turned out because of assumption."

Cody set his food down, leaned back in his chair and after a moment he broke the silence, "It's just . . . over _three_ months! I mean how did none of us figure it out?"

"Hey, if Randy doesn't want us to know something, we never know. I think the biggest surprise is that he would let this continue you know? Over the last four months the four of us grew closer everyday, I just don't know how it was so easy for him to do this. He never would have told us, I mean sure we are just as much friends with him as we are with Mickie, but we _never_ would have allowed him to get away with it."

"I knew something was up too," I admitted.

"What do you mean?"

I released a sigh, "About a month ago, right after Kelly found out about John and me, I had this dream. The whole Kelly situation must have set it off, because in my dream she was at the front of this angry mob and they had me cornered. I thought I was done for, but Randy positioned himself in front of me and I thought I was going to be okay. But then he turned on me… he was part of this angry pack. And although that probably sounds like the stupidest dream you've ever heard, ever since then I've had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that hadn't gone away. I _knew_ something bad was going to happen… I just didn't know it was going to be this."

"You couldn't have known," Cody insisted. "Mickie you don't deserve to be punished. You said yourself you guys hadn't slept together in awhile… you spent your time working on your friendship."

"That doesn't change anything Cody. It doesn't change the fact that I fell in love with him again nor does it change the reality that despite telling me he didn't want a relationship right now that he in fact has a girlfriend."

I leaned back against the head board, "I feel sick every time I think about it."

Ted slung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me against him, "You're going to be okay Mickie," he said quietly.

"I don't know Ted," I whispered, "This may seem dramatic, but I barely made it through the first time. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do it again."

"I believe in you," he whispered.

"Can you just go?" I asked quietly after a few moments of silence, "Please? I appreciate everything, I just, I need some time alone."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. I think you should be with friends right now," Ted said.

"I'll be fine I just need to think," I separated myself from him and moved to the other side of the bed.

"Mickie come on you can talk-"

"Ted just go!" I yelled.

He looked taken aback at my sudden outburst, but he didn't appear to be angry or upset.

He took the food I hadn't eaten and placed it on the table beside the bed, "Alright, just call us when you feel up to it," he said in a quiet tone.

"You'll be okay Micks," Cody muttered before they both turned and left leaving me alone with the silence.

If anything I felt worse when the door was pulled close. Ted and Cody didn't deserve the way I was treating them. They had dropped everything and spent the entire night with me, and that's how I repay them?

But it's always been that way in my life… much like Randy ever since the break up I always wanted to deal with my problems on my own. It was because of the fear of vulnerability that I pushed everyone away when I should be allowing them in.

I crawled across the bed to turn the lamp off before resting back against the pillow. I suddenly felt weak again and severely exhausted.

This was never just about loving Randy Orton. When someone does what he did, you can get over those things and move on with your life, always remembering but never living in the past. This was simply about _needing_ him. It was straightforward, I needed him and there was no way I could adjust to life without him for a second time. Since the first moment I met him, an indescribable bond had been forged between the two of us and despite everything that has gone wrong in our lives, that bond has and always will remain in place. It is the reason that I will never be able to get over this, over our dark history, or over him.

I was telling the truth when I told them I wasn't sure I was going to be okay this time. I had lost two things that were more important to me than my own life and one of them I had lost for a second time. How am I supposed to go on when so much of me is missing? I had been given the one thing back that would have made everything okay and he was taken away from me once again. It was as if this was some cruel joke show and I was the poor bastard that it was centered around. How do you recover from something like that?

You can't.

People will tell you that you just have to work hard to overcome it, and put it in the past but never forget it. Most of the time those people aren't speaking from experience; otherwise they would realize it's not as easy as it sounds.

The truth?

I'm not sure I'm strong enough to conquer this.

_Randy's POV_

Despite being in my own house, I had gotten a total of maybe an hour's worth of sleep last night, but at this point I didn't even feel tired.

I had royally fucked things up between Mickie and me. How could I have let this happen? Why the hell did I let this go on for as long as I did? After everything started up again with Laura, I knew it wasn't going to be easy to let Mickie go again, but I knew that I needed to. Things certainly didn't work out that way did they?

I never wanted to have to hurt either of them and trust me that is not what I set out to do. I kept telling myself I was going to end things with Mickie, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. All of these years I had been fooling myself by claiming that I didn't love her, that I was over her, but the truth was I _had never_ gotten over her. Nor do I think I ever will.

But these past few months our relationship had grown stronger than I thought it could ever be again. Just last week, when we took that walk in the park, or when I was trying to teach her not to let others make her vulnerable, things had seemed so perfect between us that for the moment, I had forgotten everything that went wrong between us.

How crazy it is to think that after mine and her little road trip after missing our flight just six months ago, that I had seen her as just someone who popped up in my life once in awhile – at times that I couldn't control. It was crazy how insignificant I had tried so hard to make her be, when the entire time she was more important to me than anything else. I tried so hard to convince myself things were in the past, that eventually I started to believe them. Mickie was _never_ an insignificant person, hell she _never will_ be an insignificant person. Even before any of this started back in 2004, back when we were just friends, back when everything was almost perfect, she was so important to me in the form of a friend, a team mate that I had thought of it as my job to protect her, and even thinking that somehow she could be injured or hurt just drove me crazy.

I would never be able to love Laura the way that I did Mickie, and despite caring about her deeply, she would never have the same effect on me.

But things with Laura were safe, easy. And she loved me, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't love her in return. Just because I didn't love her the way I did Mickie, doesn't mean that I couldn't start a life with her.

The truth was that I was scared to enter into a relationship with Mickie again. She is the one reminder I have of the hardest time in my life. I don't blame her for any of it, but trying to get through even a day, let alone years, with that reminder all the time would not only be almost unbearable – it would be torture. I know that makes me a weak man but I didn't ask for things to happen the way they did with us back then, and god I wish more than anything I could go back in time and change my mistakes. Maybe then Mickie and I could live a happy life together. But it's impossible, and she and I will have to live with everything that went wrong for the rest of our lives. We will never be what we once were, and there was no point in even trying. That is the reason that I chose Laura – a choice that I was ready to stand by.

There was a knock on my door and for a fleeting moment I thought it was Mickie. Who the fuck was I kidding, she couldn't even stand to look at me. I wrenched upon the door to find Ted and Cody.

"What?" I hissed.

They both pushed their way past me, "Okay come on in," I said sarcastically.

"Cut the bullshit Randy, we want answers," Ted said.

"What makes you think I owe you anything? I told you what happened, that's all there is," I slammed the door behind them and resumed my previous position on my sofa in front of the fireplace.

"What were you thinking man?" Cody asked.

There was silence, because I didn't know what to say. I hadn't been thinking, or at least I hadn't been thinking about anyone but myself.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, "I don't know okay, I just don't."

"That's not good enough Randy!" Ted said loudly, "Mickie is at the hotel and she's a complete wreck. She has herself thoroughly convinced that she isn't going to get through this, and as much as it pains me to say it, I don't know if she will."

"Why did you do it? After all these months, after everything the four of us have been through. After gaining championships and losing them together, and after the strength our relationships have reached over the last few months…" I sighed, "You love her, so what the hell is this shit with Laura?" Cody spoke this time.

"You guys don't understand. Look I didn't expect Mickie to find out this way–"

"Or else you would have let it continue. When were you planning on telling her huh? When were you planning on coming clean? There's no right time to tell someone the only reason you want them is when you're feeling horny," Ted yelled.

I lunged at him and grabbed him by the shirt, "You don't understand anything Ted! Don't you dare accuse me of only wanting her for sex! You couldn't even _begin_ to comprehend the way that I feel about her," I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Hey, hey come on, calm down. Look Ted didn't mean it that way," Cody said trying to maintain the peace as he separated us.

"Well then explain to me Randy what the hell was going on in that head of yours?" Ted said, but this time in a quieter tone.

I was silent for a moment before I opened my mouth to speak, "I love Mickie, I do. You can go ahead and insult me in every way possible and tell me that I have a pretty shitty way of showing it, but I do. And as much as I love Laura, she will never be able to compare to Mickie in my eyes anyway. What I have," I sighed, "What I _had_ with Mickie was incomparable, and no matter how hard I could look, there will never be another person on the planet that makes me feel the same way that she does. But too much has happened, and when I say you don't understand, it's not just an excuse, it's the truth."

"Well then make us understand! We know about the break-up Randy, but what could be so bad that it keeps you two from ever having a future?"

I closed my eyes willing myself not to think about the past, but the memories came flooding back ignoring my protests. This was suffering of the worst kind and yet I knew this was exactly what I deserved. The mistakes that I had made, the people that I had hurt, I deserved the shame and the pain that came along with it.

I tried my hardest to block out the memories because this wasn't the time for them. Even though I knew that I would never fully be able to rid myself of them, I shut them out for the moment.

Climbing to my feet I paced back and forth looking at the various pictures on the mantel above the fireplace. There was a family portrait, one of Ted, Cody and I, a few of me and Laura and a small one on the end, that I never could bring myself to throw away, of Mickie and myself from years ago.

I couldn't take my eyes off of it, "I'm not bringing up the past," I said simply.

"Randy come on, look we're your friends just as much as we are Mickie's, you can tell us," Ted said desperately.

"No I mean I literally can't, it's not only my past, its Mickie's as well. I've betrayed her enough already, it's up to her if she wants you to know or not." I turned around to face them, "I know that I don't deserve to ask any favours of anyone, especially you two, but I want to ask you guys not to bring it up. Please don't ask her about the past. If she wants to tell you then she will do it on her own terms. Bringing up history will only hurt her more, and I don't want that on my conscience."

"Well you would deserve it," Cody muttered.

I turned to face him, his expression seemed unsure of how I was going to react, "Yeah maybe I do, but it doesn't change the fact that I care about her. You don't realize how much it kills me that I'm the one to blame for the amount of pain she is in right now."

"So why don't you put an end to it? You just said you will never love anyone as much as you do her, so why are you giving her the shaft? I just can't comprehend what's going on in that mind of yours," Ted sighed.

"Trust me, you don't want to. Maybe one day you'll be able to realize why I made the decisions that I did, but I can't fully explain anything without going into history that I don't have the right to tell you. If Mickie decides to tell you what I'm referring to, then I hope you'll understand. But even then you're probably going to think that I'm making the wrong choice. And maybe I am, but it's something that I'm going to have to live with. I can't keep jumping back and forth between these two. They both deserve better than me and yet they don't seem to think so. So I made my choice."

I grabbed the keys to my Hummer and walked to the front door before turning around to speak to my friends who obviously hadn't a clue what to say. It was silly of me to leave my own house, especially with guests still inside, but I didn't feel like hanging around.

"I wish more than anything that I didn't have to hurt her, but trust me when I say that she's better off without me."


	46. He's afraid of our past

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was how dry and sore they felt. I guess if you spend almost an entire night crying with very little sleep that's bound to happen. The second thing I noticed was that it had only been exactly forty-two minutes since I'd last glanced at the clock which brought my time spent sleeping since last night to roughly around the three hour mark despite having asked Ted and Cody to leave almost seven hours ago.

It was then I realized what had woken me from my sleep when I first heard the hushed voices coming from behind me. Focusing intently, but not moving so I didn't alert whoever it was to the fact that I was awake, I heard Ted's voice.

"Do you really think that's a good idea given the current situation?" he hissed quietly, apparently trying, and failing miserably, to keep his voice low.

"Do you think I would allow it if I had a choice?" Randy hissed back. "I can't tell her no without shedding light on the truth."

"Well maybe that's not such a bad idea," a third voice suggested calmly – Cody.

"No," Randy said firmly. "I've made a mess of this situation; I'm not making it worse. I just stopped by to give you a heads up."

I thought I heard him sigh and for a moment there was silence, "How is she?" he asked.

I sensed his eyes on me and despite that fact that I had my back to him and there was no possible way he could tell I was conscious, I shut my eyes on instinct.

"How do you think she is?" Ted snapped. "She's barely sleeping; she hasn't eaten, so I'd say she's pretty damn awful."

"Hey, hey!" Cody whispered loudly, "Be quiet or you'll wake her up. Look Randy, maybe you should go before she wakes up."

I still felt the Viper's eyes on the back of my head until I heard movement and the door open and close a moment later.

"Great what the hell are we supposed to do now?" Ted asked.

"Ted, this particular problem isn't his fault. His hands are tied if he expects to keep his relationship afloat," Cody said quietly.

"Maybe he should have thought about that before. I could kill him!" Ted hissed back.

"Look we can't change anything, we can only move forward and help Mickie through this," Cody, always the voice of reason.

"How can we protect her Cody? This is just going to make things worse."

"We'll figure it out together, we always do. The best thing is to delay telling Mickie for as long as we can get away with."

"Are you kidding? She needs to know as soon as possible. If she finds out accidentally who knows what it will do to her. The less surprises the better," Ted insisted.

Oh great, more bad news, just what I asked for.

"Ted I understand where you're coming from, but do you really think she can handle it right now?"

The room was silent for a few seconds until Cody spoke again.

"I've gotta go get ready. I'll be back in a bit to help if I need to. I don't want to have to wake her, but she needs to get ready for tonight."

Without saying anything more, the door was opened and closed once more as silence filled the room again. I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath until it all came out in a gush. I reached my hand up and lightly brushed away the few tears that had fallen. Why did I have to feel this way? Why couldn't I feel nothing? Why couldn't I just stop caring?

"Mickie?" Ted spoke quietly.

I sniffed, knowing I couldn't pretend I was sleeping anymore.

"Hey," I said rolling onto my back and attempting a smile which I imagined came out more like a grimace.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed right beside me.

"I'm tired," I whispered, rubbing my eyes only to find they were still wet.

"Oh Mickie," he said, offering me a sympathetic glance as he reached out and rubbed my arm.

"Don't worry about me. I lost the battle ages ago. My eyes start crying without a moment's notice and without my permission."

Despite the attempted joke, the concern only deepened on his face and I hated the fact that he was worried about me. This was _my_ problem and I didn't want anyone else to have to suffer because of it.

It took a surprising amount of energy to sit up, but I knew I needed to try my best at keeping up appearances – for my friends' sake and because I had been showing far too much sympathy for my liking over the last little while. I hated the fact that I'd let my guard down and left myself exposed in front of others even if it was Ted and Cody.

"Did you hear us?" he asked.

"Nothing I understood," I admitted, and automatically I could sense his hesitation in what he was going to say next.

"Ted?" I interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"I–" I hesitated this time, debating on whether or not I wanted to know what was on his mind and what they had been discussing. "I don't want to know," I whispered.

"Mickie I think its best if–"

"At least not right now," I interrupted, forcing my voice to be more firm. "Whatever it is I'll deal with it when the time comes."

He seemed to struggle with himself, "Okay, it's up to you," he finally said, grasping my hand in a show of support. "Regardless, I'm here for you."

I attempted another smile, "Thanks Ted."

I leaned forward so he could wrap his arms around me and for awhile he just held me stroking my hair and I had to admit I could have stayed that way forever. Ted made me feel safe and if that didn't confirm the fact that he was my best friend I don't know what possibly could.

"I think we should probably start getting ready," he said after pulling away to survey my face.

Raw.

How in the _hell _was I going to go on live television and pretend the biggest problem in my life was that I'd just lost the diva's title? Tonight was going to take a tremendous amount of strength, strength I wasn't sure I had.

"Can't I just call in sick?" I asked stupidly.

"If you could, I would have done it for you already. I'm sorry…" he said sincerely.

I merely nodded my head and swung my legs over the side of my bed so I could get to my feet. Suddenly I felt cold and more than anything I wanted to crawl back under the blankets and never come out. How stupid, a bed wasn't going to protect me from my problems. So I started forward and entered the bathroom. One glance in the mirror confirmed my speculation – I looked just as bad as I felt. It was going to take a lot of effort to make myself Raw appropriate – effort I hardly felt was worth it.

It wasn't just my appearance that was the problem, it was the aching pain in my chest that hadn't subsided even a bit over the course of the night and it scared me. I wasn't prepared to live this way the rest of my life. How was I supposed to get joy from anything, particularly from wrestling, when I felt as if I was never going to be happy again? And more puzzling, how the _hell_ did I get through it the first time?

.o.

I didn't feel any better after an extra long shower, not that I fully expected to, but even after everything I still maintained a smidgen of hope. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Hope at this point was a risk I wasn't sure I was willing to take. Pathetically enough, yet not so surprisingly, I found myself to be tremendously fragile.

Forcing myself to smile and pretend everything was okay was such a work out when we finally arrived at the arena a couple hours later. No one, apart from the obvious, knew what had happened, which seemed ludicrous to me because it had taken over my entire world.

"Hey Mickie!" I turned to find Brie and Nikki strolling near me, obviously on their way to the women's locker room.

"Oh hey you two," my voice sounded so false to my ears I had to resist the urge to flinch.

I breathed a small sigh of relief when I realized they weren't going to stop and chat before I hurried to catch up to Ted and Cody as they lead the way to the locker room. Once there I stopped abruptly outside the closed door wondering how I could be so stupid.

"I can't go in there," I shook my head.

"Mickie… its Legacy's locker room," Ted said.

"He's in there, or he's going to be. I… can't," I said quietly.

"So… where are you going to go then?" Cody enquired.

"Um…" I scratched the back of my head, "I guess I could go to the diva's locker room."

In reality that was the last place I wanted to be, but I wasn't ready to face Randy, not yet. Although that was stupid considering the segments that were to take place tonight. I could tell by the looks on both of their faces that they wanted to protest, but both seemed to have thought better of it and remained silent.

"I'll uh," I took a step back, "see you guys later."

I turned on my heel quickly and hurried back in the direction we had come, childishly running away from the problems I knew deep down I couldn't avoid forever.

_Randy's POV_

I hadn't seen Mickie since last night unless you count seeing her sleeping when I visited her hotel room earlier. I know it was selfish for me to even be thinking about myself, but I couldn't help but feel terrible at how this entire situation had unfolded and even worse than that, I caught myself feeling sorry for myself earlier. I deserved the pain I was feeling and more than that the guilt because I was the reason Mickie was in the state she was in. She may not ever be able to forgive me, but it was nothing in comparison to the hate I felt towards myself for putting her in this condition.

I didn't deserve Mickie James. She was this loyal, amazing, selfless, one of a kind and beautiful woman who loved me and the only thing I ever did was disappoint her. Hurt her.

I honestly didn't know what to expect from her when she did finally show up and I didn't know how I was going to react or what I could possibly do to make any of this better especially with Laura coming on the road with us for the next couple months.

The sound of the door opening made me look up in anticipation of what was coming only to find myself disappointed when Mickie was no where to be found.

"Where is she?" I asked Ted and Cody, standing to my feet.

"She… decided to go to the women's locker room," Cody answered.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," I muttered. "Regardless, I guess I was still hoping to have a chance to talk to her."

"She needs time man. The least you can do is give it to her," Ted suggested, the tone in his voice alerted me to the fact that he was harbouring anger towards me.

"Ted don't begin to think you understand anything that's going on between us, or what either of us is going through," I snapped.

"I don't care what _you're_ going through, you started this mess," he said.

"Yeah I did, and I want to make it right," I hissed back at him.

He shot me a look of disbelief," You can't make this right! You took her already fragile heart, ripped it out and broke it into a million pieces. And then you broke it into a million more and dumped them into a trash can! You think you would've learned your lesson the first time around."

Without thinking I reached out and punched him square in the jaw, the impact knocking him to the ground instantly. I ignored the guilt that came almost simultaneously as Ted looked up in surprise and Cody jumped forward to give me a shove back so I wouldn't do anything else. In this moment I didn't give a shit, just add this to the huge list of regret I have going for me.

"Fuck you Ted, don't you _dare_ try and downplay how I feel about her," I spat before giving Cody a shove and storming out of the locker room.

That probably wasn't one of my better ideas and I knew I could get in a serious amount of trouble for assault on another superstar, but at the moment I couldn't care less. There was an anger residing in me just clawing to get out and I couldn't wait for my segment later so I could relieve some of it.

Deep down I knew it wouldn't change anything though because underneath the anger was an even greater amount of pain that I didn't want to deal with. I didn't deserve to feel anything because the worst part about this entire situation was that Ted was right and I couldn't even force myself to believe otherwise. I created this mess and I had no fucking right to feel sorry for myself.

_Mickie's POV_

"Mickie… Mickie," the voice seemed so far away and distant that I almost ignored it until I felt a hand softly grasp my shoulder.

Snapping my head up, a wave of dizziness overcame me and it took a few seconds before I could see the blonde in front of me clearly.

"Mickie are you alright?" the look of concern on Kelly's face told me how terrible I must look.

"Yeah," I had to clear my throat because my voice was raspy before forcing a smile, "I'm just not feeling well."

"Is it your time of the month?" she asked, a sympathetic smile on her face.

I nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak and not quite ready to tell her or Melina that they had been right all along. I knew with certainty that they would never give me grief or an 'I told you so' but I didn't want their sympathy either.

She surveyed me for what felt like an eternity before responding, "You want some Midol?" she offered, taking a seat beside me on the bench. "Cramps can be a bitch," she smiled softly and placed her bag on her lap so she could dig through it.

"No it's alright," I spoke softly and when she gave me a quizzical look, I added, "I already took some."

"Alright," she smiled again, "You'll feel better soon then. Is anything else wrong?" she wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

I faltered for a brief moment wanting to tell her everything but instead I merely shook my head.

"If you need to talk, about _anything_, you know I'm here Micks," she offered, and for a fleeting moment I had a feeling that she knew more than she was letting on, but dismissed it in the next moment knowing it was next to impossible for her to know already.

"I know," I said, glancing down quickly at my cell phone.

The show had started thirty minutes ago and we had already witnessed Randy attack Kofi, after Kofi's match with Chris Jericho because he blamed him for costing him the WWE title last night.

"I should probably head out. I need to meet the guys for our segment," I said and with one last look in the mirror, I slipped out into the corridor.

I was already dressed in my ring attire prepared for my singles match against Kelly later on in the evening where I was hoping that even if it was for the few minutes, I would be able to get my mind of everything. That was what being in the ring was for me; it was my sanctuary and never failed to lighten my mood.

After taking a deep breath and summoning any strength I had remaining, I set course to where I knew the rest of my team mates would be waiting. Another couple of minutes passed by before Ted and Cody came into view. We had discussed the segment earlier and when I approached them we were given scripts to go over briefly but the segment was fairly straightforward, so we didn't need much preparation.

"You alright?" Ted asked when he saw me, pulling me in close to him.

"I wish people would stop asking that," I muttered into his chest.

Before he could give any sort of response we were summoned forward and for the first time since last night I locked eyes with the Viper. I wasn't prepared for the overwhelming emotion and it felt as if I'd been shoved into a brick wall. I had to avert my gaze because the urge to cry came over me once more and I felt so vulnerable… so feeble.

On-Air

"…You call it an attack Josh, but I call it justice and you can believe me when I say, I have only just begun with Kofi Kingston."

I approached the two of them as Randy was glaring at Josh and the sudden movement made the interviewer turn slightly to look at me.

"Leave," I hissed, trying my best to sound authoritative, and watching as he hurried off.

Randy turned his head to look at me and for a moment I caught the pain in his eyes, but it was gone a half second later as the remainder of Legacy joined us.

"What could you two possibly want?" he hissed at Ted and Cody.

"Randy," I spoke up, stepping forward so I was in front of him. He looked down into my eyes, and for a moment I was frozen. Get a hold of yourself Mickie, you're on live television!

I looked away briefly, "Just hear them out. We know you're having a bad night we just want to make it better."

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes at that ridiculous statement… oh the irony.

"We totally agree with you man, you should be champion… right?" Cody spoke up, looking over towards our blonde team mate.

"You were robbed last night Randy," Ted added.

"Exactly," Cody started again, "We just wanna show you our support… with a gift. A token of our gratitude for everything you've ever…"

I zoned out and didn't pay much attention to the rest of the segment, wanting nothing more than to get the hell away from here. I almost flinched when Randy placed an arm around me to lead me over to where Ted and Cody had his brand new custom made race car waiting for him. His touch felt different, or rather my body, as if knowing of the betrayal, was responding differently to it.

The car was basically being used to fuel a feud between Randy and Kofi that would lead to them heading teams for the traditional Survivor Series elimination match as later tonight Kofi would completely vandalize it for payback while Randy watched from inside the ring.

I looked from each of my team mates when they spoke, trying my best to maintain as much of an interest as I could, or at the very least make it appear that I was. I hadn't realized the scene had ended until I felt the eyes of the Viper on me. Looking around I noticed that Ted and Cody had obviously gone off for their match and finally I allowed my eyes to rest on his. The moment they connected I instantly turned away and attempted to make my escape to no avail as he placed a hand on my arm and turned me back to face him.

"Mickie… please talk to me…"

I turned my head away and folded my arms across my chest, not trusting my emotions and finding myself unable to meet his gaze while I was incapable of controlling myself.

"Mickie," I could sense the desperation in his tone and to my surprise I felt a longing to reach out to him, to stop the pain I knew he was going through.

It was just a normal reaction that's all.

He brought his hand up to place on my cheek and I closed my eyes at his touch as he gently forced me to look at him, "Tell me how to make this right."

I brought my hands up to wipe away the tears that had fallen, "You already know the answer to that," I whispered, wishing harder than ever that he would change his mind and choose me.

I knew by his expression that he wished more than anything he could do whatever it took to make the pain go away so that I wasn't constantly suffering, but it didn't make anything better because it didn't change the situation.

"I can't Mickie… I just can't. I'm so sorry, you'll never know how–"

I couldn't be near him anymore so I turned away and ran not stopping to look where I was going. Finally I bolted inside an empty washroom and closed the door behind me just as my legs weakened and I collapsed to the floor.

.o.

After finally gaining the strength to get off the bathroom floor, I headed straight for the gorilla position and out onto the ramp. Thankfully I was supposed to be pissed off tonight as I had just lost my title, and being angry seemed to be a lot easier at the moment than acting arrogant. I took all my frustration out on my blonde opponent, but was screwed out of the win when Melina distracted me briefly so Kelly could roll me up. They both walked up the ramp taunting me, as I shouted insults at them, promising I would get my revenge.

I headed back to the women's locker room, but only to grab my iPod as I found myself a dark, empty room to hide out in with my music device blasting in my ears trying my best to distract myself from the problems that had consumed my life.

It was like three years ago all over again. I was a complete wreck because of the very man I couldn't seem to get over no matter how hard I tried. And I did, I honestly tried. I dated other men, I maintained the distance between us as much as possible, there was months at a time when I didn't see him. But none of it ever seemed to change the way my heart longed for him.

The worst part was that even though I would like nothing more than to place the blame on him for everything, I had no one to blame but myself for allowing this to happen in the first place. Sure he lead me on for months, but I sat back and allowed it to happen. I _knew_ something was wrong and stupidly enough I ignored my instincts in favour of the way he made me feel on occasion. So yes, he had lied, but I did something much worse in lying to myself and now I was paying the price.

Snatching the headphones out of my ears I aggressively threw my iPod on the floor beside me. I hated feeling helpless, because even though I can't change anything, it doesn't alter the fact that I'm always going to wish I could. Placing my head in my hands I released a small cry of frustration at my throbbing head, my aching chest and my overworked and even more overtired brain. I finally brought my head up, and wiping the tears from my face, I retrieved the iPod and exited back into the corridor heading towards the Legacy locker room.

Praying Randy was elsewhere, I pushed open the door to find the room only occupied by Ted who was sitting on the sofa unlacing his boots.

"Hey I was wondering where you got off to," he said, abandoning his task for the moment, "Are you–"

"Please!" I interrupted, "Please don't ask me if I'm okay, it's kind of redundant and the question is really getting on my nerves."

"Okay so… what's up?"

I sighed and started forward to take a seat on the same sofa right next to him, "I need you to tell me what I've been trying to avoid… whatever it is that the three of you were discussing earlier."

Realization hit and his face fell somewhat, "Oh," he said softly before clearing his throat, "well the thing is…" he scratched the back of his head, "It's just that… so–"

"Dear god Ted _please_ pull the trigger," I pleaded.

"Laura's going to be travelling with Randy for awhile," he shouted quickly.

I hadn't realized I had zoned out until I came back to reality to find Ted waving his hand frantically in front of my face trying to get my attention.

"Huh?" I shook my head, "Sorry… why?"

"She was laid off her job, she's a news producer, it's actually–"

"Ted, I don't care!"

"Oh right… well anyway, she was offered a position at another news station but the current person who holds that position isn't set to retire for another two months. So she insisted on travelling with Randy to 'spend time together'," he did the air quotations.

"Oh great," I muttered, turning away from him.

No matter how hard I tried to be a good person, I never seemed to be able to catch a break.

"Is it hot in here?" I choked out, gasping for air. I felt as if the room was shaking… or maybe I was just dizzy would be a more logical way of looking at it.

"Uh no… Mickie are you–"

"Don't ask Ted!" I shrieked, knowing exactly what he was going to say. "Oh god I can't breathe. Ted I can't breathe!"

"What?" he asked worriedly, shifting in his seat trying to figure out what to do. "Put your head between your legs."

Placing his hand on the back of my head, he shoved it down so my forehead was touching my thighs. It made me feel a little better, and automatically I felt myself loosen up and a minute later I was able to sit up straight. God, could I hold it together for five minutes?

"What am I going to do Ted?" I asked in the calmest voice I could manage, "I can't see them together all the time… I'm barely holding it together as it is."

"We'll figure it out okay? It's not like she'll be hanging out at the arena or anything."

"How can he do this? The nerve…"

"If it means anything, he isn't thrilled about the idea considering everything that's happened," he said hesitantly. "Mickie he still cares about you… that hasn't changed. He… punched me in the face earlier."

I looked up at him, horrified at the thought, "What? Why?"

"He thought I was trying to downplay his feelings for you or something. I guess it was out of line for me to say anything, but I'm angry that he did this to you. I know you don't care, and you shouldn't…" he insisted, "because what he did was unacceptable, but if it's any comfort, he's torn up about it too."

"Yeah it still doesn't change the reality of the situation," I muttered. "I can't believe he punched you… that makes me want to strangle him even more."

"Mickie…" he cleared his throat, "Why don't you," he hesitated before pressing on, "…why don't you tell Laura about… about everything." It seemed to take him a ridiculous amount of time to get the words out.

I continued to stare at him for a few seconds before I turned my head and focused on the wall opposite us, "I can't. I haven't even contemplated it because it's not an option."

"Why not?"

"Because Ted, pathetically enough I would endure this pain if it meant Randy had a chance at happiness and…" I faltered searching for the right words.

"And what?" he asked softly.

"…and she's the only other person on this planet that _truly_ understands how I feel. She loves him Ted, more than you could imagine, and if he doesn't want me, I'm not going to screw up a future for him with someone I am _certain_ will treat him right."

"Wow that's incredibly–"

"Stupid?" I offered.

"…selfless. You are truly something else Mickie James," he draped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me towards him.

"I am anything but selfless Ted DiBiase," I muttered, "if you only knew how wrong you were…"

"But I'm not wrong Mickie. You're a good person who has been put into a shitty situation. I'll never understand why and you don't deserve it by any means, but you're strong and I know you'll be okay," he said confidently.

"I guess we'll find out," I whispered.

After assuring Ted that I was going to be fine and that I was going to try my best to get through this, I left the locker room so I didn't have to deal with Randy again.

"Hey where did you disappear to?" Kelly asked when I strolled back into the women's locker room to collect my belongings.

"Oh I was hanging out with Ted," I responded.

"How are you?" Melina asked.

"Huh?" She couldn't possibly know what was going on.

"Kel told me you weren't feeling well…"

"Ohhh right… I'm doing better. Nothing a good nights rest won't fix," I forced a smile.

"Hey you girls ready to– Oh hey Mickie," Eve said upon exiting the powder room with Nikki, Brie, and Maryse following. "Are you coming out for a late meal with us too?"

I looked at each of the ladies eager faces, "Uh no," I said, leaning down to pick up my bag, "I'm not really feeling well; I should probably get some rest."

"Oh come on, you look stressed," Maryse spoke up, "a ladies night is just what you need," she insisted.

"Yeah we don't get together often enough," Nikki added.

Her twin nodded her head eagerly as Kelly took a step forward.

"It's up to you," she said quietly, "but you look like you could benefit from some low key time with a few girlfriends."

I remained silent, knowing that I would hardly be able to enjoy tonight no matter whom I spent it with. It would take a lot of effort to keep my game face on and tonight had been strenuous enough as it is.

"Okay," I finally agreed, knowing a night spent out would be much better than a night spent alone in my hotel with only my never ending thoughts to keep me company.

"Fabulous," Eve smiled, "Shall we ladies?"

After changing into a pair of jeans and a black top, Kelly and Melina linked arms with me as we lead the way out of the locker room and into the corridor heading for the exit.

We ended up at a small club slash restaurant, seated in a booth in the corner of the dimly lit building. It was littered with various other people, but had a very private and intimate feeling to it save for the dance floor in the next room. After we placed our drink orders, I excused myself and headed towards the bathroom where I retrieved my phone and found Ted's name in my favourites.

"Hello?" I heard his voice on the other end, and couldn't help but notice the irritation.

"Hey Ted, it's me," I said.

"Oh hey Mickie," the impatience disappeared, "Where are you?"

"The girls asked me out and I just wanted to call and let you know I'd be back in a couple hours."

"Okay no problem. That's great that you're out, it's just what you need."

I smiled, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. What are your plans?"

"Maria."

"Ew as if I didn't have enough mental images in my head," I muttered, realizing now the reason behind his earlier annoyance.

"Our relationship is a very sexual one… in fact that's basically all it–"

"Ted!" I laughed.

"Hey I got you to laugh," I could tell by his tone that he was proud of himself.

"Yeah you did… I'll talk to you later, or tomorrow okay?"

"Okay enjoy yourself… in your own bed!" I shouted, but he had already hung up by that time.

I took a deep breath, and had to give myself a little pep talk about enjoying tonight before I headed back towards our table filled with the most wonderful and supportive ladies I have ever had the pleasure to spend time with.

"You weren't trying to climb out the bathroom window were you?" Nikki teased, "I know Maryse can get a little annoying, but its best to just ignore her."

"Excuse you," the blonde responded, "You can't ignore me, I'm the sexiest of sexy," she said before muttering a string of French words.

"Oh here we go," Eve said, laughing at the other divas.

I smiled, "Play nice ladies."

"It's only an insult if we can understand it Ryse," Brie said with a grin as she blew the blonde a kiss.

Maryse smiled back, "Moi, insult you? Never," she said airily.

I had to smile as I looked around the table and watched them all carry on conversations and joke around with one another. It had always been that way with us, because despite our different personalities, we all had one huge thing in common – the fact that we were all WWE diva's and spent so much of our time on the road with one another. Not many can call themselves a WWE diva, and it's what made us special in our own rights. I'm sure a lot of the world thinks of us as air-headed bimbo's who show too much skin on live television and have participated in degrading matches in the past, but that's not who we are. We are sexy, strong, beautiful, athletic and special in our own individual ways. _That's_ what it means to be a WWE diva, and I knew that I would always maintain some sort of friendship with all the ladies in this business.

"So what's going on?"

An hour later after we had finished our meals, we went dancing for awhile and finally when I had had enough, I came back to sit at our table and enjoy another drink.

I looked up into the eyes of my blonde best friend, "What do you mean?"

"We're not stupid Mickie," Melina said softly, "We know something is going on."

"Yeah I was humouring you early in the locker room because I knew you didn't want to talk," Kelly added.

So I had failed at fooling them… figures. I never was good at getting away with anything around them.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, taking a sip of my drink and averting my gaze.

"Mickie, if you don't want to talk about it that's completely fine. But don't insult our intelligence," Melina said.

I didn't respond so Kelly spoke again, "There must be a reason that after like four months you start using the women's locker room again."

"Not to mention, no offence because you are beautiful and you know that, but you look like hell… like you haven't slept."

"And stressed…"

I sighed, fighting back the urge to cry once more. Jesus, would there ever be a day when I didn't feel like this? I hated being this vulnerable, it was _unacceptable_.

"It's Randy isn't it?" the Latina asked softly.

I didn't meet either of their gazes, but I slowly nodded my head wishing that all of my friends weren't such direct people.

"Sweetie, you can tell us," Kelly said, moving closer and wrapping an arm around me.

"You were right," I sniffed.

"Right about what?" Melina asked.

"That he was only going to hurt me," I whispered.

"What happened?" Kelly questioned, brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes.

"Turns out he has a girlfriend," I tried to smile, but the action felt wrong given the situation. "He's had a girlfriend for the last three months. I'm such an idiot."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Kelly spoke softly.

"Don't be, I should have listened to you and I never should have gotten involved with him again. I was just so sure that we had a chance you know?"

"So… who is it?" Melina asked hesitantly.

"Laura."

"Is that… that's the one he dated before you right? His high school friend or something?"

"_Childhood_ friend… since they were kids," I said, making it seem much worse. How could I compete with that?

"So what… how is he dealing with this? I mean, he cares about you, that much is obvious. Why would he do it?"

"He told me he loves me," I admitted.

"Wow… um well that doesn't exactly surprise me. But why would he do this to you?" Kelly asked.

"They were dating before we got together technically, or around the same time. He says he didn't expect things to continue with me but he didn't know how to stop them. He can't be with me because he's afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of our past," I stated.

.o.

I couldn't believe how worn out I felt as I said a final goodbye to Maryse, Nikki and Brie before the elevator doors closed and took me up to the fifth floor where I couldn't wait to curl up in my bed and forget this day ever happened.

I certainly didn't anticipate what I found when the doors opened up on my floor.

"Randy… what are…?" I couldn't even finish my sentence so I stepped off the elevator.

It was weird seeing him here considering he should be at his own house right now.

"I came by to see if I could talk to you."

"To say what? To tell me about how you punched Ted in the jaw today?" I said rudely.

"That was a mistake," he admitted. "I know if I was in his place, I'd be the same way."

I sighed, "What do you want from me Randy?" I spoke in barely more than a whisper.

"Mickie I'm sorry alright? I'm sorry you had to find out about Laura that way and I'm sorry that I lied for as long as I did. I just… the situation got out of hand. I can't stand that you're mad at me."

"You can't stand that I'm mad at _you_? The situation _got out of hand_?" I half shrieked, "Are you fucking kidding me Randy?"

I was surprised that underneath the layer of pain that had become my life, I felt an even bigger amount of anger towards the man in front of me regardless of whether or not I had agreed that this was my fault.

"You lie to me for months, for _months_ and I'm supposed to feel sorry for _you_? Go to hell," I spat.

"Mickie, of course I don't want you to feel sorry for–"

"This is my fault Randy. I willingly and yet so damn stupidly trusted you again and the only thing you did was let me down. Well don't worry, I'm used to it," I said maliciously.

I don't know what I expected from him, but I certainly didn't expect him to lean down and kiss me. The first thing I noticed was that it didn't feel like it used to… and it only served to make me angrier than I was which I didn't think was even possible.

I pulled away and a second later my fist collided with the side of his face almost knocking him off balance. I had to resist the urge to cry out as a surge of pain shot through my hand, my wrist and up my arm.

He was stunned, but not half as much as I was as we continued to stare at one another for another few moments.

"Go home Randy," I whispered before turning and hurrying down the hall towards my room, clutching my hand against my chest.

I don't know what had caused the tears, whether it was the situation or the throbbing hand I was cradling in my other, but they came as soon as I had closed the door. I literally felt like I had lost a war with my tear ducts and now they were taking over and forcing these ridiculous tears to fall down my face.

I heard movement on the other side of the door and when I heard the key inserted I tried my best to move out of the way but I got knocked over with the impact and ended up falling on my aching hand.

"Fuck!" I shrieked, crying out in pain as I rolled on my back and clutched the hand against my chest.

"Mickie! Oh my god what happened?" Ted asked, kneeling down and pulling me into his arms.

"I– I hurt my wrist," I said through gritted teeth.

"Is it my fault? I'm so sorry… I didn't know you were in front of the door. Here let me see," he grasped my wrist gently and inspected it tenderly. "It doesn't seem like anything is wrong with it, you probably just landed on it wrong. I'm sorry," he said again.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to relax myself and immediately the pain subsided a bit. Knowing it was absolutely necessary to have it checked out by a professional and planning to do so tomorrow, I opened my eyes and looked into the face of my best friend.

"Sorry," he repeated again, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"It's not your fault. I hurt it earlier," I admitted. "Although you bowling me over with the door didn't help all that much… I'll be fine," I assured him.

"Well who hangs out in front of the door?" he teased, and wrapped his arms around me more tightly as he kicked the door closed with his legs.

"How was your night?" he asked softly while gently stroking my hair.

I couldn't believe how much things had changed in the course of a day. Normally Cody and Randy would be in here with us teasing Ted and reminiscing on the show and our days respectively. My hand wouldn't be in pain because I wouldn't have just punched Randy in the face out of anger. I wouldn't be constantly fighting, and losing, the urge to cry. And on top of that I wouldn't be sitting here on the floor in Ted's arms with a broken heart and a pathetic longing for it to be Randy on floor with me. No, this time last week I was holding out hope for a future for the two of us, not knowing that in a week everything was going to change for the worst.

"It was fine," I responded, shrugging my shoulders.

"Just fine?"

I sighed, "What do you want me to say Ted? That everything is great? Because it's not and it's never going to be. Say good bye to the glory days because they're gone. And it's not only because Randy's now dating Laura, or now we _know_ he's dating Laura, it's because I'm never going to get past it. I know I should be able to… but I can't. And now…" I cried, taking a deep breath,"…and now I have to be forced to be on the road with them and watch her be where I'm supposed to be."

"I didn't mean to…" he trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.

My how _much _things have really changed… Ted never has a loss for words.

"God I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, disappointed in my unnecessary behaviour. "Ted, I'm sorry. I'm being awful when the only thing you've done is be here for me and put up with my bitchy attitude without complaint."

"Don't apologize. I understand that you're hurting Mickie and you have every right to be. I said I was here no matter what and I meant it," he said, "unless you expect me to go on a tampon run, because that's what we have Cody for."

I let out a small laugh and nestled my head on his shoulder as he leaned back against the wall.

"Distract me Ted."

"How?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. Do you have any problems in _your_ life?"

"Oh that kind of distraction… I was going to kiss you."

I laughed weakly again, "It's interesting that that's the first thing that came to mind. You my friend are much too physical."

"Speaking of problems…"

I tilted my head back to look up at him, "What?"

"I like Maria, you know I do… it's just," he inhaled deeply, "Do you remember when you told me that Maryse asked about me?"

"Yeah…"

"It made me realize how much I miss her–"

"Oh great I knew I shouldn't have told you," I muttered.

"No, no I'm glad you did actually. It made me realize that things with Maria and me are mostly… physical and don't get me wrong_ that _part of a relationship is great, I just think I want more than that."

"So why can't you have that with Maria?"

"Its not that we don't have anything in common… we do. It's just not perfect and easygoing like it was with Maryse. Sure she and I had to hide our relationship but it wasn't just about sex. It was… more than that. We spent just as much time talking, laughing and enjoying one another's company as we did with the physical stuff."

I looked up at him and raised my eyebrows.

"Okay _almost_ as much time. What can I say, we could go at it forever," he said with a grin.

I punched him playfully with my healthy hand as he released a laugh.

Finally he spoke again after a few moments of silence, "I think about her all the time and every time I see her I just want to grab her and kiss her. You know how you said you couldn't ever be with anyone else knowing that what you had with Randy will never be matched by anything else?"

I nodded my head, "That's how it is with Maryse for me and it's why I feel so guilty about continuing this relationship with Maria."

"She's not happy with him you know," he said, "she's just comfortable."

"So talk to her… and maybe be honest with Maria," I suggested.

"We'll see," he said quietly as silence covered the room for a few minutes. "So wait, you said you hurt your hand before?"

"Yeah," I said quietly nodding my head and replaying the earlier altercation in my mind.

"How?"

I sat up to look at him, "I–" scratching the back of my head uncomfortably I searched for the right way to say this, "I punched Randy in the face," I mumbled.

"You what?" he shouted, causing me to jump. "Sorry, you what?" he said in a quieter tone.

"I'm pretty sure it hurt me more than it did him," I informed him.

To my surprise he started to laugh and when I offered him a questioning look he said, "Karma's a bitch. My jaw still hurts from earlier."

I had to smile regardless of the fact that my punch no doubt paled in comparison to Randy's. I just wish that a smile or sharing laughter with Ted would be enough to make everything better, but sadly we lived in the real world and not a Disney movie.

At least for tonight I wasn't going to be forced to talk about the one man I didn't want to even think about. But sadly miracles don't happen that often and just because we wouldn't be talking about him didn't mean that I was ever going to be able to stop thinking about Randy Orton.

_Randy's POV_

"Hey where did you disappear to? I thought you would be back a couple hours ago. I waited to eat until now," Laura said, as I closed the door and stepped into the living room of my house.

"Sorry I… got sidetracked," I stated, removing my jacket and hanging it up in the closet.

"Oh well it's just… I cooked a meal for us Randy. If I knew you wouldn't be back, I wouldn't have bothered," she said, and I could tell by her tone that she was disappointed.

"I never planned on coming back so late," I said, finally turning to look at her.

"Well it would have been nice if you would have called–"

"Laura!" I shouted, causing her to flinch, "I said I was sorry alright? What do you want from me?"

"What do I want?" she repeated, "I want you to try and make this work Randy."

"What do you think I'm doing huh? You're coming on the road with me and I didn't protest to that!"

"No but you sure aren't happy about it. This is about Mickie isn't it?"

"Mickie… what does Mickie have to do with this?"

"Everything! Just like she always has. Is that why you don't want me to come with you? She's manipulating you Randy, can't you see it?" she pleaded.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Leave her out of this," I hissed, feeling oddly defensive about the words that had come out of her mouth. She didn't even know Mickie.

I knew that she was the last person I should be taking my anger out on, but I couldn't seem to stop myself once I got started. I sighed, knowing I needed to stop before I said anything I would regret. Turning on my heel, I walked the short distance to the staircase and slowly ascended it, entering my room a moment later. I walked into the bathroom and paced back and forth, the anger bubbling inside of me. I knew I needed to calm down, and that my behaviour was unacceptable.

It took me a few minutes, but I finally managed to compose myself before exiting back into my bedroom. I looked over and seen Laura standing awkwardly in the doorway, hesitating over what to say.

"If you don't want this Randy… tell me now," she said softly, and at closer inspection I didn't see any hint of anger on her face, only sadness. "I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am, and I know that a part of you will always love her. But I'm willing to look past that if it means we can have a future together. It's up to you. Do you love me enough?"

I stared down at the floor, contemplating her words and racking my brain for any sign of what I should do. Finally I looked up at her and forced a small smile on my lips.

"I made my decision Laura, and I'm sticking with it. I love you, and I want this relationship with you," I insisted, taking a step forward and pulling her into my arms.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

And I was sorry about my previous actions, but more than that I was sorry that no matter what I would never be able to give all of myself to her. That there would always feel like there was something missing in my life, and that someone has always been Mickie James. There was no getting over her, but I needed to move on for the both of us.

_Sorry for the wait, I fully intended to update earlier but haven't had access to the computer I needed in order to update. Please review :) I'll try and update again in the next couple days._


	47. I can't be happy without you

_I would like to apologize for all the depressing(?) chapters… however every love story has its heartbreaking moments._

"Sorry this wasn't the extravagant birthday party you were expecting man," Cody shouted towards us from the other end of the table.

"I _was_ disappointed that there was no theme nor was it a surprise, but this is good too," Ted admitted, offering me a smile.

I forced my own smile before taking a sip of the champagne the restaurant had provided. I _had_ intended to plan a surprise party for my best friend, but I kind of dropped the ball over the last couple of weeks and to be honest I didn't have the strength or focus. I was just thankful that Cody took the incentive and set this dinner up.

"You alright?" Ted leaned over to whisper in my ear.

I tipped back the rest of the contents from my glass before focusing on him again, "Just peachy."

I hadn't cried in public or in front of anyone since the day after I found out about Laura which was two weeks ago. I learned to save all my tears for the times when I was alone, and every night I cried myself to sleep like clockwork. If Ted noticed during the nights when we were on the road, he never mentioned it. I also refused to talk to anybody about what I was feeling, because I was tired of looking pathetic in front of everyone.

Looking up into his eyes, I witnessed the sadness in them and a surge of guilt washed over me.

"I'm sorry Ted, I don't mean to be such a downer on your birthday party," I sighed.

"That's not what I'm concerned about. I hate the fact that you're feeling this way."

"I'm fine," I insisted, "it's been two weeks."

"It's going to take a lot longer than that Mickie, you can't lie to me, I see right through this act," he said softly. "We'll get through it together. I'll be your wing man so to speak... help you reach your goal."

"Thanks DiBiase," I grasped his hand to show how much I appreciated everything he's done for me lately.

Glancing down the table I noticed Cody had his eyes on the both of us. "You okay?" he mouthed. Everyone else was too absorbed in their meals and conversations to notice the exchange between the three of us.

I nodded my head and sent him a smile, assuring him that I was going to be fine. That was one of the things I liked most about being best friends with these two... they cared just as much as everyone else, even more, but they never made a big deal out of it. When I said I didn't want to talk, they never pressured me and I don't think they'll ever know how much I appreciate it.

We were enjoying a dinner at a restaurant celebrating Ted turning twenty-seven. The night had been fairly enjoyable so far, well as much as it could be, and I was glad that everyone else seemed to be having a great time. Among the three of us was Eve, seated down by Cody, Maria who was on the other side of the birthday boy, John and Kelly, Maryse and Mike (who seemed to be in a rather foul mood), as well as Nikki and Brie whom I had only invited a few hours ago. Santino was also in attendance as well as Melina and... John Morrison.

I had to smile at how happy my Latina friend seemed as if she were a love struck teenager. Last week Melina was still struggling with her feelings and the choice she knew she needed to make. Ultimately she decided on John, but when she was about to confront Dave about it he informed her that he was being transferred to the Smackdown brand. Sensing a drift between the two of them, he ended things with her knowing it would be hard for them being on different brands considering their already fragile relationship. So everything had worked out for her and the both of them, John and Melina, were happier than I had seen either of them in awhile.

The lot of us had agreed to meet here at five, enjoy a nice dinner and watch Ted open his presents, and then afterwards we were all going to head over to a club Maryse had heard good things about. It was weird, sitting at the table watching as Ted opened his gifts because mere months ago Ted and Cody were hardly on speaking terms with any of these superstars. Things had changed so much in such a short time, for better and for worse.

At around seven thirty, myself and the rest of the divas headed back to the hotel so that we could get changed and ready for our evening out. Wanting some time alone I remained outside the hotel and sent them in telling them I would meet up with them later, giving myself a chance to get a hold of myself in preparation for tonight.

The only reason I was actually going out as opposed to staying holed up in my room is for Ted and Ted alone. I wanted him to enjoy his birthday because he deserved a great one. Besides, how many times is he going to be twenty-seven?

_Randy's POV_

I don't remember the last time I had felt as exhausted as I was feeling when I pulled open the side entrance to the hotel and stepped into the warm building. Under normal circumstances I would force myself to suck it up and get on with my life, but these weren't normal circumstances and Mickie wasn't just anybody.

Laura and I had just engaged in a quiet dinner at a sushi bar a few blocks from the hotel, and afterwards she met up with a few friends she knew in the area. She invited me to come along, but I expressed how tired I was, and merely dropped her off so she could enjoy herself for the evening.

Tonight was supposed to be Ted's birthday dinner, and both he and Cody had stopped by earlier to invite me. I hadn't declined, but I also hadn't told them that I was going to attend. After a couple hours of debate, I finally decided against going as it was hardly appropriate given the circumstances.

I walked the short distance to the elevator to witness the doors were just about to close, and not wanting to wait for it to come back down I wedged my foot in between them to stop them closing.

"Oh you have got to be kiddi- are you serious?" Mickie exclaimed when she took in my sudden appearance.

I should have just waited for the next one. Merely rolling my eyes in response I stepped onto the elevator and selected the button for my own floor. It was hardly mature, and no doubt I was the one to blame, but I had just enough of Mickie's bitter attitude to last me a life time. Of course I knew I deserved it, but I couldn't help who I was and that meant I couldn't stop myself from becoming angry when someone, no matter who, attacked me.

"So what's your excuse for not showing up at Ted's birthday party?" she asked bitterly as the doors closed. "I mean, he's _only_ your best friend."

"I figured you wouldn't want me there and I didn't want to make things any worse," I said.

"Since when do you give two shits about me?" she scoffed. "Because considering everything that's happened, I would have to call bullshit on that claim."

"Mickie just stop while you're ahead. I'm not in the mood today," I retorted, unamused by her newfound attitude.

"Oh but Randy, I'm _you_ three years ago. Surely you can't hold it against me," when I didn't respond she continued, "So how's the happy couple?" She asked in a mocking tone.

"It's none of your business."

"Ohhh trouble in paradise? Gotcha. Well what do you expect when you settle for second best?" she said maliciously as the doors opened up onto my floor.

I turned to look at her with disbelief, "Oh because you're quite the catch. Who the fuck do you think you are? I chose Laura... that makes her my first and _only_ option," I sneered before stepping off.

I needed to get away from her before I said anything I'd regret. I promised myself that I would stop trying to hurt her because she was the one who was getting the shit end of the deal in all of this.

"It's obvious you've had to convince yourself of _that_ fact!" she shouted, as she stepped off the elevator. Apparently she was feeling extra bitter today… great.

I stopped walking abruptly to turn and face her, "You are irritatingly full of yourself. Don't you think that if I wanted you I would have chosen you?"

I didn't wait for any sort of response as I continued down the hallway stopping outside my room to dig through my pocket for my key.

"You didn't choose me because you're scared," she shouted, rushing to catch up with me, apparently opposed to me getting the last word in.

"Mickie get over yourself and get over the past before it consumes you. I can barely stand to see you doing this to yourself."

I tried to slam the door in her face but she put her foot out, much like I had with the elevator, stopping the action abruptly and slipping into my room with an angry expression settled on her face.

Surprised that she was being so forceful, "What are you doing? Get ou-" I started.

"Am I supposed to cry or something?" she said, crossing her arms. "Your words have no effect on me anymore. I've cried far too much and for far too long over your pathetic ass!"

I smirked maliciously, "Looks like you're the one who's had to convince yourself of that statement. Despite using pathetic in reference to you many times before, I never once meant it. But _believe_ me," I took a step closer so I was right in her face, "when I say you are beyond pathetic now. You're petty, vindictive and immature. I wish that we had never gotten involved with one another, it sure would have saved me a fuck of a lot of grief."

I watched as she took a step back and shifted uncomfortably. The irritation and anger that I had been trying to rid myself of was flowing through my veins and I found myself quickly transforming into the Viper.

"Cat got your tongue now? I always liked you better with your mouth closed. I'm sick of this Mickie... we started having sex again because you agreed to nothing more than that since I made it clear that I didn't want a girlfriend. _You_ agreed to it, so a part of you is to blame as well. You claim that you take all the blame, not that I would ever want you to, but this attitude proves that once again you have blamed me for everything. Deja vu anyone? You always blame me for every fucking thing that goes wrong in your goddamn life. You hold grudges and you don't let them go. You punished me for the last eight fucking months of our relationship... you and you alone ruined what we had."

"You are nothing but a bastard and a liar," she spoke quietly, seemingly surprised at the words that had come out of my mouth.

"Yeah because I'm the only person in your life who has lied and kept a secret from you," I snarled back, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, as I turned away from her to remove my jacket and proceed to fling it across the room in frustration.

"What the hell does that mean? None of my friends cheated on me!"

I couldn't resist the urge this time as I rolled my eyes, bored of this conversation.

"Yeah maybe not, maybe that was just me. But you can't say I'm the only one who's ever lied."

Confusion stretched to every area on her face, as I debated with myself whether or not to bring up the past. The memory from that time in my life flashed through my mind and I had to resist the urge to flinch at the betrayal.

"Ted and Cody for the most part have always been honest with me about the important things, don't you dare try and turn the focus onto them."

I glared down at her, "I'm not talking about them. I'm referring to the ever so innocent Kel– Never mind Mickie just get out of my hotel room."

"No, no you _cannot_ bring something up and then not go through with it. Kelly? Is that what you were going to say? What does any of this have to do with her?

"Mickie…" I said through gritted teeth, "Just go! I didn't mean anything by it," I turned away hoping she wouldn't be persistent with this.

"Randy…" she said and when I didn't respond, "Randy!" She moved forward so she was now standing in front of me.

I had to turn my head away because I couldn't bear to look her in the eyes with the memory fresh on my mind.

"Randy?" she whispered, "Don't tell me that… no," she gasped, her voice cracking.

"It was once," I managed to get out in a whisper after a terrible bout of silence.

She seemed to falter for a moment, unable to process what I had just said or maybe she just didn't know how to respond, "No Kelly, no she would never. She hasn't– You're lying," she stated, but with much less confidence than she was able to muster earlier.

I shook my head slowly, not trusting myself to speak. There was no lying or denying it now. I had done once again what I promised I wouldn't do this time around. I was throwing things back in her face to purposely hurt her. I had reached an all new level of low and there was no taking it back now.

"Fuck. Mickie I'm sorry. I tried to stop it– you shouldn't have insisted! Mickie please just forget it. Trust me when I say it was a huge mistake."

She ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath before turning away from me. I wish I knew what was running through her mind, but at the same time I knew it was nothing I really wanted to know.

"Mickie I'm... sorry," I said more quietly as she turned back to face me.

"My friend? My _best_ friend?" she lunged forward angrily and started throwing punches at me, "How could you?" she screamed.

"Mickie," I grunted trying my best to avoid being hit in the head, "I was angry with you for everything that happened, I wanted to get back at you," I snaked a hand around both of her wrists to stop the hitting. "It was a mistake... and I've regretted it since that night. I _never_ wanted you to find out."

She yanked both of her hands out of my grasp and turned around, pacing in circles with her head in her hands.

"You are the biggest mistake I ever made. I used to think all the pain and heartbreak was worth it but I was wrong. _You_ weren't worth any of it. Everywhere you go pain follows. You did nothing but fuck up my life back then and I let you do it again. Well this is the end of it," she turned to walk out the door but stopped and whirled back to face me. "I should have known. I should have learned my lesson from the first time. You can't change, you never will. You're selfish and incapable of bringing good to anything. I hope you can live with that."

The sound of the door slamming was the only thing I heard as the one woman I would give anything for, walked out on me for good. I felt a mixture of things – regret, anger, sadness – but the one most evident was the shame. I didn't deserve Mickie, not even back in our Evolution days, because she is the epitome of good. Throughout that and throughout my denial a part of me always held out hope that maybe one day we could reconcile. It wasn't just my bad choices, or my terrible inability to make up my mind when it comes to my personal life, it was the horrible person that I had become that was continually forcing us apart.

That night we spent at the club back in Atlanta, the night before the road trip we took months ago, I should have gone back to the hotel with Ted and Cody instead of insisting on staying with Mickie. Nothing had happened between the two of us then, but that night set everything in motion. Mickie broke through the first layer of my guard when we were stuck in that car together, and from that point forward it was a downward spiral for us. If only I had listened to my conscience and to Ted… maybe we wouldn't be in this situation and maybe she wouldn't be in the pain she was in right now.

_Mickie's POV_

When I stepped off the lift, following after Randy, I never expected to be leaving his room having just found out what I did. I expected to get him a little riled up, force him into an argument with me – after all he deserved to be yelled at – but not once did I figure he would admit to screwing my best friend.

The only thing running through my mind at the moment was the memories of the night Kelly had found out about John and I, and Randy had jumped to my defence.

_Flashback_

"_Does it surprise you that I can admit to caring about her?" Randy said to all of my friends standing in front of me, "Well it shouldn't be considering I have since the moment I met her, but that's also none of your goddamn concern."_

_Randy paused for a moment before turning his attention back on Kelly, "__**You**__ have no right to talk…" _

I had thought the emphasis on that statement had sounded odd, but I didn't ponder it further as I was merely grateful that he had defended me when I found myself at a loss for words. I never would have expected that there was a hidden meaning behind it, that only Kelly and Randy were aware of. I felt nauseous at the thoughts of the two of them together… sharing in an intimate moment with one another.

Seconds after leaving Randy's room, I entered the elevator and selected the button for my floor and as soon as the doors closed I sank to the ground and pulled my knees up to my chest. I couldn't be sure of how long I sat there, and I lost count of how many strangers asked if I was okay. I didn't reply to any questions but when the tears finally subsided I knew exactly what I was going to do. I rode the elevator down to the second floor and when it came to a halt I stormed off it with a vengeance. I knocked on the third last door – Kelly and John's.

I waited for a few seconds until the door was pulled open and I was surprised when Melina answered the door.

"Mickie," she seemed just as surprised but I knew it was because of my current state as opposed to my sudden appearance at the room. "We're not quite ready yet– what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Where is she?" I enquired, crossing my arms and strolling into the room.

"Who? Mickie are you alright?" she was confused.

"Kelly! Where is she?" I hissed.

"Bathroom... Mickie what's going on?"

"Good question, why don't we enquire together," I angled my body so I was facing the bathroom.

Not a full ten seconds later, Kelly stepped out of the bathroom ready to go out for the night. Her hair was done in perfect curls and she was wearing a cute dress that I couldn't even admire because of the anger that was clouding my vision and the memory of how she punished me for something so pathetic fuelled my anger.

"Mickie," she said with a smile which faded quickly when she surveyed my face and then Melina's confused expression, "What's... wrong?"

"Tell me Kelly," my tone was harsh, "was it so easy to keep the secret because you knew it would only hurt me or was it because you didn't want to be humiliated like all the other divas? I bet it was the second one," I said bitterly, "always trying to get people to think you're so innocent."

Her eyes flitted to Melina as if trying to get an answer for my odd behaviour, "What... are you talking about? Are you okay?"

I laughed bitterly, "Am I okay? You know people have asked me that a lot over the last little while. Hm let's see, I fell in love again with my ex-boyfriend only to find out he is dating a girl I've never gotten along with. He chose her over me and you want to know the kicker?" I paused for effect, "I just found out my best friend fucked my ex-boyfriend. So NO! I am NOT okay!" I shouted the last part while pointing my finger at her in an accusatory way.

"Mickie what are you talking about?" Melina enquired placing herself between us and surveying both of our faces.

I think it was that moment that Kelly truly grasped what I was saying as the guilt covered every inch of her face.

"Are you gonna tell her or should I?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at the girl in front of me that I never thought I would be in this situation with.

"Kelly?" Melina asked quietly, angling her body in the blonde's direction. After a few moments realization hit, "No Kelly you didn't?" she gasped.

"You know I wasn't sure. I figured the least I could do was give you the benefit of the doubt, but I see the truth on your slutty, hypocritical face," I snarled.

I knew that name calling was hardly proper no matter the situation but I couldn't help the anger that was boiling inside me and I wasn't about to play nice. Especially not when she never extended me the same courtesy for being guilty of something _far_ less.

"Mickie, no it was a mistake. Please listen to me. I never meant for it to happen," she pleaded.

"A mistake hey? That's funny that's exactly what Randy said. Hmm you must not have been anything special," I said cruelly.

"Mickie," Melina whispered.

Ignoring her I continued, "You know, I would expect something like this from him, but from you?"

"I was upset," she whispered, "Shane had just dumped me, I drank too much and the next thing I know I'm waking up in Randy's hotel room. Please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you!" she pleaded as tears formed in her eyes.

I couldn't stop the thoughts, of Kelly and Randy together. I knew they would haunt me the rest of my life. My best friend… and the love of my life sharing a passionate night together is not something I was going to get over easily if at all.

"Wait," I turned away dragging my hand through my curls mulling over everything she had said. "You mean," I whispered, "Kelly, Shane dumped you in... in..."

"2007," Melina spoke quietly.

_Flashback_

_I was awoken to the sound of the hotel door opening, and ignoring the protests of my mind, I sat up and found Kelly entering the room. She looked like she was trying to be quiet, but a second later her eyes rested on mine._

"_Hey," I rubbed my eyes, the dryness of them irritating me more than usual, "What happened to you last night?"_

_She turned her back to me to close the door before responding, "I was… out with Maria last night. I drank too much and ended up crashing in her hotel room."_

"_Oh," I said quietly, waiting for her to turn and look at me._

_When she did, I noticed her eyes were glistening and she seemed to be on the verge of tears._

"_Kelly, what's wrong?"_

_She sniffed, wiping the tears before they had a chance to fall, "It's uh… just Shane you know."_

_If anyone could understand her pain it was me. Losing someone you gave your heart to, no matter the reason, was difficult and hard to get over._

"_Come here," I gestured her forward._

_She seemed to hesitate at first, but finally she crossed the distance between us and joined me on the bed. She lay down on her side and I curled up against her, wrapping an arm around her comfortingly. _

"_You'll be okay Kel," I whispered, extending her the same courtesy that she had shown in the last three months since I had broken up with Randy._

"_I'm so sorry Mickie…" she whispered._

"_For what?" I asked quietly._

"_For…" she paused and it was at least thirty seconds before she finished the sentence, "…for not being here for you last night. I'm sorry…"_

_I couldn't tell why, but I had a feeling that there was something she was holding back from me. Figuring it had to do with Shane; I put it out of my mind and gently rubbed her back… her sobs becoming louder by the second._

"_Its fine," I said gently, "You have your own problems to deal with."_

I never, ever would have figured that she had just come sneaking back from a night spent with Randy. The thought back then or even yesterday would have been crazy to me, but with the way my life was going I should have been expecting something like this.

I rounded on Kelly, "Oh god, how could you Kelly?" my voice cracked from the pressure of the unforeseen circumstances my life had developed. "You know how I felt about him. How I cried myself to sleep every night for months! You held me, you cried with me!"

"I don't know what I–"

Before she could even string together a cohesive sentence, I reached out and delivered a slap across her face.

She grasped the tender spot, shocked at the action.

"There is nothing, _nothing_ you can say to make this better," I turned away from her, the emotion building up inside me once more. After a few moments silence I turned slowly to face her again, "You punished me and cut me out for weeks Kelly after finding out I slept with John when you barely even knew him," I whispered. "Randy and I had a history, we were engaged to be married, he is the love of my life! And you screwed him anyway knowing all that. We were broken up," I wiped a tear that had fallen, "but you knew I would never get over him."

"I didn't tell you about John and me because it truly meant nothing because John loves you and he and I are only friends. But you didn't tell me because you were ashamed and because you knew what you did was wrong! How did you live with yourself?"

"I didn't Mickie," she took a step forward and reached out to me. "Mickie I didn't want you to be disappointed in me."

I took a step back, ignoring her outstretched arm, "How's that working out for you?" I snarled.

"I'm _so_ sorry," she whispered.

"It's too late for apologies. I can't say it would've been better if you had told me sooner, but lying about it for the last two and a half years was hardly the right thing to do. That and punishing me like you did recently is hardly worth forgiveness. I don't trust you and I don't want people I can't depend on in my life right now," I said firmly.

"Mickie please don't do this," she pleaded.

I took another step back, "It's done, unless it has something to do with in the ring, please just… stay away from me."

Before I could even attempt to make my exit let alone move at all, the door was opened and the current WWE champion came strolling into the room with a smile set on his face.

"Hey ladies," he said cheerfully before scanning each of our distraught faces until his eyes rested on Kelly and concern took over, "Kelly what's wrong?"

He took a few steps towards her but she put her head in her hands and turned away, sobbing quietly.

"Mickie, Melina?" he questioned, "What's going on?"

I headed in his direction towards the door but stopped briefly at his side, "Why don't you ask your girlfriend, apparently she has a little skeleton of her own involving a certain Viper." Without saying another word, I stepped out into the hall slamming the door behind me.

I heard the door open again behind me and assuming it was Melina, I rushed forward to open the door that lead to the stairs, abandoning the elevator. I didn't feel like talking to her which I knew was unfair, but there was nothing left to say at this point. I assumed she would try and talk to me about everything and I wasn't in the mood nor was I going to allow it. I ascended the stairs to my own floor and praying Ted had already headed out for the evening, I pushed open our door.

Taking a quick glance around, I didn't see any signs of life and I breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Mickie is that you?"

Oh great. Ted opened the bathroom door and poked his head out, searching around until his eyes rested on mine.

"It is you, I thought you already left," he said.

"Yeah, well I got sidetracked," I muttered, placing my jacket on a chair and my key on the table next to it.

He glanced back in the bathroom before stepping out in nothing but a towel, closing the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" he surveyed my face.

"I've heard that way too many times today!" I cried out in frustration, sitting down in the chair.

"Mickie your eyes are red. You've been crying, what happened?" he paused for a moment, "well that was a stupid question. Did something _else_ happen?"

"If you classify me finding out that Kelly and Randy slept together as something, then yeah," I leaned my head on the table, just realizing how much it was aching.

"What? When… last night?"

"No, no, it was a few years ago but that doesn't make it any easier, considering it wasn't so long after our break-up," I stated, lifting my head up to see if he was going to protest.

"No of course not," he agreed, "God, I mean after that whole stunt she pulled last month."

"Tell me about it. Years of lying. You know every time it came up in the past, you know the times Randy had hit on her and such, just to make me jealous no doubt, looking back she did seem to get quite defensive. Always insisting so passionately that she would never–" I stopped mid sentence because I heard a clutter coming from the bathroom.

"What was that?" I looked at Ted.

"Nothing," he spoke in a much higher pitch than usual.

I narrowed my eyes, "Is Cody here?"

He scoffed, "Yeah because me and Cody hang out in the bathroom togeth– Er I mean, it's nothing."

His behaviour was not making me believe even for a second that nothing was going on and if anything it was making me suspicious so I got to my feet and crossed the distance to the bathroom, dodging around him as he tried to stop me. Well at least I found out the source of the noise, and it certainly wasn't Cody.

"Hi Mickie," Maryse said nervously, pulling the towel more tightly around her body.

"And the hits just keep on coming," I muttered angrily, frustrated at the curve balls life keeps incessantly throwing my way. "What the hell is this Ted?" I whirled to face him. "You're dating Maria… you _are_ still dating her right?"

"Yes I–"

"And you're still dating Mike?" I asked Maryse who merely nodded her head. "So what the hell is going on Ted?"

"Mickie I told you how I felt," he said.

"So choose! Stop screwing around behind– you know what?" I raised my hands in surrender and backed away from the bathroom. "I don't have the energy to deal with liars right now."

"Mickie…" Ted sighed.

Ignoring his protests, and not bothering to grab any of my belongings, I stormed out of the room and down the hall without any idea as to where I was going to go. I wish there was someplace in this world where I could go and forget every single one of the problems in my life. To just be able to take a breather for even a minute would be heaven beyond anything I've been feeling in what seemed like forever.

Minutes after my dramatic exit, and deciding against showing up at Cody's room that he now shared with Eve, I found myself entering the hotel lounge knowing this would be as close to a break as I would get. There were more occupants than I would've liked but at this point I couldn't be bothered to care just as long as it wasn't anyone familiar.

I couldn't stop the pain that had resided in my chest the last few weeks, but I had tried my best to suppress it, to use it to fuel my anger. However, I was drained of energy and too mentally tired to feel angry anymore. I knew the pain was going to get worse, just like it did every night, so I knew I needed a distraction, even if it was only a brief one.

I set course towards the bar and was only a few steps away when I noticed a familiar figure perched on a stool.

"Cena?"

The Cenation leader turned to survey me before resuming his previous position with his back to me.

"Ouch," I slumped down onto the stool next to him. "I guess I don't exactly blame you for being pissed at me."

"I'm not pissed at you. Today just went in a completely opposite direction than I thought it would."

It wasn't hard to detect the pain in his voice and I couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that I was the cause of it.

"You and me both," I muttered, signalling the bartender for two shots of tequila. "So how many of those have you had?" I asked John, gesturing to the glass in front of him.

"I lost count," he said lazily. "Today I woke up, picked up breakfast for my girlfriend, hit the gym, enjoyed a nice dinner with friends and not once did I suspect that I would end my night drinking in a lounge… single."

I did a double take, "You dumped her?"

When I decided to blurt it out, I never imagined he would be angry enough to end their relationship.

He remained silent for a moment before responding, "She dumped me," he muttered.

"Okay… what?" I half-shouted. "She's the one who's a liar and a hypocrite and _you_ get dumped. That hardly seems right."

I tipped back both shots one after the other and then shoved a wedge of lime into my mouth, all the while waiting for him to fill me in.

"I'm angry because of her actions when she found out about us, but I never would've dumped her for it. It was before we really knew each other and I recognize that people make mistakes."

"So please, for the sake of my sanity, explain why she dumped you."

He released a sigh, "She says it's because she's ashamed of lying to us and for reacting the way she did about us when she had skeletons of her own. She said she doesn't want to be that kind of person and that I deserve better."

"Don't look for any protests from me right now," I tipped back another shot and then turned to find him glaring at me.

"What?" I exclaimed, "She punished me and treated me like a piece of trash for doing something not even as _remotely_ as bad as what she's guilty of," he continued staring at me sternly, "she fucked the love of my life!" I exclaimed. If that didn't justify my words, I don't know what would.

"Thanks for the reminder," he responded monotonously before turning away and downing the rest of his drink before signalling for another.

"Sorry," I muttered quickly. "Look you two are perfect for one another. Just give her some time. I know he she's not going to let you go this easily." I can't believe I was actually defending her, but I guess in the grand scheme of things she was still someone I cared about.

"You know… I get why you're pissed or upset or whatever."

"You do?" I questioned, ordering two more shots.

"Sure it was what… years ago and you were broken up, but all of us as your close friends knew the both of you were off limits."

"Is that why you couldn't keep your hands off me?" I teased, attempting my best to keep the atmosphere light. This was what I had wanted to avoid.

"Dream on, I was hammered!"

"Don't lie to me," I scolded playfully.

"Fine," he put his hands up in defence, chuckling softly, "from what I remember that was a pretty great night. I also remember you throwing yourself at me."

"Don't bullshit me. There's only ever been one man that could make all my morals disapp– never mind. Let's just call it a mutual evening that the both of us benefited from. So if Randy is 'off limits' why has he slept with every diva excluding Melina."

"Ouch," he said dramatically, clutching his heart for effect.

"Sorry but I speak nothing but the truth," I winked playfully, tipping back yet another shot.

"I really don't know, but I'll admit that Randy is good. He can be charming when it benefits him. A lot of the girls want someone to care."

"I can name half a dozen guys off the top of my head that are nicer and more caring than Orton."

"Yeah but how many of them are experts on manipulating other people? Women are attracted to jerks."

"You aren't a jerk. Women are attracted to you about as much as they are Randy," I said, signalling for a beer from the bartender. "Because you're a good guy Cena. You don't cheat, you don't play games and you aren't afraid of women," I chuckled. "So don't make excuses for him."

"I'm not and quite frankly I could kill him right now. Mickie the guy has a lot of flaws but not caring about you isn't one of them," he said matter of factly.

"What are you talking about John?" I sighed, knowing that the amount of drinks he's had was obviously affecting him.

"Mickie, what is Randy's style? Bragging every time he lays a girl. How is that no one knew about him and Kelly?"

"They forgot?" I suggested.

"If they forgot we wouldn't know about it now would we? I hate the guy, but I respect the way he feels about you. Normally he's hard to interpret, but when it comes to you I can read him like a book. He loves you and you know that. Mickie, I've never seen two people love each other the way you two did. It was as if just by being together, you made the world around you a better place."

I remained silent for a moment, pondering his words. Normally that would make my day, but all it did was increase the sickness in my stomach and the tension in my chest. Ten minutes of silence later I finally realized how blurry my vision had gotten and how clouded my mind had become.

"Hey John?"

"What?" he called back, much drunker than I.

"How about we change the song, have another shot and then…" I pointed my finger at him, "you dance with me!"

"Well even if I didn't want to, I wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight at this point," he shouted. "Whoa, I think I'm talking a little loud," he whispered loudly.

I giggled as I jumped to my feet, staggering a little and having to reach out to the bar counter to regain my balance.

"Whoa, John where did everyone go?"

Looking around I realized that apart from the bartender, John and I were the only ones left in the lounge.

"You must have annoyed them all away!" he laughed at his own joke.

I attempted to punch him but the only thing I succeeded in was falling to the floor as my companion continued to laugh while I struggled to get back to a vertical position.

"Hey bartender! How about another round and a song change?" I asked, leaning on the counter with my chin in my hands, smiling up at him.

"How could you resist that cute little face?" John said, pinching my cheek.

The bartender merely stared down at me in amusement, "Sorry but this is me cutting you off. I usually draw the line when my patrons start hitting the floor."

"Oh come on," I protested, "I've had a horrible few weeks."

"Haven't we all? That's called life."

"My ex-boyfriend whom I was crazy in love with before we started having problems and then finally broke it off, well we started sleeping together again months ago and well… I fell in love with him again–"

"Turns out he totally has another girlfriend, actually a girl Mickie here hates," John continued.

"Thanks John," I said sarcastically before turning back to face the bartender. "Anyway, well I found out two weeks ago about his other girlfriend, so then today we got into a fight and it turns out he slept with my best friend. Sure we weren't dating but we were clearly still in love. Well that isn't the bad part… it's just that this friend got mad that I slept with her boyfriend years before they even got together."

The bartender seemed confused, not that I blamed him because I would be surprised if he was actually able to keep up let alone understand my slurred words at all.

"This friend of mine is also–"

"My girlfriend," John sighed before chugging back the rest of his drink.

"Oh and if you didn't catch on, he and I slept together in 2007," I gestured to John.

He turned to stare at me with a questioning gaze.

I shrugged my shoulders, "What? We're being honest. We may as well just lay all our shit out on the table…or rather bar at once."

The bartender looked back and forth between the two of us, "That's some pretty crazy shit. This one's on me," he said, pulling out a couple shot glasses and filling them with tequila.

"You know it is _so_ true what they say. Bartenders _are_ good listeners!" I downed the shot, "So how about that song change?"

"Do you have a song in mind?"

I smiled at him, "Something country and something fun."

"Country?" John questioned, wrinkling his nose.

"I will make you love country music Cena or at least respect it," I said firmly, grabbing his hand and leading him to a clear area on the floor.

"You aren't going to force me to listen to this are you?" he asked.

"Oh hell yes I am!" I exclaimed as Tim McGraw blasted through the speaker. Oh I _love_ Tim McGraw! "This is true country music John."

I swayed and moved my body to the song, enjoying this moment of freedom that I knew wouldn't even last the next ten minutes.

"You know what John?" I asked.

"What?"

"I think you're wrong!" I pointed at him before taking a swig of my newly acquired beer.

"Baby I'm _never_ wrong!"

"If Randy 'loved me' he would have chosen me. No what I think is that he wanted to see how far he could manipulate me, but I found out. Someone who 'cares' about someone does _not_ pull the crap he did."

Before I could process what had actually come out of my mouth, I tumbled to the floor and surprisingly managed to maintain a good grip on the bottle in my hand. Looking up at John, shocked that I was suddenly on the ground, we both erupted into laughter. Placing my bottle on the ground, I laid back and stared up at the roof as John took a spot beside me.

"He loves you Micks, like you love him. It's what's making this entire thing so hard."

"Well screw love then and screw Randy. He's a bad guy and I spent the last few months trying to convince myself otherwise, but the facts are there. Who was I fooling? He was always a bad guy and I let him screw me over twice. What's that saying?"

"I haven't been this drunk in a long time," he shouted.

"No!" I laughed, "Something about shame, fooling once or something stupid like that."

I placed my hands behind my head and continued trying to stare at the roof but the room was spinning. It made me feel surreal.

"John the world is moving faster than usual!" I whined. "It's giving me a headache."

Turning my head to meet his gaze I realized for the first time how close we were and not knowing why – it was probably the alcohol – I leaned forward and placed my lips on his.

Almost abruptly I pulled away, "That was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Yes it was, but I know it didn't mean anything. I trust you. Come on, I'll help you upstairs."

"Who's gonna help _you_?" I asked.

He sat up and took a ridiculous amount of time stumbling to his feet. Finally he offered a hand and was able to pull me to mine. I staggered and fell into his body while he wrapped his arms around me trying to keep the both of us upright. Looking up into his blue eyes, not the pair I craved for, I had another unexplainable urge to kiss him, so I did. To my surprise he pulled me closer and deepened the kiss.

"Mickie?" a voice spoke to my right, causing me to pull away abruptly. Squinting my eyes, I found the disturbance was in the form of my two best friends – the boys of Legacy.

"Whoa!" I reached out to them despite the obvious distance between us, "stand still," I ordered.

"Mickie are you drunk?" Cody asked.

"No," I said much too casually causing John and I to erupt into laughter once more. "Be cool," I muttered, trying my best to keep a straight face. I felt like a drunken teenager who was caught sneaking in late by her parents.

"Oh great John, you let her have tequila?" Ted groaned.

"She's feisty. I couldn't have stopped her. Besides I was just trying to get her to her room," John tried to make himself sound normal as both men surveyed him.

"Sure looked like it," Ted said, narrowing his eyes judgementally, obviously remembering that he did find us kissing. "Come here James, I'll help you," he said, stepping forward.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I want Cody to help me!" I stumbled forward and threw my arms around the brunette's neck. "Don't let the mean man touch me Cody. I'm mad at him." I turned to glare at Ted who was surprised by my actions.

"You know Ted, if I was immature I would say 'Ha-ha in your face'," he shouted the last part before clearing his throat, "But clearly I'm mature. You help Cena," he ordered and ignoring Ted's complaints, he helped me out of the lounge after he and Ted paid our expensive tab.

As we exited the lobby, I started laughing before stopping dead in my tracks.

"John!" I shouted. "John!"

"What?" I heard, turning around to face him.

"I remember the saying! Shame me once fool on you, shame me– wait that doesn't sound right!" I laughed again.

"Because it's fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me," Cody corrected, making another attempt to keep me on course.

I stared at him in awe, "Cody! I knew that was why I was friends with you. John, I have the smartest best friend in the world!" I clapped my hands with joy as I allowed Cody to turn me around again.

"Cody…" I whispered as my eyes locked with a pair of blue ones that weren't John's this time.

"Is she alright?" I heard Randy speak, but his voice was so far away I had to strain myself to hear him properly.

"She's fine man, a little drunk, but okay. We need to get her up to bed," Cody responded.

"Don't you dare touch me," I spat as the Viper tried to wrap an arm around my waist. "I hate you Randy Orton, you will never touch me for as long as I live!" I screamed as the pain clawed furiously at my chest.

I tried to shove him, not caring who was potentially watching, but it was a feeble attempt and I lost my balance allowing him to catch me before I fell, the tears streaming heavily down my face. He buckled under the unexpected weight, and the both of us fell to the ground. Throughout the movement he managed to maintain a hold on me.

"How could you do this to me Randy?" I whispered into his chest as he wrapped his arms more tightly around my frame holding me against his, "After everything we've been through. Why? You're the only man I've ever loved. I don't _want_ anyone else!" I cried, clutching him as if my life depended on it.

I could hardly contemplate anything that was going on, it could have been the extensive amount of alcohol but even through all that I knew it was the pain that had spoken. Despite my threat about him never touching me again, there was nowhere I wanted to be more than here in his arms.

"I'm so sorry Mickie," his voice broke, and I realized that this was probably the most vulnerable he had ever gotten in public in a long time.

He placed a hand on the side of my head, holding me against him as he gently caressed my back. I was fully aware that we were sitting in the middle of the lobby, with my friends surrounding us, but at the moment I didn't care because throughout these entire few weeks, I hadn't hurt as extensively as I was hurting now.

"I'll always love you Mickie, always," he spoke softly in a soothing tone. "I promised at that family reunion that I would fight to the end for you and I didn't… I'm so sorry… I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I want your happiness more than anything else."

"I can't be happy without you," I whispered, and in spite of the state I found myself in, I hadn't been more confident of anything.

I lost track of time, no one stepped forward to pull me to my feet or away from him, and Randy patiently sat there holding me in his arms. Finally I knew I needed to end this, the tears threatened to never stop as I gently pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him, trying my best at getting to my feet while avoiding the gazes of Ted and Cody.

Randy followed me to my feet and I took a step in the direction of the elevator but the next moment the building started spinning, my stomach lurched and images of Kelly, Randy and Laura swirled through my mind just before everything went black.

What the hell is that buzzing? I wish it would shut the hell up and stop disrupting my sleeping time. The noise just wouldn't stop; or rather it would, only to start up a few seconds later. I opened my eyes and looked around. I don't remember much from what happened last night but I was in my own hotel room so that was a good sign. I looked to my right to find the source of the buzzing – my cell phone. Picking it up I touched 'accept', and closed my eyes again before placing the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I muttered, having to clear my throat because it came out raspy making me aware of how dry my mouth was.

"Mickie?" a familiar voice spoke. Memories of yesterday came flooding back and a feeling of anger came over me.

"Why are you calling me?" I opened my eyes, and attempted to sit up but my head exploded with pain and I was forced to lie back down slowly, resisting the urge to cry out in pain.

"I'm not calling you. Why do you have John's phone?" Kelly asked suspiciously.

I pulled the phone away from my ear to check that it was in fact not my phone as it had a different case on the back. Shit… oh boy. I slowly turned my head to the right and was horror-struck at the sight for John was lying next to me… still sleeping.

"Uh we must have mixed up our phones, I'll tell him to call you if I find him. Bye!" and before she could protest I hit the end button.

I lifted my head up slowly, ignoring the pain in my head and the sickness in my stomach that for once in the last three weeks didn't have to do with Randy.

_Randy._

Memories came flooding back about my evening last night. Oh great how could I have let this happen? I was nothing more than a hypocrite and a terrible friend. I went to get out of the bed when I glimpsed that the bed beside me was in fact occupied. Feeling a hint of hope, I looked down and found I was still wearing the clothes from last night and upon pulling the covers off John I sighed with relief when I found him fully clothed as well.

I stood up slowly and carefully and plopped myself down on the bed next to mine, that was occupied with the unconscious Ted.

"Ted?" I whispered and positioned myself next to him. "Teddy?" I repeated and nudged him gently.

He stretched out a bit before opening his eyes and turning his head to see me.

"Mickie?" he released a yawn while rubbing his eyes. Finally he focused on me, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, quick question what happened…. There?" I pointed over at the still sleeping John.

"We couldn't find his key and apparently he and Kelly broke up so he couldn't think of anywhere else to stay. Cody decided it would be best if he just stayed here for the night."

"I almost had a heart attack. I thought we…" I trailed off, leaving him to fill in the blanks.

"No, no don't worry…" he trailed off this time, surveying my face, "…about it. How are you doing? Are you okay?"

"No," I choked out, "I'm not okay Ted," I whispered. "I've been trying so hard, but I just… I can't."

"Come here," he put his arm under my neck and used his other arm to pull me closer to him so my head was resting on his chest.

"So that… wasn't a dream last night? I threw a fit in the middle of the lobby?" I asked quietly.

He cleared his throat, "Yes it happened," he said. "It was just us who witnessed it, and maybe the front desk clerk but don't worry about it."

I took a deep breath, but remained silent, at a loss of what to say.

"You really scared us Micks," he said softly. "I've never seen you like that before and it broke my heart. It was like all of your anger, frustration and pain finally boiled over."

"I guess I was trying so hard to suppress everything. But that's just who I am Ted. The times when you see me like that, or like this with tears streaming down my face, they may be happening a lot lately, but that's not who I am. I hate showing vulnerability in front of others. I'd rather push them away. I'm a lot like _him_ in that way. But this time around, I'm too tired to fight it anymore."

"Mickie… he uh," he cleared his throat again, searching for the right words, "Randy was broken up yesterday. I think he was scared. I've never, ever seen him that way before. He was… there were tears in his eyes. He was the picture of a broken man. It was… hard to witness."

I tilted my head up, "He cried?" I asked.

He nodded his head; his facial expression was solemn as if he wished he could get the image out of his brain of his tough mentor and friend actually breaking down in tears.

"I'm sorry… for scaring you I mean," I finally said, after a lengthy silence.

"Don't apologize for that. I can't stand the pain you're in Mickie, but I know there's a grieving process to this. Anyway," he paused for a moment, "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For lying to you about Maryse. You've always been straight with me and I've lied about this twice now. From now on there will be no more secrets. Maryse and I agreed we can't see each other until we end things with Mike and Maria."

"So you're really going to do this with her?" I asked, offering a small smile, happy that my friend was finally going to be with the woman who made him happy.

"Yeah," he grinned, "I hope so anyway."

"It'll be great Ted," I whispered, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm sorry for ruining your birthday."

"It was only my party and you didn't ruin anything," he insisted. "But I will be expecting breakfast in bed tomorrow morning though."

I chuckled weakly, "I'll inform Cody."

We laid there in a comfortable silence for awhile as I sifted through my thoughts and memories from last night. Randy had actually cried yesterday… I guess I had been too hard on him lately. That may sound pathetic, but I knew he was hurting almost as much as I was, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared of our past as well.

As for the thing with Kelly, it hurt to be betrayed by two people you love, but it was a mistake on both of their parts. I knew it would take time to forgive Kelly for it, but I found myself already starting to. I didn't want to be like her and make a mistake I'll regret forever by punishing someone her love for something neither of us can change.

And despite everything, despite both mine and Randy's moment of weakness last night, I was surprised that I still felt angry towards him for everything that had happened. I was torn between feeling sorry for him – because I knew with certainty and faith that he never wanted to hurt me, but it doesn't alter the fact that he did – and feeling angry. But I couldn't help it anymore than he could make all of this right. As much as I want it to, the anger isn't going to go away nor is the pain.

_I couldn't wait to update, so there is chapter 47. I'm obsessed with knowing what you think, so please I'm begging you to review ;)_

_The reviews are much appreciated (every single one) and I love reading each and every one of them._

_No there will be no surprise pregnancies coming up so rest assured that Laura is not pregnant. I'm a sucker for drama but I think that this story has the maximum amount of drama it can handle. Of course there's still that little thing called their past, which yes I will be revealing soon_.


	48. loyalty and true friends

"You do realize that if we do this once, even if it _is_ his birthday that he's going to expect this kind of treatment _all_ the time right?" Cody said as he pulled his jacket on and closed his hotel door behind him.

I turned away and headed down the hall, "Yeah well he'll be rather upset when it doesn't happen then won't he? But today _is_ his birthday," I reminded him.

"I didn't great breakfast in bed on _my_ birthday," he complained bitterly as we slowly descended the stairs.

Lately I had been resorting to using the stairs opposed to the elevator and I've been happy to report that I haven't had any run ins with you know who. Of course the whole 'getting drunk with John' debacle, as I now like to call it, _had_ only happened a couple days ago.

"You've already had a birthday this year?" I questioned, not knowing this or sadly enough not knowing his birthday at all.

"Uh_ yeah_, it was in July," he rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath.

I smiled, which was still weird for me to do lately, "Well in July we were merely co-workers Cody and we both know Ted couldn't _and_ wouldn't do something as nice as this. He isn't creative enough."

"Well I'll be expecting a damn good birthday next year," he muttered.

Giggling softly I pulled the door open and immediately wished I had checked out the small window before doing so. There were Randy and Laura strolling towards us hand in hand and it was far too late to dive back into the stairwell. Every ounce of happiness that I had actually managed to build up – which if I'm being completely honest wasn't actually _that_ much – seeped out of me like air would out of a punctured balloon.

Cody grasped my arm gently as I stopped dead in my tracks, glued to the spot at a loss for words. Seeing Randy hurt more than I actually expected it to considering our most recent encounter, but seeing him pull her in and kiss her softly on the lips almost doubled me over in pain.

Get your act together Mickie, I told myself, willing any strength forward to help me through this moment.

"Mickie," Cody whispered, "are you–" but before he could finish, the couple in front of us were alerted to our presence.

"Cody, _Mickie_," Laura said my name with disdain in her tone.

"Awe it's the happy couple! How are you?" I asked in a falsely sweet tone.

Oh smooth Mickie, real smooth. I had to resist the urge to kick myself and settled on doing so mentally.

"Mickie…" Randy sighed as Laura merely rolled her eyes and otherwise remained silent.

Cody shifted uncomfortably next to me and cleared his throat, "Mickie maybe we should go and get the–"

"The breakfast… for Ted. Right!" I turned to face Randy and Laura. "Yeah its Ted's birthday, you must have forgotten."

"I didn't forget Mickie. I was–" Randy started.

"Otherwise engaged? Yeah I caught that… unfortunately," I muttered the last word.

"Would you give it a rest Mickie?" he asked calmly. "And not that it's your business, but I was just about to come by your room to wish him a happy birthday."

"Are you sure you weren't going to stop by Kelly's room and have a chat with her?" Are the words that slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Instantly I regretted not having just walked by them in the first place.

Randy released a sigh and gritted his teeth in frustration, "Is that it? Is that the best you've got? Come on Mickie I know you can do better than that. When's your vindictive attitude gonna set in?"

I laughed bitterly, "I have better things to do."

"Oh that's really funny since you've been nothing but a _bitch_ these last three weeks," he spat.

"Oh wow, compared to _everything_ you've done, calling me a bitch hardly measures up don't you think? You mean you don't have any secrets you want to throw in my face?"

"I've had it!" he exploded, Laura beside him flinched at the sudden outburst. He took a menacing step forward, "I'm trying to be nice to you Mickie. Who in the fuck do you–"

Cody had taken a step forward, "Come on man, take it down a notch, we don't want to make a scene," he muttered.

"Yeah Randy, come on. Let's go," Laura gripped his hand nervously, not wanting to give him an opportunity to speak the words he no doubt wanted to.

Randy continued to stare at me, until finally he took a step back and looked down at Laura briefly.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was– I'll see you later man," he muttered to Cody and without looking at me he led Laura towards the elevator.

Cody watched them go before turning to me, "You okay?"

I placed a hand on my head; dizzy from the amount of energy arguing with Randy had taken out of me. I slumped against the wall and slid down it until I was on the floor. I placed my head in my hands and took as many deep breaths as I could trying to calm myself down. What just happened was a huge mistake and I wish I could take it back.

It seemed so easy giving Ted advice back when he had to witness Maryse with Mike everywhere he turned, knowing how strong his feelings were for her. It's not easy to get over the person you love, but at least Ted had gone about everything in a mature manner, unlike me who was the essence of childish these days.

"Hey, do you want to go back upstairs?" Cody asked softly.

"No, I'm fine. I just… seeing them together is what triggers it Cody. Maybe if it was just him we ran into, I wouldn't be acting so resentful. But I can't help but long for what I can't have."

"No one holds it against you Mickie. Randy understands that you're upset. He's prepared to deal with whatever you throw his way because he feels you have a right to be upset, a right to be angry. I think he needs to adjust… he's not used to just walking away from a fight. You know that."

"But I don't want to be like this Cody. I'm not _this _person… I just lose my head when I'm angry these days. I'm better than this; no matter how many times I tell myself that I'm going to get over it or at least pretend I am, it all goes out the window the moment I see him."

"It takes time Mickie so take as much as you need. No one is rushing you," he offered me a soft smile, and then reached his hand out.

Grasping it a moment later he pulled me to my feet and ushered me into the main part of the lobby and then out the door into the cold air.

The weather, oddly enough, mirrored my mood perfectly as the sky was grey and the wind was relatively heavy. By the time we picked up our breakfast and were back at the hotel it had started raining violently as if someone was dumping buckets of water from up above.

"Karma anyone?" I grumbled as we waited for the elevator not even bothering to take the stairs because my clothes were soaked through to the skin and I was shivering like mad.

"Yeah how did I get sucked into this? I'm the one who's always trying to maintain the peace," Cody teased.

I offered him a weak smile as we stepped off the elevator, and when we finally got to mine and Ted's room, the blonde sat up quickly with a grin on his face which faded when he took in our appearances.

"You look like drowned rats. What the hell happened to you?"

"Karma," I muttered bitterly.

"What?" he asked, confused by my answer and choosing not to take it seriously.

"Dude it's pouring outside. Can't you hear it?" Cody asked.

"I thought that I was hearing someone showering," he shrugged his shoulders. "Of course I didn't actually get out of bed to look, that kind of defeats the purpose of _breakfast in bed_!" he stated as if this should have been plainly obvious. "Although Randy stopped by like twenty minutes ago, and I gave him hell for forcing me out of bed."

"So are you going to stand there and admire my devilishly handsome good looks or are you going to give me the breakfast you took _forever_ to get for me?"

Grumbling a string of complaints, I dropped the plastic bag on the bed that had the container inside with Ted's fresh bacon and eggs and a stack of pancakes on the side.

"Is it necessary to throw it at me?" he complained. "It's my birthday!"

I turned back to glare at him, but my face softened a moment later as I dropped on the bed and wrapped my arms around him. He struggled to get free of the wet embrace.

"You're right Teddy!" I sighed, pretending to be remorseful. "I'm so sorry for being so silly! As a friend I should be more appreciative and caring on your birthday, and what better way to do that than with a hug!"

"Ew! Go change! And shower, you smell like a wet dog," he complained, which only resulted in me tightening my grip around him.

"You wanted better treatment Ted. And what's better than a hug from one friend to another?" I giggled lightly.

He stopped struggling to look down at me with a smile on his face, "I guess I can let this one go. I am going to be showering soon anyway."

I grinned up at him, "Happy Birthday DiBiase," I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks James. Breakfast is the _least_ you can do after the extravagant birthday I presented _you_ with," he said.

I punched him on the arm laughing at the goof who was my best friend. "I would gladly switch birthday experiences with you! You're more of a vain person than I am. You love being the center of attention."

"Spoken like my true best friend," he said sentimentally, faking tears and the whole works. He looked like a woman who just won a beauty pageant.

"Happy Birthday man," Cody said with a grin, bumping knuckles with the birthday boy.

"Thanks guys. Now if you'll remove yourself from the vicinity I would like to enjoy my breakfast."

"I'm going to take a shower," I said, jumping off the bed and heading towards the bathroom. "Oh and Ted, don't be expecting this again," I shouted over my shoulder, smiling before slamming the door at his protests that he should get this treatment for the next week.

xx

"You know, it really sucks that showers don't have a soothing effect on me anymore," I complained, stepping out of the bathroom in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a towel on my head.

Ted looked up from his position on the couch, "That can't last forever you know. It's proven that it's impossible for showers to be not calm forever."

I cocked my head to the sound, trying to make sense of his words. "Uh Ted, that's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard, but thanks for the attempt at making me feel better without trying to make it obvious that you were trying to make me feel better."

He scrunched his eyes up in confusion, "Damn I must be off my game today, because it took me awhile to actually figure out what you just said."

I put my hand on my hips and smirked at him, "Awe and you still don't know what I'm talking about do you?"

"Of course I– Damn it Mickie, you are _not_ supposed to make me feel dumb on my birthday!"

"As a friend I'm not supposed to make you feel dumb any day, but you make it _so_ hard!"

He was silent for a moment before shrugging his shoulders in defeat, "You have a point, I'll give you that much."

"I know… so where's Cody?" I asked, pulling the towel off my head and running my hand through my wet hair to give it a style before drying it.

"He went to take a shower; he said he'll be back so we can hang out before we head for the arena.

"Cool," I responded simply, and set about the room collecting all the articles of clothing strewn across the floor.

Tossing them on my bed, I sorted them into four piles – my clean and dirty clothes and Ted's as well – placing the unwashed into two bags so we knew what needed to be washed when we got home.

I couldn't get the encounter earlier with Randy out of my mind. I thought that maybe I would be able to act civil towards him, given the situation that took place two days ago, but apparently it was going to take a lot more than a breakdown in the middle of a lobby to get past this dilemma in my life. I also realized just how deep the resentment towards him was, and I knew considering our positions in the company and our current storyline, it could potentially become a huge problem for us.

I couldn't help but wonder if there would ever be a time when I didn't feel this way, because it was truly exhausting and it saddened me to my very core that I had become this person that I didn't want to be. The real Mickie James is kind-hearted and never hesitates in treating others with respect. That's almost laughable since I haven't been the real me for over three years. I craved to be the person I once was, the person that I was proud to be and the person that others looked up to. Sure my friends thought I was still that same person, but they didn't know how wrong they were. What happened with Randy, in the past and recently, changed me and I wasn't certain that I could ever be _me_ again.

"Uh, Mickie are you okay?"

I snapped back to the present, turning my head to find that Ted was now standing by my side. Wow, I must have been really absorbed; I hadn't even heard him approach me.

"Yeah I'm fine," I smiled, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I just spent the last ten minutes talking to myself and you're… folding my underwear," he said awkwardly, pointing at my outstretched hands.

Looking down I realized that he was right, "Oh god, I hope those are clean ones," I muttered.

He slowly reached for them, "What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing, I just got lost in my thoughts again. I'm fine, I promise," I insisted, picking up a t-shirt and folding it before placing it on the top of my clean pile.

"Mickie," he sighed, "I know you don't like to talk about what's going on in your head, but sometimes it helps you know?"

I smiled, "I know it does. And trust me Ted, when I'm ready to talk, _you'll _be the first person I come to."

He stepped forward and placed a hand on the small of my back, reaching out to kiss me on my forehead, "I'm just throwing it out there."

Before I could answer back, the door swung open and the son of the American Dream ambled through the door.

"Who's ready to– you guys weren't making out were you?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Rolling my eyes playfully, "Ted would have to be _very_ lucky for that to happen."

"I was just thanking Mickie for folding my underwear," Ted said, holding up his delicates and waving them around like a flag.

Cody's expression became that of disgust, "Um pardon my language but why the fuck were you folding _Ted's_ underwear?"

"I wasn't… er I didn't realize I was. Gosh, I do a kind deed and you guys act so ungrateful! Do you want me to fold _yours_ too?" I placed my hands on my hips.

"Please stay away from my underwear," the brunette said, causing me to giggle.

"Hey, what do you mean I would have to be very lucky for you to kiss me? From what I gather you don't mind kissing anyone!" Ted said defensively.

"Okay random, I'll bite. What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Ted grinned at me mischievously, "You do remember I caught you lip locked with Cena the other night."

"Oh that's right, I almost forgot! What was _that_ about?" Cody said, taking a step forward out of curiosity or excitement – I couldn't tell.

"That actually happened?" I grumbled. "I thought it was a dream… a bad one but a dream nonetheless."

"Is he that awful of a kisser?" Ted enquired. "I figured as much, the guy seems like the type who has to compensate for his sexual deficiencies by being such a beast in the ring," Ted mumbled.

"It sure didn't seem like it, considering you looked as if you would have taken it to the next level if we hadn't shown up," Cody added, ignoring his partner's previous comment.

I scoffed, "Oh it did not. It was a simple kiss!"

Ted offered me a stern look, "He was groping you Mickie! And you had your arms wrapped around his neck… it was no simple kiss."

I glared at him and then at Cody, "Fine, but it didn't mean anything! We were in the middle of a lounge for goodness sakes!"

Cody grinned slyly, "If it didn't mean anything, why didn't it look that way?"

"Because I was desperate for a little affection, and it was John or the bartender!" I said defensively.

"I would've gone for the bartender, Cena doesn't really do it for me," Ted spoke up, more to himself than to us it seemed.

Cody and I simultaneously turned to stare at him with disbelief on our faces, wondering but not actually wanting to know what was going through his mind at this very moment.

"Ew," I said, putting my hands up and taking a step back.

"What, I'm just saying if I had to choose… Oh come on, like neither of you have played that game before. What or who would you rather…?"

"Last I checked we weren't playing a game and that was just a normal Ted thought," Cody said, appearing to be ashamed of the blonde member of Legacy.

"I was playing it with myself!" he argued.

Cody and I exchanged knowing looks and the both of us turned away from him, Cody went to sit in front of the TV as I placed my neatly folded pile of clothes back into the suitcase they had come out of.

"So gentlemen, what are we going to do to occupy ourselves for the next couple of hours?" I enquired twenty minutes later, while in the process of straightening my hair.

"It's up to Ted," Cody spoke mindlessly, as he appeared to be weirdly interested in the discovery channel at the moment.

"Ted?" I questioned, as I watched him shoot Cody looks of annoyance only to look back at the TV and roll his eyes at Cody's apparent fascination with the mating between elephant seals.

Okay, so it was a little weird, but who was I to judge?

"Ted!"

He shook his head as if in a trance before turning to look at me, "Hm? Oh, I don't know. Surprisingly enough I don't want to do anything special. I would enjoy just hanging out with my three– er two best friends," he said quickly.

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, "We could play the PS3…" I suggested, ignoring his last remark.

"Good idea… and I thought you never had those!" he teased, motioning me over to the couch.

I settled down on the floor in front of the couch at their feet, intent on relaxing and not knowing a better way to do that than spending a simple afternoon with my guys.

"Mickie that's not fair!" Ted exclaimed.

"What? It's thinking outside the box. It's not my fault the superstars automatically get DQ'd if they hit a diva and that if I hit you it doesn't do the same," I said smugly.

"Stop hitting me!" he complained. "Ugh damn, that's not fair you wouldn't let me tag in Maryse!"

"I win! I win! I win!" I did a victory dance on the floor as Cody chuckled.

"We won," Cody said, as the match was Cody Rhodes and Mickie James vs. Ted DiBiase and Maryse.

"You won by disqualification because I was counted out, because _you_ wouldn't let me tag my partner," Ted said bitterly.

"Still a win my friend!"

"She's sneaky man. I think that makes her the smartest of us all," Cody said, holding his hand out for a high five, to which I gladly reciprocated.

We spent the rest of the afternoon creating our own superstars, our own Legacy group (since this game was created before I was incorporated) and defeating all the superstars we didn't particularly like. Sure it might sound lame to be playing Smackdown vs. Raw considering we are _the_ superstars the game is modeled after, but that didn't stop us from having fun.

But I knew there was one thing that the three of us were thinking without having to voice it. We _were_ enjoying ourselves, but something felt as if it were missing. And without having to ponder that for long, I knew exactly what it was. Randy Orton was missing and there was no such thing as filling the void in this case. It wasn't in a romantic sense; it was the friendships that the four of us had forged over the past few months. In Cody's words, we weren't just Legacy in the ring, we were Legacy outside the ring and we were a family. We spent months getting used to the idea and now it was broken.

"This is weird hey?" Ted voiced my thoughts aloud.

"Yeah," Cody agreed, slumping back in the couch.

"What's weird?" I played dumb.

"Don't act like you aren't thinking the same thing young lady," Ted scolded.

I sighed, "Not having Randy around. Yes, I know what you mean. I don't like the guy – at the moment – but it's still weird that's he's not here."

"We could invite him–"

"Not happening Cody. I might jump off the balcony if you do that," I muttered.

"Well it's probably time to head to the arena soon anyway," Ted suggested. "Thanks for the afternoon guys. Couldn't have thought of a better way to spend it than with my best friend Mickie."

"Hey!" Cody said defensively.

"Oh Cody, Cody, Cody you know I'm kidding! You're my best guy mate; don't get your panties in a twist."

Laughing, I jumped to my feet and headed over to my suitcase to get ready for later tonight. I knew I didn't have a match tonight, but I did have an interview and I was scheduled to interfere in a match Melina had tonight. We needed to fuel our match for Survivor Series which was a Team Mickie vs. Team Melina elimination match. Another pay per view – it was as if life didn't care about what people were going through, and it just had to continue. Of course that was stupid, because that was exactly what life was about...

xx

"Hey Mickie, do you think I could… talk to you for a minute?"

Looking up from my position on the bench, and searching around the room at all the other divas who were either in the middle of getting ready or immersed in conversation, my eyes finally settled on Maryse.

"…in private?" she asked hesitantly.

Situating a smile on my face, I climbed to my feet, "Of course," I said softly, stepping into my black peep toe pumps that completed my outfit consisting of a pair of jet black skinny jeans and a feminine navy blue v-neck top.

When we entered the hallway, she checked around to make sure we were alone before turning to face me with a worried expression on her face.

"This probably seems weird, I mean I do consider you a great friend but it's not like we talk all that much – although I hope that can change," she said with a small smile. "But you're the only diva here who actually knows my current situation as I'm sure Ted told you our plans."

I nodded my head, "He said you guys were finally going to try a real relationship together."

At those words the smile on her lips grew, and it was in that precise moment that I fully grasped just how much she cared about Ted.

"He's a great guy," she gushed, "I've never felt this way about anybody before."

"He is an _amazing_ guy and he cares about you so much… you don't need to be scared to do this," I said gently.

"I'm not scared to enter into a relationship with Ted… everything feels so right every time I'm with him. He makes me feel happy… and safe at the same time…"

"So what's–" I stopped talking abruptly, waiting until a cluster of people filed past us, "… the problem?"

She took a deep breath, "Mike… don't get me wrong he's a good guy. I just don't know what I'm going to say to him, you know? And more than that I don't know how he's going to react. I'm not scared of him or anything, it's just we haven't been getting along lately so I don't know how to approach him about it. And whether or not I should bring Ted up."

"Well…" I brushed a strand of hair away that had fallen in my eyes, "…tell him just that Maryse. Explain to him how you're feeling, and that you both are obviously unhappy with the relationship. Be honest and make it clear that _you're_ not happy specifically. It's probably not a good idea to come clean about how you and Ted started because it could cause drama in the locker room and that would just make everything worse. Just make a clean break, and I think it's best for you and Ted to take it slow – at least in public anyway – for a while until things between you and Mike cool down."

She remained silent for a moment, looking down the hall observing a few rushing about, until she finally looked back up at me and smiled.

"You're right… thanks Mickie, I really appreciate it. And I really appreciate you keeping this to yourself. I feel awful about it… but you can't choose who you love."

If there was ever a more honest statement than that, I would like to hear it.

"And…" she paused and took a step towards me, lowering her voice, "I overheard you and Ted talking the other day, and I know it's not my business, but I'm really sorry about the Kelly and Randy thing. It must be awful to have to find something like that out."

Nodding my head once, I forced a smile on my face, "Yeah… well you can't change the past unfortunately. Just… talk to Mike alright. The sooner the better."

She smiled up at me, "Thanks again Mickie… I appreciate it more than you could know. I'll talk to you later alright?" she went to re-enter the divas locker room but stopped and turned back to face me. "Mickie, everything is going to work out… I mean for you. Have faith," she said softly, and then continued on her way.

The chatter of the ladies died down as the door swung shut once more, and I was left to ponder her words and wonder if there was any truth to them. It was so easy for everyone else to believe that things were going to work out for me, but the reality of the situation is that they weren't in my place. They didn't have to continually find themselves to be not good enough for the one they love. They didn't wake up every morning wishing that it wasn't necessary to even get out of bed. Without Randy, I had no purpose in my life and I had merely been fooling myself these last three years without him.

I would willingly take all the pain, all the memories of the awful moments in our past and endure them if I had Randy to hold me every night. I know I said he wasn't worth it, and everyone else can wonder what I could possibly still see in him after everything that's happened, but those people don't understand what he means to me. They don't know the real Randy Orton, and more importantly they don't realize that he's a part of me. If anything that's what's making all of this so difficult. It's like letting go of yourself… and I've been missing it for three years.

"I hope you're not overworking that little brain of yours," looking up I found Ted with a smug smile on his face, clearly proud of the terrible joke.

"Ted I _wish_ my brain was little so I didn't have to process half of what's been passing through my mind lately," I complained, as we both turned and headed towards the gorilla position.

"Anything you want to talk to a certain friend about?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Not at the moment no," I said with a soft smile.

"So I have a more important question."

"Hmm and what might that be?" I linked my arm through his.

"When are you coming home?"

"Huh? Last I checked we weren't married… nor separated. We live in the same hotel room every night we're on the road silly."

"I know! I mean back to the Legacy locker room… you know it's where you belong James," he said.

I squeezed his arm in a show of comfort, "I don't know just yet. Seeing Randy is inevitable… I just don't want things to be awkward for you and Cody."

"That's not how we look at it Mickie and you know that," he said, almost sternly.

"Okay fine… it's awkward for _me_," I attempted a smile.

"I know… it's just not the same that's all. It's just like how it was earlier… when we were playing the game. It's supposed to be the four of us. The three of us just doesn't have the same ring to it," he complained.

I laughed softly, "I'm trying my best here Teddy. I'll try and make it better… I promise."

By that time we were coming up close to the gorilla position, and I could just make out Cody and Randy in the near distance, standing a ways apart, not in the mood to talk apparently.

"Hey Cody," I smiled as the both of us approached him, and trying my best to avoid meeting Randy's gaze.

"You look great Micks," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and giving me a small squeeze before releasing me.

"Well aren't you charming," I teased. "Ready to go?"

"I'm always ready… it's Ted you should be worried about."

"I resent that," the blonde said defensively. "Like I've stated before I am the most talented on the team… I exude tale–"

"Let's go," Randy ordered interrupting him, keeping his tone strict as he turned and headed for the curtains.

Without another word, the three of us followed after him, listening to Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, and MVP in the ring during MVP's VIP lounge.

On-Air

"…and we are gonna be straight up ballin'," all three superstars in the ring shouted.

'_I hear voices in my head they council me they understand they talk to me…'_

Three seconds later, Ted, Randy, Cody and I stepped onto the ramp, interrupting the party in the ring. Let's just say we weren't too happy with the words that were spoken, especially Randy as he led us down the ramp. Stopping at the end, in front of the 'security guard', Randy stared him down intensely – in the fashion that only the Viper can – causing him to take a step back uncomfortably before MVP told him to allow us entry. He let us past the velvet ropes and the four of us ascended the steps and entered the ring positioning ourselves directly in front of the trio already there.

The Viper was angry, mainly because they last few weeks Kofi continuously got the best of him, but also because he blamed Kofi for his title loss and _that_ isn't something he was going to let go easily.

"The three of you act like your sitting on top of the world or something. Truth is, y'all ain't nothing but a bunch of low class street thugs," Randy said, receiving negative reaction from the fans in attendance.

"Take Mark Henry for example, last week you _stole_ a victory and MVP you are the _definition_ of the common criminal. And Kofi Kingston, you should be in jail after what you did to my car. That stock car was _custom_ wrapped. The only reason I haven't put you down yet is because I wanna _embarrass_ you and your entire team at Survivor Series."

Cody spoke next, "Seriously Montel you call this VIP? I mean you look VIP. Designer shoes, a cute little watch, but your surroundings… not so VIP. Some disgruntled outcast, and an ex-con."

Cody made to hand the microphone over to me but I didn't take it, instead I leaned forward and spoke a few words, "Low class… street thugs… outcasts and ex-cons… yeah I don't have much to add to that. It's pretty bad you three can be summed up in a few words. This whole 'VIP lounge' is a sham. You three aren't VIP's, you're low-grade losers. And you don't even have a right being in the same ring as the Legacy."

"You think you're ballin' with your pleather couches and your fifty dollar bottle of champagne… man your bank account _pales_ in comparison to mine," Ted added.

"You mean your daddy's bank account!" MVP said, taking an angry step forward and having to be stopped by Kofi.

"Cody, Ted and myself were all born in this business. This," he gestured to the ring, "is where we belong. As for Mickie James, there is no one on the roster today or in the past who is even as remotely as talented as she is… which means she belongs in this ring just as much as we do. The only place that you three belong… is the hood where you came from."

Another round of negative responses were heard from the crowd, as Kofi took a step forward and without warning delivered a swift slap across Randy's face. The other four guys took a step forward to back up both of their leaders, as I took a small step backwards. The guys managed to maintain their cool, as tonight it was scheduled to be Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry.

A few minutes later, Cody, Ted and I were positioned outside on one side of the ring as Kofi and MVP were standing on the other as we watched Randy and Mark facing off against one another.

"Come on Randy!" I shouted, pounding my hand on the ring.

The three of us continued cheering him on as Randy stomped away at the world's strongest man and then delivered a knee drop to the head. He focused on Mark's legs, trying his best to keep him off his feet as Mark was very dependent on his strength.

Watching Randy in the ring never failed to amaze me even after all these years. Gone was the cocky guy from our Evolution days and in his place was a man more focused than anyone else. He was graceful, and after watching one match anyone would be able to tell that he belonged in that ring and that he was made for it.

A devastating RKO was all it took for Randy to secure the win, and moments later he had his arm raised as 'Voices' played loudly through the speakers. Kofi slid into the ring to check on Mark, and once Randy witnessed him he pulled him up and delivered a slap across the face getting payback from earlier.

However, Kofi wasn't going to take that lying down and he punched Randy right back knocking him to the ground. He stomped on Randy, until I ran around the ring and pulled the Viper outside by his leg.

Ted and Cody had to restrain Randy, the Viper pissed off beyond belief that Kofi would lay his hands on him a second time.

"You got a problem now!" Randy yelled, as Kofi taunted him by calling him back into the ring.

Backstage

"That was a pretty sweet RKO," Ted complimented, as we continued walking backstage. "Although it's got nothing on 'Dream Street'," he said arrogantly.

I scoffed, "Are you kidding Ted? Randy's RKO is considered the most devastating move in the WWE. The element of surprise is what he has going for him; I mean he can hit it at any…" I trailed off, just realizing they all had their eyes fixed on me.

I can't believe it… for a full three minutes I had forgotten everything wrong in my life. Great… now that I know how good it feels it's going to be even more torturous now that the problems came seeping back into my life.

"Right… so I'll be heading back to the divas locker room," I said quietly and hurried away quickly.

I thought I was in the clear as I rounded a corner and came upon an empty hallway. Leaning up against the wall, I rested my head back and closed my eyes, emitting a deep sigh.

"Mickie...?"

Jerking my head up, I looked to my right to take in the form of a hesitant looking Kelly.

"What do you want Kelly?" I asked, pushing off the wall to stand up straight and fold my arms across my body.

"I… uh I saw you come down this way so I followed you. I know you said you didn't want to talk to me but I was hoping you may have… changed your mind," she spoke quietly.

"Why would I have changed my mind?" I asked.

Her shoulders sagged and a distressed look came over her face, "Mickie… I'm not going to make excuses for myself because what I did was terrible beyond anything I thought I could ever be capable of. But I need you to know that I would never, ever intentionally hurt you because you mean far too much to me. If you can't forgive me, trust me I would understand, but I'm hoping that maybe one day you could. You're like a sister to me, and losing you would be my ultimate loss and I don't know if I could spend my life knowing that because of a horrible decision, that I regret immensely, I lost you forever. I know I don't deserve you as a friend, because you are _such_ a good person Mickie, but I'm hoping that maybe you could accept someone back into your life that isn't as wonderful, but tries to be at least."

I looked down out my hands, twiddling my fingers together, listening to every word intently. This is your opportunity Mickie… make the right decision for once. You'll feel better even if it is only a little.

"Look… I don't mean this as an insult, but I don't want to be like you in this situation. I don't want to continually punish you for something neither of us can ever change. People make mistakes, even those that we love. God knows I've made my fair share, so it would be unfair to spend my time punishing someone else when I should be paying attention to my own mistakes. Your regret the last three years is punishment enough."

I washed as the surprise washed across her face, "Wow, I never… I didn't think you'd forgive me…" she said quietly.

"I do forgive you Kelly…" she took a step forward with her arms open but I took a step back, "…but I need time alright."

She stopped in her tracks as the smile faded away, "What do you mean?"

"Kelly every time I close my eyes, images of you and Randy together haunt me and it's not something I can get over as easily as you might think. I need time… time to get past everything that's going on in my life. I can't be the person I want to be until I figure everything out, and let the past go. So until I'm ready I need some space, and more than that I need you to respect my decision."

She remained silent for a moment, until she lifted her head to look at me, "Okay… okay whatever you need."

"I promise we'll be okay…" I whispered and hurried past her before anything more could be said.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I was finally in the clear. I knew I was expected at the gorilla position any moment, so I needed to get in character. Ugh but I couldn't. The real reason that I decided it was best to just forgive her is because I'm tired. I spend all my time trying so hard to be angry at Randy… that I just don't have the energy to be angry with anyone else. I don't know if deep down I had truly forgiven her yet – of course I only found out a couple days ago so I can hardly be blamed? – but I didn't want to have that problem to deal with on top of everything else. In the grand scheme of things… this whole thing with Randy was so much more important to me than finding out a secret from the past no matter how terrible the secret.

Tonight's divas match was Melina vs. Maryse in a non-title match. After the divas champion picked up the win (after a brutal sunset split), my timing was perfect as I ran down the ramp and attacked the Latina from behind knocking her to the ground viciously. Maryse stumbled to her feet, and helped me in serving Melina a beating so as to further our feud and lead us to Survivor Series which was only a couple weeks away.

The French-Canadian and I walked up the ramp, proud of ourselves and at the top we gave one another a high-five before entering the backstage area.

"Wish me luck… I'm off to talk to Mike," she said hesitantly before strutting off in the direction of her soon to be ex-boyfriend's locker room.

"Good luck," I called after her, setting pace back to the diva's locker room.

Rounding a corner, I guess I should have been paying more attention, as I viciously collided with another person. Bracing myself for impact, I was surprised to find that I didn't hit the floor. Opening my eyes, I looked into the one pair of eyes I was hoping to avoid. The whole scene reminded me of my first night back on Raw…

_It felt so good, a win on my first night back. That will show the Raw divas what they are up against. I continued up the ramp with my music playing and cheers from the crowd._

_I pushed my way through the curtains and didn't get very far before I smacked into something tall and hard. I looked up to see the one man I vowed I was going to avoid at all costs. _

_Randy Orton._

I longed for the simplicity of that first encounter. Sure we claimed we hated each other… but more than anything I wish it was still the same way between us. At least I had three years to perfect the art of lying to myself and claiming that I didn't feel anything for him anymore. But now, I was fresh off of finding out he had a girlfriend and didn't want me anymore after I had myself convinced there was a possibility that we could give our relationship another shot.

To sum it up, back then I wasn't completely and totally in love with Randy Orton… at least I wasn't on the surface.

"I…" I didn't know how to finish that sentence as I looked down at his arms that were still wrapped around me.

"Oh… right," he said quickly, making sure I was steady before releasing me and taking a step back. He was already dressed in his street clothes and had his bag slung over his shoulder so I could only imagine he was taking off early.

"Okay…" I trailed off, attempting to continue past him only to have him put his arm out to stop me from doing so.

"Just… stay… for a minute. That's all I'm asking for," he spoke, making it clear that he was merely asking and that I had the option to decline if I wanted to.

Instead, surprising myself, I took a step back so that we were facing one another.

He cleared his throat, "I know that there aren't any words that I could possibly say that will make any of this better… but I want you to know that I never intended to hurt you Mickie. Deep down you know that, and you also know that I would give anything to be able to take away the pain that I know you're feeling. But I can't and that's going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I can live with that, what I _can't_ live with is seeing you suffer through this alone because you're too stubborn."

"What are you talking about Randy?"

"You're a tough person Mickie, one of the toughest women I have the pleasure of knowing, but not even you can deal with the amount of pain I know you're feeling alone. I know first hand the damage that it does when you let it consume you, when you allow it to take over your life and I don't want you to have to endure it. You're too good for that."

"So what would you have me do?" I asked bitterly, crossing my arms once more.

"Talk to someone about it. Let Ted and Cody help you through everything that you're going through because trust me when I say that they are more than willing to help you with the burden you're carrying."

I sighed angrily, "I'll keep that in mind… now if you don't mind, I'd like nothing more than to get away from you."

"Mickie…" he reached out and placed his palm against my check, "you're better than this… and you know that. You have friends for a reason, remember that."

I closed my eyes at his touch and leaned against his hand, until I realized exactly what it was that I was doing and I took another step back.

"I know I hardly owe you an explanation but for future encounters and my bitter moments, I want you to know that it has more to do with me than you. Of course it does have to do with you… _obviously_… but mostly it's what I have to work on as a person. I can't promise that there won't be future times when you'll want to throttle me… but I want you to know," I released another sigh, "that I'm trying my best."

"You're right… you don't owe me an explanation nor do you owe me anything else. Mickie, what I did was unacceptable, trust me I know that, and you have every right to hate me or resent me," he looked away. "It kills me… but I deserve it."

"I… I need to go," I whispered quietly, rushing past him and this time he didn't stop me.

Every moment I spent near him was nothing less than torture and a painful reminder of everything that I had lost all thrown into one man. At least when we broke up all those years ago… it wasn't long after that I was traded to Smackdown. This time around was going to be a _hell_ of a lot more difficult.

Figuring that the Legacy locker room was now safe since Randy just left, I quickly retrieved my belongings from the ladies locker room, not stopping to chat with anyone, and hurried along the corridors in the direction of the Legacy locker room.

"James! Long time no see!" Ted exclaimed as I ambled through the door just as he was shoving his belongings into his own bag.

"Yeah it's been a… while?" I responded. "Why do you look like a little kid in a candy store? It's grossing me out."

"Oh my miserable friend… life is fantastic right now! I am a single man… that is until Maryse and I can _officially_ seal the deal," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"If _that's_ how you seal the deal, then I'm pretty sure you've sealed it far too many times by now," I said, disgusted at the mental images that kept popping up against my will. "Wait… did you say you were single now? You talked to Maria?"

"I sure did my dear friend. And it was the easiest break-up I've ever been through!"

"Is she… okay? I mean you weren't rude to her were you?"

"Puh–lease. I barely had to say a thing!"

"Oh my god Ted did you break up with her over text message?" I said sternly, placing my hands on my hips.

"Of course not! Who do you think I am?"

"You're Ted DiBiase… and you suck."

He narrowed his eyes for a brief second before a smile grew on his face, "Not even your sullen mood can ruin mine. Actually I told her that it just wasn't working between us. And you know what she said? Do you? Do you?"

"No Ted I don't, because I don't stalk you," I sighed, unamused by his gross happiness.

"She said she agreed and she was totally cool about it. She also realized that our relationship was mainly a physical one… and it's hardly one that was going to last through the ages. You know what else she said?" he was practically bouncing with excitement.

"What?"

"She sensed there was something between Maryse and me. She said she caught me looking at her on more than one occasion and that it appeared like I was longing for her or something. That redhead is a hell of a lot more perceptive than I ever would've given her credit for!"

"Maria's a smart girl… I'm actually _not_ surprised she picked up on it. But I'm happy for you Ted… I honestly am even though it may not seem like it."

"I know you are… I'm just ignoring it because I don't want you to ruin my mood… no offence," he added quickly. "I would _never_ hold it against you."

To my surprise a small laugh escaped my lips, "I know you wouldn't. So what are your plans for tonight?"

"Oh shit… I forgot about Maryse."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion, "You… forgot about the girl you're apparently madly in love with and have been talking about for like the last five minutes?"

"No I mean she texted me a couple minutes before you came in. She broke up with Mike, but apparently the asshole was an asshole to her.

"That blows my mind, an asshole being an asshole? I'm sure that _never_ happens," I said sarcastically. "Besides Mike isn't an asshole… he's probably been sensing the drift and it's not easy to let go of a relationship."

"I should really go and kick his ass…" he said thoughtfully appearing to not have heard my previous comment.

"No Ted you really shouldn't. In fact that would make everything worse. So how about you stay away from him and focus on Maryse… in private. Preferably not at the hotel…" I added as an afterthought.

"Are you going to be okay tonight? You can come hang out with us if you want to," he offered, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"No, no you go ahead. I'm going to walk back to the hotel so don't worry about giving me a ride back. I could do with the fresh air."

"Are you sure? You wouldn't be intruding… I promise."

"I'll be fine," I forced a smile. "I'm tired anyway. I'm going to walk back… and then more than likely I'll just crash. You go spend time with your new official girlfriend."

A smile grew on his face, "I like the sound of that. I can finally say that Maryse is my girlfriend. I don't think I've ever been happi… er…"

"Ted if you don't stop doing that I'll kill you. Just because my love life is in a terrible state at the moment, doesn't mean you can't talk to me about how you're feeling. That's what I'm here for," I insisted.

"That's funny… that's what _I'm_ here for in reference to you too," he said.

"Yeah, yeah just get out of here before I finally put my miserable mood to good use," I threatened in a teasing way. "Oh before you go where's Cody?"

"As far as I know he's with Eve. So I'll see you tomorrow. I'll probably spend tonight with Maryse," he said with a grin.

"Oh… of course," I nodded my head and forced another smile. The whole faking process was getting a little bit aggravating. Spending time alone tonight might just not be so bad after all.

"Mickie…"

"Yeah Ted?"

"Could you do me a favour and get yourself something to eat? You haven't eaten all day," he said quietly.

"I was just thinking that," I lied. "I'll stop on the way back to the hotel. Besides I ate breakfast this morning so you can't say that I haven't eaten."

"One meal a day hardly constitutes as eating young lady."

"Yes mom," I muttered lamely.

With one last grin he was out the door. Ted has a girlfriend… Cody has a girlfriend… of course they've had them for awhile now it's just I used to have Randy to depend on… to be able to hang out with when the other two were busy. But even Randy has a girlfriend now and we aren't even technically on speaking terms. I had a feeling my life was about to get a little bit lonelier.

An hour later I pushed the door open and entered the dark hotel room, wishing almost instantly that Raw had never ended. At least the segments of tonight and being out there during Randy's match – feeling the intensity of the WWE Universe – had posed as a distraction that worked because being out there, involved in something I love so much was the only thing that was _truly_ capable of making me feel okay for those few minutes.

I shut the door gently behind me and leaned up against it allowing my bag to slip off my shoulder and fall to the floor with a soft thud. I was fully aware once more of how drained I was once again but it was becoming too common of a thing for me to be worried about it let alone pay any real attention to it at all. It was just another thing that was part of the new me that had been developing over the last little while. More than likely it had to do with the fact that I hadn't been eating normally… but I didn't want to eat when I wasn't hungry. And my appetite had changed drastically over the last little while almost to the point where I never found myself hungry.

I allowed a small sigh to escape my lips as I ran a hand through my hair before looking down at the brown paper bag I grasped firmly in my free hand. Wiping a single tear that had fallen, I crossed the room and sat down on the floor at the end of my bed and opening the bag I pulled out a two six of vodka I had only just purchased around the corner.

This was my attempt at solving my problems even if it was only temporarily. I knew it was pathetic, but I just didn't know what else to do. I don't think that I have ever felt more alone or cut off from everyone in my life. Twisting the lid off, I slowly placed the bottle to my lips, not even bothering to mix it with anything or to grab a glass. I don't know why I hesitated in taking the first sip, and after trying to talk myself into going for it, I ended up pulling it away, twisting the lid back on and setting it down on the floor beside me.

I may have drifted away from the real me, but I hadn't drifted far enough to resort to drinking vodka straight out of the bottle. In spite of everything there was still a part of me that had hope… that had faith that I was going to get through this even if it was alone. The tears fell heavily once again, and this time I didn't try to fight them. Was it not normal to cry when you had a broken heart? When everything in your life seemed hopeless? Surely I wasn't the first one and I most definitely wasn't going to be the last.

I was surprised when the door swung open, and I looked up into the eyes of Ted who tilted his head to the side and offered me a sympathetic look.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were staying with Maryse…" I asked quietly, wiping the tears off my face.

"If you think for a second that because I have a girlfriend things are going to change between us you are sadly mistaken Mickie James. And I definitely won't be trading roommates either so you're stuck with me," he said, walking over towards me and sitting down next to me.

I attempted a smile… but I didn't seem to have the energy to fully execute one.

"I'm sorry I even left you tonight… you've always been there for me and I'm always going to be here for you. Not just because I'm returning the favour, but because you're my best friend and you're beyond important to me," he said, reaching out and wrapping an arm around my frame pulling me closer to him.

I sniffed, dragging the back of my hand across my face, "Thanks Ted," I whispered.

He reached out and picked up the bottle of vodka I had only set down minutes ago. He held it up and glanced at me questioningly.

"I was scared Ted… scared that I would have to deal with everything alone. Because despite how hard I've been trying to fight it… I _can't_ do it alone," I said in barely more than a whisper.

"Mickie James, as long as I'm breathing you'll never be alone," he spoke softly, kissing the top of my head like he did often.

"Same goes for me."

The both of us looked up and took in the form of Cody Rhodes standing in the doorway, as Ted hadn't bothered with closing the door.

I couldn't help but smile, even if it was the faintest of ones, as Cody closed the door and crossed the room to sit down on my other side. He grabbed my hand in his and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

"We're here for you whether you want to talk or not. Always remember that okay? You're not just Mickie James; you're _our_ Mickie James and trust me when I say we're going to be around for as long as you want us," the brunette said.

I sniffled once more, "I guess you're stuck with me forever then."

"Forever it is then," Ted said with a grin.

I had a right to be upset, but I didn't need to do it on my own. I didn't always have to play the tough act, and it wasn't a bad thing to show weakness in front of those who love me. And Ted and Cody loved me for who I was, and would never judge me. They were the kind of friends that I knew I was blessed to have. They were faithful and loyal and had been since the moment we had met, no questions asked. For the first time in what had felt like an eternity, I knew with certainty that with these two by my side, I was eventually – no matter if it took months or years – going to be okay.

_As usual, I want to thank those who left the wonderful reviews :) There's chapter forty-eight, I hope you'll take the time to review. Sorry for the long in-ring segment that I'm sure some of you already saw on Raw in 2009 (excluding the Mickie parts) but that's one of my favourite Legacy moments for some reason._

_I have kind of a weird question to ask. Are there any questions that have been raised in reference to any of the characters that I have not answered in the story? It's such a long story it's hard to keep track of everything and it's my first story as well so I'm not that experienced with this. Mainly I'm asking because I don't want to finish the story with loose ends. It drives me crazy when I'm reading a book and I find myself wanting to know things that weren't actually answered._

_I'll try my best to update quick again :) Thanks for reading my story._


	49. The Ultimate Betrayal

_Chapter 49: The Ultimate Betrayal_

Randy's POV

Considering the choices I'd made and the situation that had affected us all because of them, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised every morning when reality sets in and I become fully aware of just _how_ different things are.

Most of the time I wake up half-expecting Cody to be sleeping in the bed next to mine and the rest of the time I expect to see Mickie sleeping next to me. Instead I realize there is no second bed and that it's Laura who I wake up beside.

It's not that I'm unhappy. It's more of a case of longing for what was, which I didn't think I was even capable of. I would never admit it out loud, but I missed the stupid, pointless arguments between Ted and Cody and the feisty brunette that stole my heart all those years ago. These days I mainly only saw Cody and Ted at the arena, and even then it hardly counts because it always feels so tense in the locker room.

As for Mickie… every time I came across her, usually at a distance, she looks so weak and lifeless. Those two words aren't supposed to be used in reference to her… that's not what she's about. She's special, so unlike anyone else I've ever met. She doesn't hesitate in standing up for herself or something she believes in. And more importantly she doesn't deserve to be feeling what I know she is. Often times I find myself revelling in the moments that I got to spend with her on-air because in those few minutes we get to pretend that we're actually a couple. I almost wanted to slap myself at how pathetic I had become over the past few months… its frustrating being one way for so long and then you find yourself doing or feeling things you never thought you would again.

Sometimes, before I can catch myself, I find myself wishing I could go back so I could do things differently. I just didn't know if that was to change my decision about dating Laura or if it was a wish that I had never gotten involved with Mickie.

"Hey, how long have you been awake?" turning to my left, I found Laura was smiling at me, having just woken up.

"Not long, only a few minutes," I responded simply.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, sitting up and moving closer to me.

I cleared my throat, "Just tonight… Survivor Series."

"It's going to be great, and _you_ are going to be wonderful just like you always are."

"I guess we'll find out," I said with a grin.

"So, why don't we go across the street to that little diner and get some breakfast," she offered, pulling the blanket off herself so she could scramble out of bed.

"Actually I don't have time for the usual breakfast. We should just grab a quick snack from the continental breakfast downstairs, and then I have to head to the arena with the guys to go over a few things for tonight."

She smiled, "Alright, just let me get cleaned up quickly and then we can go."

Mickie's POV

Waking up the day of the pay per view, I was surprised to find how rested I felt both mentally and physically. Opening my eyes, I glanced at the clock to read that it was seven in the morning. I had a dreamless sleep last night, and I didn't wake up once. Miracles do happen! I couldn't remember the last time I'd gotten a full eight hours, and for once I felt like things were looking up.

I was fully rested, I felt calm and the cherry on top of the cake was that Survivor Series was tonight. Merely thinking of that last fact brought a smile to my face. I had high hopes about how today was going to turn out. This was the first step on Mickie James' road back to normalcy!

"Hey Ted…" I turned over to find that the bed next to mine was in fact unoccupied. "That's strange… he's almost never up before–"

Why am I talking to myself?

Throwing the covers off me, I walked across the room towards the bathroom but caught sight of the note on the table to my right.

_Mickie, _

_Me and Cody went downstairs to have some breakfast before we head to the arena. We didn't want to wake you. Come and join us we'll probably be around until 8._

Smiling to myself once more, which was sort of starting to creep me out because it was so unlike me lately, I continued into the bathroom to brush my teeth, pull my hair into a ponytail, and apply a bit of make-up. We were heading to the arena where Ted, Cody and Randy were going to be preparing for their match and soon after I was meeting with the divas to go over a few things before our own match.

After dressing in a pair of yoga pants and a matching black top, I grabbed my gym bag and after shoving my phone, keys and hotel card into the side pocket, I pulled the door shut behind me and headed downstairs to meet up with the guys. Stepping off the elevator, I almost ran into John Cena but managed to dodge around him at the last minute.

"Hey you," he smiled down at me.

"Hey John, how's it going?" I smiled back. "Haven't seen you since the fateful night of our drunken mishap."

"Well that's because you were in the bathroom throwing up when I left. I would've stuck around but Ted insisted he had it covered. Actually… he was about ready to throw me out. He kept glaring at me which I thought was really weird. Any idea what he meant by that?"

I merely laughed, "I was up for an hour just talking with Ted and then all of a sudden it all came out. Never have I regretted drinking so much before. It was brutal. But to answer your question, he blames you for the state I was in. _And_ he was mad that he found us… kissing." I said hesitantly.

"It was harmless!" he insisted. "Wait does that mean he was jealous?"

"Ted? Puh-lease! He's just a big brother to me that's all. You know watches out for me. He probably thought you took advantage of me or something," I explained.

"Which I didn't," he said defensively, "You kissed me."

I smiled, "And I regret every second of it."

"Sure you do," he grinned back.

"So what's going on with you? How are things with… Kelly?"

"Oh," he said with a grin, "They're good actually. We talked everything out last week, laid everything out on the table and decided it wasn't a reason to end our relationship."

"That's great John, I'm really happy for you… for the both of you."

"She told me she talked with you last week. What was that about?"

"I'm not ready to just forget everything that happened. I need time… and I really don't think it's too much to ask considering what she's guilty of," I said defensively.

"Hey, I'm not saying it is. I'm just glad you're willing to get past it. You two have been friends for far too long to let Orton come between you."

"John," I said harshly, "Don't put this all on him alright, Kelly knew what she was doing."

After a moments silence I continued, "Do you think me and him are just best friends forever these days? No offence but I have bigger problems in my life right now than worrying about Kelly's hurt feelings. I have _Randy Orton_ problems, and right _now_ that is all that really matters to me."

"That's not what I was saying at all. I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said anything. Hey," I finally looked up at him, "Kelly has plans with Melina tonight. Did you want to hang out, catch a bite to eat after the show? It's a peace offering," he grinned.

I couldn't help but smile back, "Sure, I don't think I have any other plans."

"Okay, I'll stop by your room later and pick you up. I heard of a good place to eat from one of the guys. It's more or less a bar and restaurant, so it should be fun."

"Sounds good… see you later then," I smiled, and resumed my course towards the breakfast room.

I stepped inside, and immediately looked around hoping that the guys were still here. My eyes scanned the room and fell on a table in the corner, the smile sliding off my face. Ted and Cody, along with Eve and Maryse were situated around a table along with Randy and Laura, all seemingly having a great time.

My good mood instantly faded away and a sense of hurt came over me. Who the hell was I kidding? Things were never going to be okay. All of my friends had a significant other and no matter how much they might want to be, they couldn't always be there for me. Not only that, but I wasn't going to fit in. I wasn't going to foolishly go and join them at a table where I was the only single one.

Great, I guess this puts a halt on Mickie James' road to normalcy!

Before I could make my exit completely, Randy looked up and caught my gaze. Cursing myself for lingering too long, I turned and rushed out of the breakfast room only to collide with someone else in the lobby.

"Great, could life be any worse?" I grumbled to myself.

"Well if you want me to be technical, it could actually. Instead of running into me, you could have run out onto the street and gotten hit by a car."

Recognizing the voice I had to smile to myself before looking up into the eyes of the straight edge saviour.

"Smart ass," I muttered before grasping the hand he had extended to pull me up.

"So where were you blindly rushing off to?" he asked.

"Anywhere but here," I muttered.

"I figured I'd run into you at some point… I never quite expected that to _literally_ happen. But I guess I'll take what I can get," he teased. "I've been anxious to hear some more Mickie James gossip… life has been seriously lacking in that area."

I punched him playfully on the arm, "Don't patronize me!"

"In all seriousness, how are–" he cut off as his gaze lingered on something over my shoulder.

"What?" I smiled, which faded when I turned around to take in the form of Randy standing a few feet behind us.

"What do you want?" I asked harshly, folding my arms across my chest.

"I–" he glanced over his shoulder, "How come you didn't come sit with us?" his face becoming impassive because of Punk I assumed.

"Breakfast with you and Laura… no thanks. Actually," I said, an idea forming in my mind, "Punk offered to take me out for breakfast, so we better get going. Enjoy the remainder of your breakfast," I spoke sarcastically. "Come on Punk."

"Actually…" Punk spoke and turning I noticed a mischievous look in his eyes, "Mickie it _really_ is rude to decline an invitation to join someone for breakfast." 

"What? No it… are you… it's not," I muttered, wondering where he was going with this.

"I think we better take him up on his invite. I mean it's the least we can do," he spoke, a hint of teasing to be detected. "We'll be right in," he assured Randy.

Randy couldn't do anything more so he turned, hesitantly so, and headed back into the breakfast area.

Rounding on Phil, I almost shouted, "What the _hell_ was that?" I hissed. "Did you not pick up on my desire to get _away_ from him?"

"Oh I did," he said mischievously, "And obviously I ignored it. So what the hell is going on with you two?"

"What do you mean?" I asked casually.

"The tension was so thick I swear I could have cut it with a knife," he stated, as if this was an obvious thing.

"Oh… that. It's nothing," I insisted, avoiding looking at him.

"Nothing my ass. When has _your_ short ass ever been able to lie to me and get away with it?"

"Now I remember _why_ I left Smackdown, so that I wouldn't have to put up with your annoying, straight edge self!"

He merely chuckled, "We're expected for breakfast, but I'll get the story after."

"Why are you doing this?" I whined.

"Do you want Randy to think you aren't capable of sharing the same table with him at breakfast? That would make you seem pathetic."

Wow Punk was never one to sugar coat his words.

Not allowing me to say anything more and stopping me from running out the entrance, he practically dragged me into the breakfast room and over to the table occupied by my friends and… Laura, after we filled our plates with a few snacks.

"James! I knew we would be seeing you soon!" Ted exclaimed as he saw me, sending Punk a glare when his eyes rested on the arm that was around my waist.

Punk, realizing this, withdrew his hand almost immediately and pulled up two chairs, purposely (I'm sure of it) sticking my chair beside Randy and his next to me on Cody's left hand side. Sending him a glare, to which he ignored as he muttered hello's to everyone, I hesitantly took the seat next to Randy trying my best to avoid the blue eyes that I was sure were on me.

"So…" Punk started, a huge grin on his face as his eyes travelled around the table. "What was everyone talking about?"

Oh god I am _so_ going to kill him!

"Nothing important, basically just listening to Ted drag on and on about himself. I swear he almost put me to sleep," Cody complained.

I grinned over at Ted who had a proud smile on his face, "Ted never seems to run out of anything to say about himself."

"You know me James… if you've got it flaunt it!"

"Would someone else please come up with something else to talk about?" Cody practically begged as I heard Randy chuckle to my left.

"Rhodes, you know you love listening to how good-looking I am. You're just jealous that you're the ugliest one in the group," Ted said smugly.

"You're kidding right? Randy, Mickie and I discussed this one day and we came to the conclusion that people don't like us because they're scared of your face," Cody responded.

Ted looked between me and Randy seemingly insulted, but searching our faces to see if there was any truth to this.

"Hey I had no such discussion," Randy said defensively, "besides we both know who the best looking member of Legacy is," he said, confident that it was himself.

"Okay wait, there is only one fair way to decide this," Punk spoke up.

I was actually surprised that he was joining in this conversation. What could possibly interest him about this? Looking around the table, Maryse and Eve were watching Punk in amusement and I didn't even bother checking to see Laura's reaction to this. She scared me.

"How?" Ted asked, anxious to hear his solution. He was never one to back away from a competition that had to do with looks.

"There is one neutral person at this table… no not myself because that's a little weird and quite frankly none of you are my type."

"So who then?" Cody asked.

Oh god, please don't let him say what I think he's about to say.

Punk turned to look at me, "Mickie… being the only female member in Legacy should be the one to decide," he said with a grin, the mischievous glint noticeable in his eyes once more.

"Hey he has a point," Cody agreed.

Ted, however, merely chuckled, "Neutral? Are you kidding me? I think we _all _know who she would choose…"

Everyone at the table turned to look at me, and I felt my cheeks burn hot. I am going to kill Punk… _and _Ted! Shoving my plate away after only taking a few bites, I put my attention on everyone else.

Glaring at Ted, I forced a smile onto my face, "Considering that _I'm _a part of Legacy… I believe I am officially in this competition and therefore as the appointed judge," I sent a glare to Punk this time, "I choose myself as the best looking member of the Legacy."

"Hey! Wait that's… that's not… is that allowed?" Ted leaned across the table to ask Cody who was laughing.

"She's the judge, she can choose who she wants," he said, holding his hand out for me to high five.

"I call a recount… and I appoint Maryse as the judge," Ted said loudly, wrapping his arm around the blonde.

"I agree with Mickie," she said playfully, offering me a wink.

Ted gasped in offence, "That's it; I'm cutting you off woman!"

It was then that Randy, Cody and I all started laughing at the same time.

"Please Ted! Don't make us die with laughter," Cody managed to get out.

"Nice try… but clearly I'm not the only one here who doesn't believe that for a second," Maryse said, placing a kiss on the frustrated Ted's cheek.

"Actually you know, I'm glad I ran into you guys," Punk spoke up causing all of us to turn and look at him, "I think I need some advice."

"About what?" I asked.

"Well there's this girl I used to date," he sounded genuinely sincere; I felt sort of bad for him and wondered what his problem was. "Anyway, we sort of reconnected not to long ago, you know uncovered some old feelings and such, and there's a possibility that we could get together again in the future."

"Who is this girl?" Ted asked, a sceptical look on his face.

"Oh no one you know… someone back in Chicago."

"So what's the problem?" Eve asked, "If you want to be together than what's stopping you?"

"There's just like _sooo_ much history, you know?" he said dramatically, and that was when I knew he wasn't being serious. He better not be doing what I think he's doing.

"Well if you love each other… that shouldn't matter," Maryse offered, stating this like it was obvious.

"Well the thing is, she also has a boyfriend that she loves as well. So that sort of complicates everything doesn't it? Should I kick the crap out of this guy?" he asked, turning to me and sending me a knowing grin. "Or should I just sit back and watch what could potentially be the love of my life be with someone who isn't as good for her as I am."

"Okay _Punk_," I chuckled nervously, cutting him off. "What you should do, is stay out of _her_ business," I said through gritted teeth, "And let_ her_ choose for herself!"

In reality, _her_ was actually Randy Orton and I was 'Punk'.

"Wait," Ted spoke up, appearing to be deep in thought, "This sounds _so_ familiar. Isn't that the same as…" he turned to look at me, "isn't that the same as–"

"Ohhh look at the time!" I shouted, staring at my imaginary watch. "Punk we are supposed to go do that thing…" I said through gritted teeth.

He smiled innocently, "What thing? I don't recall having any prior plans."

"That thing… you remember. Those people asked us to– Oh come on," I stood up and tugged his arm so he almost fell out of his chair. "Bye everyone!" I said sweetly. "See you all later. Except… you," I said awkwardly to Laura who merely rolled her eyes.

Before Punk even had a chance to say good bye to anyone, I pulled on his arm roughly and literally dragged him out of the breakfast room, into the lobby and out the door without saying a word. Finally when we were outside, I let my bag drop to the ground and I lunged at him.

"Oh Punk! You are _so_ going to wish you kept your mouth shut!" I growled.

Laughing, he took a few steps back, "What? I really wanted some advice for my problem!" 

"Oh ha-ha-ha you are just _so_ funny!"

"Why thanks," he said smugly.

"How do you even know any of that anyway? You told me you wanted me to tell you about everything later," I said, sitting down on the curb of the sidewalk.

He grinned, "I ran into Melina earlier… she told me everything."

"Ugh and you couldn't even tell me you knew? I should _really_ kick your ass!"

"I knew you wouldn't let me go in if I told you I knew besides is that _really_ how you think it would go down?" he asked, crossing his arms smugly.

"Oh I've kicked your ass before and I could do it again!"

"Who are we fooling here? So what 'thing' do we have planned?" he teased.

I sighed, "I don't know… I think you owe me a fun day out."

"Well let the fun begin," he held out his arm and I linked mine with it.

"So what the hell was that all about? Just to torture me?" I asked.

"I don't do things without reason Mickie, you know that. You need to stop letting others run your life and decide things for you. Take control… sure Randy betrayed you, but don't let him know that he holds that power over you. Take control of your own life, and do things for yourself."

"I think it's a little late for that now. I had a break down in the lobby the other night. I cringe at how embarrassing that was!"

"A breakdown… in the lobby?"

"I was drunk!" I said defensively.

"Well there's your problem right there."

"I'm sorry that I wanted to drown my sorrows. Even then I couldn't stop thinking or hurting… it's just hard. I put so much effort into trying to make things work between us and it always fails. You think I would have learned my lesson by now," I grumbled.

"You did that because that's how you felt at the time… its how you feel. You feel more deeply than anyone I know Mickie… it's both a blessing and a curse I'm assuming. Don't ever regret being in love. There's nothing more important, so I'm told, than love," he spoke.

"Damn you and your ability to see the shades of grey," I complained.

He chuckled, "It's always easy to do that when it's someone else's problems."

"No it's not that. You're always like that… even with your own problems. You're so damn level headed it both irritates me and yet I admire it so much. I wish I was like that."

"Takes a truly special person," he teased.

I tilted my head to the side, "That's funny… apart from myself I don't see any special person around."

He chuckled softly, before his expression turned serious, "Do you want my honest opinion Mickie?"

I stopped walking, contemplating his question, "I don't know… you are brutally honest. I don't know if I can take it right now."

"Too bad, you don't have a choice. You know I can't miss an opportunity to make someone feel worse than usual," he winked before continuing, "Mickie you need to stop making excuses for yourself. You are just as much to blame as he is."

"Me? How am I to blame? He lied to me!" I reminded.

I was surprised, not only that the words had actually come out of my mouth, but surprised at how _deeply_ I felt them. After all the crap I was preaching, Randy was right, there wasn't a bone in my body that didn't blame him entirely.

"You lied to yourself Mickie which is far worse in my books. You allowed this to happen against – if I know you as well as I think I do – your better judgement. Now I'm not saying Randy is blameless, he's still an ass like he's always been, but he's not _entirely_ to blame in all of this."

I knew he was right, of _course_ he was right. Punk always seemed to know exactly what he was talking about and at times it was a tad bit unnerving. But Randy hurt me in the worst way he ever could have, it's not as easy to get over it as a person would think.

"You need to be honest and you need to tell him exactly what's on your mind. You have a _right_ to be angry."

I offered him a look of disbelief, "Do you think I _haven't_ given him a piece of my mind? He knows _exactly _how I feel and he doesn't give a shit."

Okay that was a small lie… because I knew he cared about me and that he hated how I was feeling. But that _hardly_ makes anything better!

"Obviously you haven't been honest enough! Mickie he's fooling himself. And that poor girl in there that I don't even know, she's fooling herself too. It's so pathetic I _almost_ feel bad for her!"

"There's nothing more I can do," I mumbled.

"Have you two talked about… you know?" he asked.

I was thankful he didn't say it out loud; thinking about it was hard enough without having it voiced. It brought a queasy sensation to my stomach and I had to stop and sit down on the curb of the sidewalk once more.

"Mickie?" he said, kneeling down in front of me.

I swallowed the lump growing in my throat and shook my head, "No," I muttered.

"And that's your problem right there. How can you ever expect to move forward if you don't let go of what's keeping you chained to the past? You've had a string of bad luck… you and Randy together have. And what made it so bad was the _timing_ of everything that went wrong. You endured so much in such a short space of time. No one blames you for being afraid, but it's time to move on Mickie."

"I'm scared Phil. I've been lying to myself and placing all the blame on him. How can I hold a grudge when I'm just as scared as he is? It just seems like the easiest thing to do… blaming him," I reasoned.

"Easy doesn't make it right. Doing the right thing is hard, but that's usually what makes it worth it. Talk to him about it. If you guys still decide it's too hard to overcome, fine, but at least you put it behind you right?"

I remained silent for a moment before looking up into his comforting eyes, "I guess… yeah you're right… as usual. Do you _ever_ annoy yourself?"

He grinned smugly, "On the contrary my friend, I find myself adorable."

Smiling softly, I allowed him to pull me to a vertical position as we walked over towards what I assumed to be his rental. We spent the better part of an hour engaged in a variety of games at the nearest arcade we could find. I questioned him at first, but he reasoned that I needed to relax and take a breather and – curse him for it – he was right. Mentally, this may seem odd, I was prepared for whatever Survivor Series 2009 was going to bring.

"Mickie I thought you were going to train with us," Ted asked when I rushed to the ring area an hour late and found the guys heading backstage.

"Sorry guys, I got sidetracked with Phil. But I've got my own match to prepare for and the ladies seem to be waiting," I said, motioning to the group of divas located in the ring.

"You ditched us for Punk?" Ted asked, upset at this fact.

"No need to get jealous Ted, you're still my number one," I winked at him, and smiled at Cody before turning to Randy, "I think… no we need to talk. Later okay?" he nodded before I turned and headed down to the ring.

I smiled as the last thing I heard was Ted speak aloud, "You don't think this will be a recurring thing do you? I mean her hanging out with Punk."

And then a noise that sounded like a slap and Ted crying out in pain. I was actually in giggles as I dropped my bag on the ground and climbed into the ring, avoiding the gaze of the blonde who I knew was standing next to Melina.

Training went by fast, and I can report that I enjoyed myself immensely. I don't know how Phil did it, but he helped to clear my mind even if it was only briefly. Despite his irritating ways, he never failed at making me feel peaceful whenever we hung out and I was sad that I didn't get to see him more often. I think I would be a little more sane most of the time if he was here all the time. I couldn't exactly tell you why, perhaps it was the brutal honesty or maybe it was that I trusted him with ever fibre of my being, but Phil always delivered when I was in a time of need.

Approaching my hotel door, voices from inside floated out into the hallway. They sounded… excited and I could make out both guys and girls voices. Maybe Ted and Cody had their girlfriends over… which now that I think about it is impossible because I was confident I was the first out of the divas to leave the arena.

Placing a smile on my face anyway, despite the confusion, I inserted the card key and pushed the door open.

"I'm… back," I sang out before focusing on what was going on, "Oh you've _got_ to be kidding!" I muttered angrily, feeling my good mood slip away almost instantly because of the sight I was taking in.

Sitting in front of the TV playing the PS3 was Ted, Cody, Randy and… Laura. I felt winded, as if someone had thrown a football through my outstretched arms nailing me in the stomach.

"Mickie… we weren't expecting you back so soon," Ted was the first to speak up as all four of them trained their eyes on me.

"Clearly," I said bitterly, crossing my arms after letting my bag drop to the floor. "What the hell is going on here?"

"We were just playing a harmless game of–" Laura started, but I cut her off almost instantly.

"Who in the hell do you think you are? Was I talking to you? No, last time I checked I wasn't. So considering you're in _my_ room how about you keep your mouth shut!" I shouted, throwing my jacket angrily on my bed.

Randy climbed to his feet, "Mickie just calm down. We'll go alright."

"What's the hurry! The five up us can't play together like one big happy family?" I spoke sarcastically.

"Randy let's just go, she _clearly_ needs time to calm down," Laura spoke harshly.

"Oh you little–" I started forward but Randy was quicker and had an arm gripped around my waist, lifting me off my feet and swinging us both around creating a bigger distance between me and Laura.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, trying to free myself from his grasp.

"No," he shouted back, gripping my arm to hold me in place as I tried to dodge around him, "Not until you calm down!"

I couldn't even see the other three because Randy was obscuring my view. I tried to give him a shove and we struggled for another thirty seconds until I finally gave up and remained still, Randy's hand still gripped tightly around my arm.

"You happy?" I asked, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Have you calmed down?"

"Randy let's just–" Laura started again.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh would you _shut up_? No one cares what you have to say right now and quite frankly I can't stand your voice!"

"Hey!" Randy shouted, "Is this necessary? Can you stop acting like a lunatic for five minutes? We were playing a game Mickie. It was _just_ a game."

I narrowed my eyes, "It's not just a game!" I wrenched my arm free of his grasp and gave him a forceful shove. "You took everything from me, _everything_, but I'll be damned if I let you take that from me too!" I gestured over his shoulder to Ted and Cody.

His eyes softened a second later and I think he finally realized what I was so upset about.

"Mickie that's not what we were–"

"Get out," I said quietly, but with a hint of authority.

"Mickie you said you wanted to talk… so let's talk."

I finally looked up into his eyes, "I have nothing to say to you."

"Mickie we can just–"

"I said get out!" I screamed. "Get out of my hotel room, get out of my life!" I shoved him in the direction of the door.

When he didn't move, and just remained staring at me, I crossed the room to the door and wrenched it opened, "Out," I repeated.

It was with a weary sigh that he finally did as I asked and slowly made his way towards me.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, "that's not what we meant by it."

"Don't bother coming back to my room. You wanna see Ted, you can meet somewhere else," I spoke quietly, refusing once more to look into his eyes.

Movement out of the corner of my eye made me look up into the eyes of Laura as I narrowed my own, "Don't you even think for a _second_ that you would ever fit in in this room, or with them," I hooked a thumb over my shoulder gesturing to Ted and Cody for the second time tonight.

"Get over the past Mickie. You can throw as many fits as you want but it's not going to change the reality of the situation."

"Laura!" Randy spoke harshly from the hallway.

With one last look she was out the door and I slammed it aggressively a half second later before turning to face the remaining two.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"Mickie I ran into them on the elevator on my way up from picking up a coffee. It's been awhile since I've actually hung out with Randy, I invited him over," Ted said.

"No you didn't invite _him_, you invited him _and_ Laura. _Huge_ difference!"

"What was I supposed to say? Randy come on over, Laura go back to your room?"

"Yeah, I would have!" I exclaimed.

"I don't see what the big deal is," he muttered, turning away from me as Cody continued looking on, seemingly uncomfortable.

"The big _deal_?" I threw my hands up in frustration. "It _kills_ me that I can't enjoy those moments with the three of you anymore without the tension and the fact that Laura isn't just a bad dream hanging over us. She's already gotten Randy Ted; I can't let her have this too."

"Mickie," Cody spoke up, "we're sorry. We honestly didn't realize you would be this upset. But you have to understand that Randy is our friend too and by default that means _we_," he gestured to himself and Ted, "have to accept her. But don't ever think that she could _ever_ replace you. We've been through far too much for that."

Ted circled around the couch and came towards me, "She's no you Mickie… she'll never be."

"Despite the sincerity of your words Ted, they mean nothing coming from _you_," I muttered, and dodged around him to enter the bathroom.

Closing it gently behind me, I leaned up against it and rested my head against the cool surface.

_She's no you Mickie… she'll never be._

More than anything I wish it had been Randy who had spoken those words instead of Ted. I felt ridiculous – for throwing a fit out there, and for caring in the first place. My love life was already in the shits – and not changing anytime soon – so why wouldn't the rest of my life be heading in the same direction?

I found myself longing for the night of my birthday party (the fact that I had almost attacked Laura reminded me of when Jillian had done the same to me), for the night when Randy didn't hide from everyone how much he cared for me. He delayed going home and getting back to Laura and opted to remain behind so he could be there on my big night. And our moment on the beach, the most perfect moment in our history it all seemed like ages ago, and the both of us were different now. There was no going back, only going forward. And unfortunately I was reluctant to do so.

After a shower, I took my time making sure my hair was done in perfect curls before I started on my make-up. An hour after entering I exited back into the main room clad in a pair of jeans, and a black top.

"Cody said he'd meet us downstairs in fifteen minutes," Ted spoke quietly, interrupting the silence that had filled the room.

"Mhmm," was all I offered for a reply as I slipped my feet into a pair of heels while gathering all of my belongings for tonight into my tote.

I felt guilty, for childishly taking my bad mood out on Ted and Cody, but I didn't have the strength or the desire to care. I was pissed off, whether I had a right to be I didn't know, but I wasn't bothering to care. Why couldn't they understand where I was coming from?

I knew the anger was stemming from the fact that I was scared… scared that everything seemed to be falling down around me. Afraid that I might lose Ted and Cody like I had lost Randy.

Randy.

This was his entire fault. This entire situation was completely his fault and he hadn't gotten so much as a slap on the wrist. He was in pain? Well fuck him; he still gets a happy ending! And what do I get? A long lonely rest of my life, because unlike him I'm not even going attempt to try for second best. I will _not_ settle.

But maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was so desperate to think Randy was _the one_ that I had convinced myself that there wasn't anyone else out there for me. Surely your soul mate isn't supposed to cause you as much pain as Randy has. Maybe the guy for me is still out there waiting and I have yet to find him. Whatever, it's not like it matters; I'm not in any hurry.

The drive to the arena was done in silence, an uncomfortable one at that as the three of us struggled to find the right words to say. If I didn't even feel like making an effort with Ted and Cody, how the hell was I going to endure a night out with John?

_**xoxo**_

The divas match went considerably well, as Team Mickie came out on top when it came down to just me and Melina in the ring with the rest of our teams having been eliminated. She almost caught me with the sunset power bomb, but I manoeuvred out of it and was able to execute a roundhouse kick and pick up the pin.

Mickie James was the soul survivor.

But that did little to rid me of my foul mood, and I stalked back towards the ladies locker room with a water bottle in hand and a scowl on my face. It seemed that as the minutes ticked by, my mood became worse and worse.

Betrayal. Loneliness. Bitterness.

Those were the words that kept floating through my mind. I was betrayed by a man that I loved. Despite the efforts on my friends' behalves, I was lonely and feeling cut off from the rest of the world. And the bitterness was taking over my life.

I couldn't even be bothered to engage in a pleasant conversation with any of the ladies, and didn't even attempt to hide my irritation before grabbing my bag and storming out of the divas locker room not even offering an excuse. At the moment, I was way beyond caring.

I probably should have stuck around to watch the remaining Legacy members elimination match, but I was about ready to rip my hair out and have another meltdown so I figured it was best for me to take my exit ASAP.

"Mickie," I heard from behind me, and instantly recognizing the voice I picked up my pace.

I was so not in the mood for this.

"Mickie!" I heard more closely this time and to my surprise a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Randy I do not want to talk to you," I hissed, looking up into the blue eyes I was beginning to despise.

"Mickie, you said earlier you wanted to talk. What did you want to talk about?"

"I'm not in the mood," I sneered, "and I am certainly sick of being in this situation with you. You're right; I blame you, for _everything_ because you're a_ bad _person. And right now, I may not hate you, but trust me when I say, it's not going to stay that way for long," I spoke harshly, and then turned on my heel and continued on my way, not even feeling a hint of remorse for my hateful words.

_**xoxo**_

"Don't you think you've had enough to drink? I mean from the looks of things you aren't going to be sober enough to go out," Ted pointed out.

"John and I are going out to_ de_-stress Ted, so what better way to do that than tip back a few drinks?" I reasoned. "Besides, I'm celebrating Legacy's win! I won my elimination match, and you guys won yours!" I spoke, a hint of sarcasm to be detected despite the obvious slur of my words.

"A few drinks? You didn't tip back a _few_ drinks, you've been tipping back straight alcohol, there's a difference. Besides, that's supposed to be for after dinner, not during dinner, you'll end up passing out in your food! And trust me, that's not attractive."

"Who am I trying to impress?" I scoffed.

He merely sighed, "That's hardly the point Mickie."

"Well at least my night won't be predictable. Besides it's not like I can cancel. Kelly and John are attached at the hip again, this is my one night to hang out with him and not be a third wheel. He always knows how to have fun so there's no way I'm not going," I somewhat slurred my words again at the very end and decided that Ted had been right when he gave me the 'You've had enough to drink speech'.

I had stopped at the liquor store down the street to buy a bottle of tequila on my way home from the arena, and by the time Ted had gotten back I had already started drinking it. I hated the taste, but I decided I needed hard liquor to get rid of my problems for the evening.

"Okay whatever you say," he muttered sarcastically while pulling a t-shirt over his head, "Maryse and I are going out for a late dinner, and then out for drinks."

"Mickie?" he asked almost cautiously.

"What?"

"I think maybe… you should lay off the alcohol. It's not exactly good for you, and you've drank enough as it is," he said quietly and hesitantly.

"When I want your opinion Ted, I'll ask," I snapped, turning away from him.

There was silence for a moment before I heard movement from behind me, a moment later I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head, "I'm worried about you Mickie, please don't hurt yourself. It's not going to help anything. Take care tonight, and _please_ think about what I said."

When I didn't respond, he released a small sigh and moments later the door opened and closed.

I scowled, and decided to take one more swig before I stumbled over to the mirror to check my appearance. I looked pretty good for a woman who was three quarters of the way drunk. My hair was teased and in a messy, but stylish ponytail and I was wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with a nice pair of black strappy heels. Obviously they weren't the shoes of choice for someone under the influence, but I wasn't sure I would be able to change my shoes myself. As for a top, I had settled on a simple sapphire blue t-shirt with a plunging neckline.

I was wondering where John was, when as if on cue there was a knock on my door.

"Just a minute," I called out while running towards the door, clearly giving myself more credit than I should have as I ended up stumbling to the floor.

"Are you okay in there?" I heard a muffled yell from the other side of the door. I was right, it had been John.

Muttering a curse, and ignoring the small regret at having drank so much, I got up as quick as my drunk ass could carry me and threw open the door to find a surprised Cena who had just been getting ready to knock again.

"Yeah I'm fine, of course why wouldn't I be," I slurred almost the entire sentence and then closed my eyes and sighed in embarrassment.

"Are you… drunk?" Cena asked me with disbelief heavy in his voice.

"Just a little bit, maybe," I whispered innocently and to my surprise he laughed.

"Well this should make for an interesting night. John Cena taking Mickie James out for the evening, only she was already drunk before they even left the hotel room," he said theatrically before allowing another chuckle to escape his lips.

"Let's go shall we," I took a step forward and stumbled again but John held me up and led me to the elevator after closing the door behind us.

"Are you sure you're okay to go out? I mean we could do it another night," he offered.

"No, no I will be fine. I just need some fresh air. Besides, this is the only night Kelly is busy, so guaranteed you won't have another night for me," I pouted.

"I always have time for you Mickie James," he assured me.

I shot him a look of disbelief, or at least that was what I tried for, which only resulted in him grinning back at me.

"Okay you have a point," he laughed again. "I just can't believe you're already drunk. How much did you drink?"

"I couldn't be sure exactly, but I wouldn't say I'm drunk… yet. Now are we going or what?" I questioned him as the elevator doors opened up.

Linking his arm through mine, he directed us through the lobby and out onto the street. Being outside did happen to help a lot and an unfamiliar feeling of freedom came over me. It took us ten minutes to reach our destination once we found a cab and we entered the cute little restaurant slash club everyone had insisted we visit, only a few minutes later.

As we walked inside, I instantly observed a few other superstars from the roster, but none that I really wanted to spend my night with so John and I walked a little further until a sight caused me to stop dead in my tracks. John hadn't noticed I had stopped and would have knocked me right over, had he not maintained his balance and managed to catch me at the last second.

His eyes went from staring at my face questionably to following where my gaze was situated and realizing what had caused the abrupt stop. It was Randy and Laura sitting at a table a few meters away from us. Seriously, out of all the places, why did they have to be_ here_? That was what I wanted to escape from, not run into while I was trying to have a fun night out with a close friend.

"They haven't seen us yet, we can find another place to hang out tonight," John offered apologetically.

I shook my head, "No John Cena, I am not a child anymore. It's time that I faced my problems."

Before I could process anything, I walked forward approaching the table that was occupied by the two people on the planet I didn't want to see. I was about to open my mouth to announce my presence, but Randy looked up and locked eyes with me. Surprise and wonder both flashed across his features, but once more his face became impassive.

"Awe it's the happy couple," I exclaimed trying to avoid the yelling of my subconscious inside my head.

_What are you doing you idiot? Are you masochistic? Do you like the feeling of pain?_

I quickly shoved the voice away to find Laura had looked up at me, "Mickie", she sneered, offering me a dirty look.

Looking back at Randy I still couldn't seem to figure out what was running through his mind. It frustrated me that he had learned to hide his emotions around me. For everyone else it was easy for him to shut down, but I could always see through that – until now anyway. I couldn't honestly tell you what I meant by this, or why I was even contemplating sticking around, but the mind works in mysterious ways and mine was telling me to stay.

"Do you mind if we join you?" I asked motioning to John and me.

And there was that voice again screaming at me, but I chose to ignore it and waited for a response.

"You're kidding me right? You throw a fit in your hotel room today because we were hanging out with–" Laura started but immediately stopped when I took one of the empty seats.

"What part of no do you not understand Mickie?" Laura sneered, narrowing her eyes in my direction.

"I don't believe I heard the word _no_ Laura. What is so wrong with friends sitting with friends?" I asked them cheerfully as John hesitantly took the empty chair beside me.

"Last time I checked I couldn't stand to be in the same room as you," she stated, it was hard not to miss the hatred in her voice, "Let alone the same table."

"Well who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?" I asked her and then giggled. "Is it really so hard to be friends Laura?" I asked theatrically.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you bi-polar? I'm so sick of this little act you have going–"

"Enough! Can you two just shut up for five seconds," Randy half-shouted before releasing a small sigh, "Honestly, every time you two are around each other I just want to stick a gun to my head and end the torture."

"Well maybe Mickie should take that as a hint to not intrude in other people's business," she sneered before glancing at Randy. "Whatever, just another ruined night," she sighed in defeat, sending the Viper a glare.

I found myself curious as to what that meant. Trouble in paradise perhaps?

"I knew you'd come around; you love me," I decided that I was going to annoy the crap out of her today, but not in a vindictive way – I was going to have fun.

"Why are you sitting here Mickie?" Randy asked. "Two hours ago you didn't want to be anywhere near me."

"Maybe I decided it's time to move on," I spoke, a bit of sarcasm to be detected in my tone.

He maintained eye contact with me, as if trying to figure out what I was thinking at that precise moment. I narrowed my eyes, and allowed a smirk on my face, making my face just as impassive as his. Two can play his game.

After an awkward moment of silence, for everyone else anyway as I spent the next five minutes grinning at the other three, a waiter came by to take our drink order. Even though I had told John beforehand that I would drink something without alcohol, I decided against it and ordered a shot of tequila for everyone as well as a beer for myself.

John and Randy both trained their eyes on me, "What? We're out trying to have a good time as _friends_, so why not indulge a little," I tried not to slur my words this time, but something told me I wasn't doing a very convincing job.

No one responded so I just sat there staring and smiling at Laura – who was sending me death glares every five seconds – until the waiter brought our drinks back to the table. Randy and John joined in the tequila shot with me but Laura downright refused so I drank hers as well. After a moment she excused herself to go to the washroom; and I couldn't resist. I tripped getting to my feet, and John had to lunge to hold me upright.

"What are you doing?" she asked harshly.

"Ladies go to the bathroom together! How could you forget that?"

Before she could protest I grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction of the bathroom, ignoring her attempts to get away from me.

Randy's POV

"Is she drunk?" I scoffed at John the moment the girls were out of earshot.

I was still surprised, and a little irritated that Mickie had invited herself and Cena to sit with us but she seemed hell bent on making everyone else uncomfortable. I was also surprised to see that she was already drunk when she sat down at the table. I knew she was mad, livid actually considering her choice of words earlier, but I certainly didn't expect this. But what _was_ I expecting? This was exactly what she had done the night she found out about Kelly and me. Apparently Mickie was becoming dependent on alcohol in her life, and I was fully to blame for all of it.

"That she is," John replied monotonously before taking another swig of his beer.

"Why would you let her get like that?" I hissed back at him.

I could only imagine given Mickie's history, or rather her usual choice of drink, was that she had been drinking tequila before coming out tonight. And given the state she was in, the two tequila shots on top of that, I could only imagine how tonight was going to end.

"Yeah because I'm the one who dumped the tequila down her throat," he spoke sarcastically while scanning his menu.

I didn't have anything else to say so I didn't respond and we sat there in silence. I knew I could speak for the both of us in saying I would rather be anywhere but here. A few seconds later the girls were on their way back to the table, Laura trying to keep her distance from Mickie, and Mickie trying to catch up. I had to smirk, Mickie was too good at being annoying.

I think this was Mickie's way of trying to let me know that she was over me and that she wasn't bothered by what happened. Even though I knew that part of my life was over I couldn't deny how much I longed for her at this very moment. With Mickie, things were complicated. She wasn't like the other girls; she had never been like the other girls. She was someone special to me, and no amount of time was ever going to change that.

I didn't know how any of this was going to work. The both of us on Raw, in the same storyline, in the same group, and being an on-air couple. How were we going to get past this when we were rarely going to have time apart from one another?

I was brought back from my thoughts when I witnessed Mickie order another beer, her third one. Sighing I couldn't help but acknowledge once more that I was the reason for all of this. Since Mickie had been back, life had been a roller coaster ride between the two of us to say the least. I knew it was going to take time, but I didn't want to have to watch Mickie constantly hurt herself because of it.

All of a sudden there was loud shouting at a table not too far from ours, and when I turned around to look I observed a girl shouting at a man who I assumed to be her boyfriend. I couldn't tell what was being said, but I noticed the guy had been engaged in a dinner with another girl. It was only a matter of minutes before there were security guards escorting the trio out after the girlfriend started throwing punches at her soon-to-be-ex boyfriend.

"Well Randy, I believe infidelity is your area of expertise. Is it not?" John asked resentfully.

Laura's head whipped in my direction and she scrutinized me for what felt like an eternity. Oh what a boy scout. He can't honestly expect me to believe he has never cheated on anyone in his life.

"And how do you figure that?" I hissed at him. Laura stared at me expectantly, "I've never been."

Laura merely averted her gaze once more, staring over in the direction of all those who were on the dance floor. I longed to get the hell away from this table. Chancing a glance at Mickie, I found that she had her eyes narrowed in my direction.

"Since I'm getting so sick of this awkward silence, how about I tell a little story about my past, and a douche bag ex-boyfriend," she slurred.

Probably another story about me no doubt, she seemed to have an endless supply of those.

"This story involves me being pregnant."

It was like that, there was no beginning to the story or no introduction, she just came right out and said it. I was momentarily dumbfounded – at a loss for what to say. I looked at John and then Laura; they were stunned, but not for the same reason I had been. But because neither one had known this.

"What are you talking about Mickie?" John asked placing his hand on her shoulder in a show of comfort, confusion still spread across his face.

Finally Mickie looked up from her drink and glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze on me. John and Laura simultaneously looked back and forth between the two of us.

"I was dating this guy for awhile, and it was pretty serious between the two of us. I actually didn't even know I was pregnant until the pregnancy hit the three month mark. I visited the doctor because I had been getting sick a lot and it turns out I was with baby," Mickie spoke slowly.

I couldn't remember how the conversation had gotten here. All that was going through my mind was _why_ she was doing this. _How_ could she do this?

"Despite all my previous matches that I had engaged in not knowing I was pregnant, the doctor said the baby was healthy. I was unsure at first if this was what I wanted, but I realized after thinking about it, I wanted this more than anything in the world. I decided I had to tell the father of my unborn child," she paused, the pain in her tone tugging at my heart.

Laura and John were still confused. I was angry, no I was furious! How could she bring this up as if it had been something so casual, something embarrassing that one might tell at a wedding when you wanted to embarrass the bride or the groom?

"I was pregnant and scared and when I told him he was ecstatic, we were going to have our own family. I don't remember ever being happier."

A hint of a smile touched her face remembering the day she had told me, but it had disappeared a moment later as if she realized how inappropriate it was. My hands were shaking and I was forced to grip the table in order to keep them still.

"Mickie…" I whispered, but she only ignored me and continued on with the story.

"I was visiting my family about three weeks after finding out – I had already told them about our news, and I was supposed to be flying out to his home town the next morning so we could tell _his_ family about it," I could see the tears forming in her eyes, and I just wanted to leave – to leave and never look back.

"I remember my Mom telling me it was silly to run to the store so late, and that I should wait until morning. But I was being stubborn and I didn't want to run around at the last minute. I wish I would have listened to her. The car accident I was involved in, it wasn't just an injury for me, it was the death of my baby – our baby," her eyes bore into mine with such intensity that I couldn't even look away.

Witnessing the pain in her eyes brought me right back to that day.

"What the hell is going on here Randy?" Laura screeched at me.

Her green eyes were filled with fury; I was honestly surprised it had taken her this long to put two and two together. Despite the fact that Laura was one of my best friends, and also my current girlfriend, I decided at the time that it was best not to tell her. We had only been friends, but I was so ashamed of what had happened that I promised never to speak of it again.

Mickie continued staring at me, and I think it was that moment that John understood exactly who Mickie had been referring to. His head whipped toward me with surprise.

"Mickie…" this time I was pleading.

"I had to spend the next two days alone mourning the death of the baby that I would never get to know, while my boyfriend had been out with his ex-girlfriend tipping back shots and having one hell of a time. He wasn't there for me when I needed him the most," her words stung as if I had just been slapped in the face. Mickie had brought up the worst moment of my life and thrown it in my face just to make a point.

"It broke our relationship so extensively to the point that he then _cheated_ on me with _her_. But still I decided to let it slide and we continued our broken and pathetic–"

I slammed my hand on the table, "ENOUGH MICKIE," I shouted causing everyone at the table to flinch, and a few of those around us to turn and survey us.

Mickie looked stunned and the other two didn't know what to say. I had no energy left in me anymore as I let my head fall into my hands. How did we get to this point? How could Mickie sink so low? Everything I had done as of late was inexcusable, I knew that and I was willing to take the punishment, but _this_… how could she do this to me?

It was a few minutes before I could muster enough energy to lift my head. Everyone was silent. Mickie was still staring at me, Laura's face was an unusual mixture of anger and confusion, and John was staring at his hands that were in his lap clearly wishing he was somewhere else.

"Randy?" Laura hissed, but I wasn't looking at her.

Mickie was the sole focus of my attention.

I pushed my chair back and climbed to my feet, "Are you happy?"

She couldn't look me in the eyes. When she did, I could see the guilt on her face. _Good_ I thought to myself, she deserves it.

"I don't owe anyone an explanation, not you," I said looking at John although it wasn't necessary because I had a feeling he didn't want to know anything, "Or you!" I hissed at Laura who seemed surprised at my reaction.

I focused my attention on Mickie again, "I'm so sick of this, I'm so sick of _you_. Just stay the fuck away from me," I couldn't take this anymore; I couldn't look at her anymore, so I stormed away from the table leaving all of them behind.

_I had fully intended to update yesterday, but I couldn't concentrate on anything other than my anger at the results of the Royal Rumble ppv!_

_Well there it is. Their history has finally been revealed. I decided to cut it off there as the next part is suited best for the next chapter. Everything will be explained through flashbacks in the next chapter as well as when Mickie reveals everything to Ted. I hope you weren't disappointed. Honestly, I've had this particular chapter (or rather the evening out) done probably since before I posted the first chapter on fanfiction so I've had this done for awhile now._

_Please read and review, and thank you so, so, so much for the lovely reviews you have left me :) Makes me feel and warm and fuzzy ;)_

_**Emma217**__ – I really like that song :) And you are right, it really reminds me of this story as well! Thanks for mentioning it. I'm listening to it right now :)_


	50. Aftermath

_Mickie's POV_

My head felt cloudy on the cab ride back to the hotel. I couldn't think properly and most of all I couldn't look John in the eyes. He hadn't said a word since we left the restaurant and I guess I didn't expect him to. Laura had quickly muttered an insult and rushed off to find Randy, but I couldn't be sure if she had found him or not. It's not like I had her on speed dial, and even if I did have her number, she wouldn't even pick up the phone let alone tell me how he was.

"_ENOUGH MICKIE."_

His words echoed through my head, over and over again. I don't know why I relayed that particular part of our past. I couldn't even process what I was doing until Randy had brought me back from the trance that I was in. The only thing running through my mind was… why?

I don't know why I had brought up that terrible part of my history – _our_ history. I suppose I wanted to make him suffer after everything he had put me through. Hadn't he been the one who repeatedly led me on over the past several months? Hadn't he been the one who made a fool out of me and made it clear he didn't want me? So wasn't I justified in embarrassing him? If by some rule I had been justified, why didn't I feel any better? If anything I felt worse, much worse. And not just because I had gotten through and hurt Randy without knowing that that wasn't what I really wanted, but because I didn't foresee how much it was going to hurt me as well. What kind of person uses the loss of an unborn child to hurt someone else?

I always knew it would be something that I would have to live with, and I guess I was under the impression that if I buried it deep in my thoughts, that at some point I could forget about it. _Great Mickie, look how that turned out_, I scoffed to myself, but it must have been louder than I thought because I felt John look at me. The moment I returned his gaze he turned his head to look out the window.

It seems weird, that for three months I hadn't know that I was pregnant. And I cringe at the thought that I had engaged in three months worth of in ring competition without knowing that there was a possibility I was hurting my unborn child. But the doctor had assured me everything was fine, and that it was possible to be pregnant without knowing. My menstruation had been normal; or rather I thought it had been but I found out later that it was actually spotting, which is apparently common for women during the first trimester of their pregnancy.

Under normal circumstances back then, if I had found out Randy cheated on me, I don't think I would have forgiven him let alone continued the relationship. But I was such a mess, and I was so desperate for the comfort of having someone else around who knew what I was going through, that I just let go of all my morals. With that said, had I not pushed him away and constantly punished him, he never would have gone running to Laura. I pushed him into cheating, and that blame was solely on me.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, the cab pulled up in front of our hotel and I stepped out. I didn't need help, because after everything that happened I felt sober enough to support myself. John and I found our way to the elevator without saying a word and by the time we got to my door I decided it was time to break the silence.

"John, look I'm sorry you had to witness that and I'm sorry for the way that I acted," I finally said.

He sighed and after a brief silence he finally spoke, "It's not me who you should be apologizing to Mickie. Look," he grabbed my hand before continuing, "I'm your friend, and I care about you a lot, and yes Randy has done a lot of things to you that he should be punished for, but what you did tonight, it was low Mickie – especially for you. I couldn't even imagine what was going through his head. It was terrible what happened and I wish that you never had to endure any of it, but Randy… his face looked like you had tortured him – extensively. He was ashamed, and I felt bad for the guy. I just cannot justify what you did. I'm sorry."

I was so close to tears, "I know you're right, and I don't expect you to justify anything I did tonight. I just want to hear you say that you don't think any less of me."

"Of course I don't Mickie, I could never. But you need to figure all of this out. There's a reason you did what you did… just promise me you'll make things right."

I merely nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak as he turned and headed back down the hall. Opening my door, I stepped over the threshold and closed it swiftly behind me. I leaned up against it just as my emotions got the best of me and the tears came cascading down my face. I was so angry and ashamed about what I had done… about how I had not only betrayed Randy but I had betrayed myself and my unborn child.

Turning to my right, I brought my hand up and smacked the glass vase off the stand upon which it stood and watched as it smashed to the floor and shattered into tiny pieces. I kicked over the round table that stood to my right and watched as all the magazines that had been on top fly into different areas of the room.

I was angry because there was nothing I could do to change this situation… hopelessness was one of the worst feelings on the planet.

I felt my energy leave me, and I took a few steps back and slumped against the door eventually falling to the floor as I let out a cry of frustration.

_Flashback_

_I was in the arena that was the home of Smackdown for the week and_

_I was so nervous I felt like throwing up; not that that would be anything new for me lately. I sighed. Honestly I hadn't eaten lunch today, and I don't know what I would throw up if my body wanted to._

_I was sitting on a trunk to the right of the gorilla position waiting for Randy to finish his match so I could speak to him. I figured this was as good a time as any because if I stalled any longer I would chicken out like I had done for the last two weeks._

_I was nervous because I didn't know what his reaction was going to be. I mean, a baby! It's not like buying a new car or purchasing a house, it's another human being that we will be responsible for. This is going to change both of our lives, and I hope to God that it is for the better. Realistically it will be me giving up my career, which at first I was upset about because wrestling is my life, my love, my passion, but after thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that this baby is something that I want more than anything. This was Randy's baby, __**our**__ baby and I want nothing more than to be able to raise this girl or boy with the one man I want to spend the rest of my life with._

_I had already talked to all the management and they had congratulated me and given me off all the time that I needed – everything was good to go, except telling Randy. I sighed again. Last Monday was the last time I was going to be appearing on Raw for awhile, and it had definitely been sad considering I had already been scheduled to face Trish Stratus for the women's title at Wrestlemania of this year, but I was more excited for my future with Randy. No one knew the reasons why just yet, actually no one knew I was taking time off yet either. I couldn't risk the news getting around to Randy – I hadn't even told Kelly or Melina._

_It was that moment that I heard "Hey nothing you can say…" Randy's theme song hit the speakers and the crowd erupt into jeers. Well at least he'll be in a good mood fresh off a win. Here goes nothing. I stood up and waited for about four minutes until Randy finally pushed his way through the curtains and upon seeing me his mouth curved into a smile._

"_Well isn't this a pleasant surprise that just made my night that much better." He pulled me into a hug and placed a soft kiss on my lips._

"_To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked me with a smile._

_I reciprocated the smile and then grabbing his hand I pulled him into an empty locker room._

"_As much as I would love to babe, I'm covered in sweat and –"_

_I put my finger to his lip and managed a smile, "I didn't pull you in here to have my way with you," I said with a giggle. _

_He wrapped his arms around my waist again, "So what did you pull me in here for then?"_

_I pulled free of his hug and then turned my back to him. This was definitely not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I had rehearsed everything I was going to say before I arrived and now I couldn't remember any of it. Oh boy, the sick feeling in my stomach was coming back._

"_Babe, what is it?" I could detect the concern in his voice._

_I forced a weak smile, "Nothing is wrong," I reassured him, unless he thought this was wrong. Just tell him Mickie, you will feel better._

"_I just, I have something to tell you." _

_I looked down at the floor and focused on a spider that was making its way across the room directly in front of me. Normally I would have freaked out because I hate spiders, but right now that was the least of my concerns._

"_Okay? Well you're starting to scare me here Micks."_

"_Oh right, uh well Randy you know how much I love you," I said finally meeting his eyes, "And you know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and that you make me so happy."_

"_Yes, of course I know that, I feel the same way," he pulled me towards his body a little too aggressively and my hands instantly flew to my stomach as if I was trying to protect it. I don't know why I mean I technically didn't even have a baby bump but I did it on instinct. I looked up at him and he looked confused but I could tell he had noticed the action. "Mickie, what's going on?" He let go of me and took a step back._

"_Randy I, I'm," it's now or never, "Randy I'm pregnant," I finally blurted out. _

_After a few seconds I finally allowed myself to meet his gaze and I could see the shocked expression that had taken over. Clearly this was the last thing he had been expecting._

_After a few minutes of silence during which neither of us had moved, it started to feel uncomfortable, "Randy?" I whispered, "Randy," I repeated again after he didn't answer. _

_I grabbed his hand, and for the first time in the last five minutes he moved his eyes. He shook his head as if trying to get himself out of a trance and then took a step back, removing his hand from mine. I didn't know what he meant by it, but I felt upset. Why was he acting this way? Couldn't he say something, anything?_

"_Randy please say something," my worst fear seemed to be coming true. Maybe he wasn't happy about this like I was; maybe he wasn't happy about it at all._

_And then to my immediate relief a smile spread across his face, "I'm going to be a Dad?"_

_I smiled, "Yes," I said while nodding my head at the same time._

_He was grinning now as he took a step forward to wrap his arms around me gently, and pull me into his body. He spun me around in celebration. _

"_You scared me," I whispered in his ear, "I thought you were going to be unhappy about it."_

"_I'm sorry," he said putting me down, "to have given you that impression. Of course I'm happy Mickie; this is the happiest day of my life. I was just surprised that's all. We're going to have a family." _

_I could honestly tell how truly happy he was… it was a direct reflection of my own._

_**xoxo**_

_Randy's POV_

_I couldn't believe it; I couldn't believe how badly I had screwed up. I couldn't believe I hadn't been here for her, for Mickie, and ou- our baby. I felt an overwhelming feeling of weakness that I knew to ignore. I needed to be strong for Mickie._

_I didn't believe it at first when her mom had told me over the phone when I had called her back after an urgent message she had left with my mother. Mickie in a car accident? My first thought had been is she still alive? I felt relief flood my body seconds later when her mother had told me that Mickie was going to make it, that she was going to be okay. But it had vanished seconds later and was replaced with agony._

"_**Randy, she lost the baby."**_

_Those words echoed in my head. I was never going to meet my child, the child I had created with Mickie, and if that wasn't terrible enough, I hadn't been there to help her through this horrible time in our lives. _

_I hadn't found out until I was expecting her flight to get in, and then I had to wait another day just to catch a flight. I had contemplated driving, but feared that it would take longer. The day in between me leaving her in Virginia, I had spent with Laura. We enjoyed a night out on the town, and I hadn't even been home to get any messages. It didn't help that I had lost my phone, which Mickie had already known about, and the only reason I found out before I was set to go and pick her up at the airport, was they had called and spoken to my mother. When I stopped by her house quickly, my mom told me that I was to call Mickie's mom as soon as possible because there had been an accident._

_I couldn't wait to get to her side, to hold her, and tell her that even though this happened to us, that we still have each other, and that we would get through it together._

_I took a deep breath and entered the room. I had just seen her parents in the cafeteria where they informed me that she had requested time alone. Her mother had given me a hug and said sorry for my loss._

_My loss, as if I had lost my wallet or something._

_She was lying on the hospital bed staring at the wall opposite the one I had just entered. Her eyes were red and puffy, but they had a glazed look in them as if she wasn't taking in anything – just staring into nothingness. _

"_Mickie," I spoke in barely a whisper. She turned slowly to look at me. I could see the fresh tears forming in her eyes so I rushed to her side and grabbed her hand._

"_Don't cry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Mickie."_

_I had my arms around her and I felt her warm tears soaking my shirt, but after a few minutes she pushed me away._

_She was still crying but her voice came out loud and clear, "Where were you?"_

"_Mickie I was in St. Louis," I started but didn't know what else to say._

"_Two days Randy, two days I have been waiting here wondering where you were. We lost our baby Randy; does that mean __**anything**__ to you?"_

"_Of course it does Mickie," I tried to grab her hand but she pulled it away, "Mickie I lost my phone, I had no way of knowing…" I trailed off because hearing myself say it out loud sounded even stupider than it had in my head. I couldn't believe I was even trying to make excuses._

_Apparently she felt the same way because her eyes narrowed, "Where were you?" she hissed._

"_Mickie, I–"_

"_I don't want excuses Randy! WHERE WERE YOU?" she yelled at me but I didn't move – above everything else, yelling was what I deserved the least._

"_I was– I was with Laura," I mumbled. _

_I didn't want to have to tell her that, because I knew how she would react. This was the last thing she needed. The reason I hadn't been here for her was because I had wanted to spend time with Laura before Mickie had come to stay in St. Louis and I didn't have a chance to see her after._

_She nodded as if she already knew this and went silent. After a few minutes I had to break the silence, "Mickie?" I whispered again and took a step forward._

"_Just go Randy," she said before turning onto her side with her back to me._

"_Mickie, what–?"_

"_Randy go," she said again, this time a little louder._

"_Mickie I'm not leaving you. I said I was sorry, nothing happened with her–"_

_She turned around to face me again and I felt terrible, I had let her down, and I caused her pain beyond imagine. I didn't deserve her – this kind, loving woman who was the reason for my happiness. A woman I would lay my life down for in an instant, the one who made me happy just by breathing._

"_You think this is about __**her**__?" she started to cry again and when I reached out to take her hand she shoved me, which didn't have the desired effect she seemed to be going for because all of this had weakened her. After a few minutes she spoke again, "We just lost our baby Randy, and you think this is about Laura. Yes I hate the fact that you hang out with her, but I would never forbid you from it. You weren't here Randy, when I needed you, and it kills me that you never thought to call when you were with her…" her voice broke and she started sobbing again._

"_Micks, I'm-"_

"_Just go please. Leave me alone, I can't bear to look at you knowing what we have just lost," she turned her back to me again._

"_Mickie…"_

"_Randy," she was pleading this time, "I need you to go, please, just do it for me," I could hear her sobbing again, "Please," she managed again._

_I had no choice. I didn't want to cause her more pain than she was already in. I stepped forwards to go to her bed, I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, "I will always be here for you when you need me," I whispered._

_Then I turned and made my way to the door, stopping to look back to see she hadn't moved. I turned and left the woman I had let down, whom had never ever done the same to me._

_**xoxo**_

_Mickie's POV_

_Drumming my fingers on the table impatiently, I glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. Releasing a sigh, I propped my elbow on the table and placed my chin in my palm. Slowly and surely my good mood – if you could call it that, it was more a simple case of me not feeling as bitchy and resentful as usual – was slipping away._

_Looking at all the food on the table (a peace offering and also my way of apologizing) that was more than likely cold by now, another sigh escaped my lips and I took another glimpse at the clock. I expected Randy back by now. Even though he had stormed out of the house a total of six and a half hours ago… he usually never took this long in coming back. To be honest I was starting to get worried and wondered if maybe I should call his mother and see if she had heard anything from him._

_I woke up this morning feeling much like I did every other damn day – resentful, bitter and angry. I always saved my anger for Randy, and it had been that way for the last three months. It was exhausting, but I couldn't let go of the past no matter how hard I tried. I always seemed to wake up angry, but there were days (on occasion more than one at a time) where I felt alright, like I had finally moved on, only to go to sleep and wake up in the rut I was tired of being in. It didn't matter where I was, whether I was on the road or whether we stayed at my house in Virginia or Randy's house here in St. Louis, my mood made it's own choices._

_The both of us were still holding out hope that we could move on from the death of our unborn child, and I was sure that it was going to be soon. I loved Randy and he loved me and as far as I was concerned it was all that mattered. We were going to be together forever, I was sure of it._

_But I couldn't hide from how terrible things actually were, and if they didn't change soon then my happily ever after wasn't going to happen. I loved Randy so much that it scared me sometimes… but I couldn't imagine my life without him or rather I didn't want to imagine it without him. I needed him; it was as simple as that._

_Looking down at the engagement ring on my finger, I closed my eyes and tried to remember the day he had presented me with it. I could remember how happy I was… that there was never even a doubt in my mind about saying yes. But I couldn't see it as clearly as I wanted because that time in my life seemed so long ago. We were happy then… and so far from that now._

_He stormed out of the house earlier because we got into another argument… actually I wouldn't constitute it as an argument since an argument is supposed to be two-sided. This one had been me yelling at him once again as he stood in front of me and didn't get angry back. He made my coffee wrong, so I made one of my bitter, unthankful, sarcastic remarks. Something to do with how he probably got mine and Laura's preferences mixed up. He begged me to let it go and that he just wanted to fix things between us. And that's when I yelled and said that if he really wanted to fix things he should bring my… dead baby back._

_I flinched just reminiscing on the words in my head. Reliving those memories were hard for me, and more than anything I wish I could just forget about them. I guess I had the mindset that he deserved to be punished, and it was times like these (when I regretted my actions and wished things would go back to normal) when I was truly __**disgusted**__ in myself._

_I was just about to clear away the dishes when I heard the sound of a car outside the house, and sure enough when I looked out the window I witnessed Randy's hummer pulling into the driveway and eventually disappearing in the garage._

_Taking a deep breath, I smoothed out the white dress I had put on and exiting the kitchen so I had a good look of the door that led to the garage, I patiently waited. Seconds later I heard the car down slam and a beat later the door opened up and Randy walked in. He closed the door, not realizing I was there as he had his back to me, and placed his head in his hands._

_He must still be upset… not that I blame him really; I just didn't know what to say first._

_I crossed the distance between us, "Randy?" I spoke when I was only steps away from him._

_Instantly he whirled around to face me, clearly surprised at my presence but also by my appearance, namely the fancy dress I had pulled on I'm sure. He looked me up and down, obviously wondering where the real Mickie was._

_I cleared my throat before grabbing his hand, "Randy I…" taking a deep breath I pulled him along gently towards the kitchen, "…I'm sorry. I wanted to make it up to you so I made us some dinner."_

_His eyes filled with surprise once more as he took in the food placed neatly on the table and the three candles that decorated the center of it all._

"_I was stupid today… everyday," I muttered, "but I'm asking you to forgive me. I love you… I don't want it to be like this between us anymore. I know that there's a lot of work that needs to be done… especially in my case, but I'm willing to do it because I love you Randy. I know I say this all the time, but this time it's different."_

_I reached out, placing my hand gently on his cheek, "I know I don't deserve you after everything I've done lately… but I'm hoping you'll still have me," I said softly._

_To my surprise his face twisted in anguish and he took a step back before turning away from me. I was taken aback by the action and a feeling of rejection washed over me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath… maybe I had pushed him too far this time._

"_Mickie there's something I need to… tell you," he finally said after a long and torturous silence. Turning to face me, there was something else I detected in his face. It was… guilt._

_Out of instinct, I took a small step back without even knowing why. Somehow, deep down, I knew something bad was going to come out of his mouth._

"_Tell me what?" I managed to choke out._

"_I… I didn't… I don't know how to say this," finally he looked up into my eyes, "Mickie I fucked up."_

_Okay wait… I threw a fit earlier and he's the one who fucked up? How does that make sense?_

"_Randy, what are you talking about?"_

_The regret on his face deepened and was joined with a look of pain as he continued to stare at me._

"_Randy, you're scaring me. What is it?"_

_He looked away, "Mickie, you have to understand, when I left today… it was just to clear my head. I was pissed off because of your accusations. I didn't intend for anything to happen."_

_I folded my arms across my chest as my body stiffened, "What the hell are you talking about Randy?"_

"_I was out and… and something happened," he scratched the back of his head in a show of discomfort._

_I released an irritated sigh and narrowed my eyes, "Tell me what you are fucking hiding!" I took a small step forward, the anger from before coming back slowly. I had this terrible nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach and somehow I already knew what he was going to say. "It has to do with Laura doesn't it?"_

"_Mickie, I–"_

_"Doesn't it!" I screamed. "What did you do? Did something happen with her?"_

"_Yes… Mickie it was a mistake–"_

_I averted my guys, "Did you sleep with her?" I asked calmly. When he didn't respond I shouted, "Did you!"_

"_I… went to her house. I was upset, we were talking and it just happened Mickie. I could've kept it from you, but I didn't want to lie to you. That's not what our relationship is about."_

"_Oh why thank you for thinking about me!" I shouted sarcastically. "I waste my time cooking this fucking supper for you while you're out fucking your ex-girlfriend!"_

"_Mickie you don't cook. You probably bought it," he muttered, and by the look on his face he instantly regretted it._

_I widened my eyes in anger, "Is that all you think of me!" I screamed, taking a few steps back and dragging my hands across the table I watched as every dish went flying across the room, some shattering when they hit the floor while their contents splattered everywhere. Randy had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit with the mess._

"_That I'm just an idiot who can't cook and has to order in food… while you are out doing god knows what with god knows who? Huh? Is that all I am to you!" I screamed._

"_Mickie…" he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around my waist, "…of course not. How could you even think that?"_

_I covered my face with my hands, willing myself not to cry and make the situation worse, if that was even possible. I took a deep breath before opening my eyes._

"_Get out!" I hissed._

"_What?"_

"_I said get out!" I screamed this time._

"_Mickie you can't kick me out of my house…"_

_I lifted up my left hand, showing the engagement ring on my finger, "That's funny, because this means that I can. Now if you don't leave Randy, I will. And trust me if that happens I __**won't**__ be back."_

"_Mickie… it didn't mean anything. It's not exactly easy being with you all the time," he said softly._

_I sighed angrily, "Yeah well it wasn't always easy being with you, but I never went out and screwed one of my friends because of it. Just get out Randy… you're making all of this worse."_

_Without saying anything more, he turned and strolled out of the kitchen. A moment later I heard the door slam, and minutes after that the sound of his car speeding away could be heard until it died down._

_I grabbed the broom out of the closet in the hallway and attempting to distract myself I set about trying to clean the mess I had created. It was only seconds after I started that I slumped against the wall… the pain and frustration evident in the tears that stained my face. Randy Orton was a lot of things and had done a lot of things wrong, but I never, __**ever**__ expected to be in this situation especially not with the pain that had already encased our relationship._

_What was I to do? I can't end things with him… he's the only thing that's keeping me going. He's the only thing standing between me and a downwards spiral into the darkness looming, just waiting for the moment to take over my life. But how was I ever going to look at him the same again?_

"Mickie! Please answer me," my eyes flew open and I realized I was lying on the floor of the hotel directly in front of the door. I struggled to my feet as Ted burst through the door with worry heavy on his face.

"Oh my god what happened?" he placed a hand on each of my shoulders, "Are you okay?"

I stared into his eyes, remembering all those moments from my past and I felt the tears come rushing down my face.

"Mickie? Please talk to me. You're scaring me," he begged as I looked into his eyes.

I took a deep breath, "There's something I need to tell you."

_**xoxo**_

"Mickie, why didn't you tell us?" Ted asked after I finished retelling the entire story to him about the loss of mine and Randy's baby and our eventual break-up because of it.

"It was too hard Ted. I wanted to have my baby more than anything on this planet," I wiped a tear away and looked up at him.

"How did no one know?" he sighed, "This must have been what Randy was referring to when he said a relationship with you would be painful."

I nodded my head, "Yeah."

"Mickie, I'm so sorry."

"There were very few people who knew, my family and Randy knew, and that was it, apart from WWE management."

"So Randy's family… they didn't know?"

"That's what I was supposed to be going to St. Louis for – so that we could tell Elaine and the rest of them. Oh god Ted why did I have to be so stubborn? Why did I have to insist on getting in the car that night?" I must have looked worse for wear as Ted wrapped his arms around me again and rubbed my back.

"Shh, it's not your fault Mickie. You never could have known. It's terrible, but bad things happen to good people, and I know that you probably think that is the worst excuse ever, but it's the truth. You are a good person Mickie James, the very best, but there is nothing that you could have done. You need to forgive yourself."

I knew he was right, but how could I? Why didn't I listen to my mother when she told me to wait? Instead I was being my stubborn old self, and the result was the death of an innocent baby. I was the one that ruined mine and Randy's relationship – everything was my fault. And it will be a small punishment if I have to carry that with me for the rest of my life when I deserve much worse.

I pulled away and looked at him like a child seeking comfort from a parent, "What if he doesn't forgive me?"

"He will Micks, we all make mistakes," he said as he brushed away a piece of hair that had fallen in my face.

"This was big Ted. We vowed never to bring it up again, and I brought it up in the worst way possible. He was there for me, like he said he would be. I was angry, but I loved him. I knew I couldn't let that get in the way of what we had. And no matter how badly I treated him, he just took it, and never muttered a single complaint,"

"Mickie he _did_ cheat on you–"

"Don't. I don't want to hear anything against him. I allowed all of my friends to think that it was his fault for the break-up, but I drove him to it. The way I treated him afterwards – the result was how much he changed. This entire situation is my fault."

And it was, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I should have risen above that level, and I definitely shouldn't have drank that tequila tonight. It didn't make matters any better. The worst part was I had already forgiven him, I took him back and yet I still made him feel guilty about it back then… and tonight.

"But Mickie, all of these months he has led you on, and then just kicked you to the curb. I'm not justifying what you did to get revenge, but I mean he couldn't have expected you not to react at all," he reasoned, speaking slowly and quietly as if scared that I might burst with anger at any moment.

"That's all true, but the fact of the matter is, what I did, how I acted, that's not me. That's not the person I am, and that's not a person I ever wanted to be. I don't know what came over me, but I just wanted to make him suffer. I was angry Ted; you know how angry I was. And I tried to make everything seem like a joke when I sat down at that table with him and Laura, but my anger surfaced once more and my one goal was to make him suffer for making me fall for him again and then just taking it all away from me. I wasn't seeing shades of grey, everything was black and white, and it seemed so easy. But now… I feel even worse than before."

He was about to respond when I heard my cell phone ringing from my clutch that I had thrown across the room in the midst of my breakdown. He looked at me and when I nodded he ran towards the ringing clutch, pulled my cell phone out and pressed it against his ear.

"Hello?" he said, "Cody? Yeah I was just visiting. Maybe you should come– yeah she's right here, hang on a second."

"He says he really needs to talk, its urgent, are you up to it?"

I nodded my head; I guess I should let Cody in on the secret before he finds out from someone else in a less preferable way.

I grabbed the cell phone as Ted took a seat beside me on the bed and put his arm around my shoulder.

"Hey Cody," I said placing the phone against my ear.

"Mickie," he sounded relieved but I could detect something else in his voice – he sounded sad, and maybe a little reluctant. I had a feeling – something wasn't right.

"Cody, what's wrong?"

"Mickie…" he sighed; I was getting really worried. Was he okay?

"Cody, please tell me," I could hear the worry heavy in my voice now. I was scared.

"Mickie, Randy was in an accident. I just got to the hospital here and no one has been able to tell me how he is. I'm sorry," it took me a few seconds to comprehend what had just been said, "Mickie?"

I felt the phone drop out of my hand and hit the carpeted floor with a thump. I could still hear Cody calling my name, "Mickie? Mickie?"

"Mickie?" it was Ted who spoke this time, and when I didn't respond I sensed him bend down and pick up the phone.

"Cody what's going on?"

I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't move. I felt as if I was watching my body from above. I heard a part of me screaming to go, go and see him. Go and tell him it's going to be okay. But another part of me was scared – scared of what I might find out if I enter that hospital.

"Oh my god," I heard Ted speak, "Well is he okay? Oh okay, well are you still there now?" I became aware of the weight shifting on the bed, "Yeah okay we're on our way. See you soon."

I could hear him, running around the room, collecting things we would need to bring maybe? I still couldn't move. I had a million things running through my head. How many minutes had passed? It felt like years. All I could do was think that Randy Orton, the one man on the planet I would give anything for, could be dying right now. No, don't think like that Mickie, he is going to be fine. Would he? Even if he _was_ okay, is he ever going to forgive me? That wouldn't hurt him, that would hurt me, and I guess through everything, I deserved it. If he didn't forgive me it would be my own fault.

"Mickie?" I heard a voice through the darkness, it was gentle and quiet. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see the worried face of my best friend.

"Mickie, come on. We have to go to see Randy. You _do_ want to right?"

"Yes of course. Ted…?" I questioned

"Yeah Micks?"

"What if he's, what if he's…" I couldn't say it.

"Oh Mickie, he's not. He's going to be fine. Come on, Cody's expecting us," he said confidently holding out his hand. I stared at it. I could run, run and never look back…

That wouldn't be who I am. My moment of hesitation was cut short as I grabbed his hand so he could help me into my jacket and lead me to the door. I reminded myself of a child and him a father.

She opened the door and I heard giggling coming from the hallway. I looked up to see Kelly and Melina making their way towards their hotel rooms in high spirits, clearly having had a good night. How could anyone be laughing now?

"Oh hey you two," Kelly said awkwardly looking at Ted and then down at me.

The moment she looked from him to me I knew she could tell there was something wrong. The smile vanished from her face. She must have assumed my reaction was because of her.

"Mickie look, I've been meaning to stop by and talk. I think we should–"

But Melina somehow knew that wasn't the case and she cut the blonde off, "What's wrong? What's happened?"

I stood by trying to ignore them while Ted was informing the both of them about what had happened, leaving out the story of mine and Randy's unborn child, and just replacing it with a fight that we had. I made a mental note to thank him later.

"Oh Micks," Melina sympathized and wrapped her arms around me.

It felt good not having to be an adult for one night, but I knew that eventually I would have to face my mistakes.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. I nodded because I didn't trust my voice.

Kelly offered me a sympathetic smile, and I was surprised to find that I felt no anger towards her anymore. I was sick and tired of being angry with everyone.

I think she sensed that on her face as she came forward and wrapped her arms around the both of us in a brief embrace.

Melina stepped backwards and grabbed my hand, "Let's go, we're coming with you guys."

"Let's go," Kelly spoke as her and Melina lead the way to the elevator as Ted kept an arm wrapped protectively around my shoulder.

_**xoxo**_

We rushed down the halls of the hospital searching for his room. Number 306 – we had asked the lady at the front desk. She wouldn't give us any details, but I can only imagine if they had assigned him a room he was more than okay. We turned a corner into a hallway where Cody was sitting in a chair opposite the room. The door was closed and the curtains were drawn.

Cody looked up when he heard our footsteps, "Mickie," he breathed a sigh of relief while coming forward to pull me into a hug and I could tell he had been worried about me.

I wished I never had to leave the comfort of his arms; Ted and Cody always made me feel safe. They were the perfect big brothers. Thank god I had become friends with these two. I don't know what I would do without them – not just now, but in every other aspect of my life.

"Tell me he's okay Cody," I sobbed into his chest.

"He's fine, he's sleeping," I breathed a sigh of relief. "He has an injured wrist and a concussion. Apart from that and some pretty nasty scrapes and bruises, he's in good health."

I glanced at the door and then back to Ted, "Laura's in there," Cody knew what I was thinking and he answered the question that I had been wondering. Well this isn't going to go over well. He rolled his eyes and I let out a small chuckle, I instantly felt guilty for smiling.

"So what happened Mickie? Laura has been doing nothing but insulting you since I arrived. She said you guys had dinner together?" Cody asked. Wow, dinner. That felt like ages ago.

"Oh yeah, I was, well I was pretty plastered. It's a long story… speaking of. I have something to tell all of you. Ted already knows, and I feel that you three deserve to know as well."

"Who invited her here?" I heard a piercing voice speak and I turned to see Laura now standing outside of Randy's room as opposed to in – the door was slightly ajar. I guess the explanation will have to wait until later.

Cody sighed, "I invited her Laura. I felt she had a right to be here."

"Invited me here? As if this is a party or something," I whispered.

"No she doesn't have a right to know let alone a right to be here," she glared at me and took a few steps in my direction. Ted turned to face her completely and stood on my right side, while Cody positioned himself on my left side facing her. Melina and Kelly both put a hand on each shoulder. I loved my friends.

"Mickie has just as much right to be here for Randy as you do," Ted spoke up.

"No, I am his girlfriend. _I_ have a right to be here, Mickie is just some freak who won't let the past go," she shrieked.

"For Randy's sake, do you think this is necessary? The last thing he needs is you yelling at his friends," Kelly spoke up the anger evident in her tone.

"Mickie isn't a freak Laura. She cares about Randy and he cares about her," Ted said and then grabbed a hold of my hand and squeezed it to let me know everything was going to be okay.

"Oh really? Do any of you know what happened tonight?" she asked harshly.

"Well she was about to tell us, until you interrupted. So why don't you leave us alone for five seconds and stop sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong," it was Melina who addressed her this time.

"Well this ought to be good," Laura crossed her arms and waited as if I was going to tell the story in front of her.

I looked up at Ted and gave him a pleading look. I didn't want to talk in front of Laura; I didn't trust what I was going to say or how I was going to react. I didn't want to be vulnerable in front of her.

He looked back at me and nodded then turned to face Laura, "Mickie wants to see Randy."

Somehow he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"You're kidding me right? Absolutely not, that is out of the question."

"Who died and made you his mother?" Kelly shouted.

"Randy isn't going to want to see Mickie when he wakes up," Laura seemed almost sure of it. I didn't blame her; I wasn't sure myself how he was going to react.

"Well for your information Laura," Ted started saying with a big emphasis on 'Laura', "Mickie and Randy have been–"

"Ted," I suddenly found my voice and he instantly stopped speaking, "Laura I'm not here to ask you if I can go in and see Randy. I'm here to tell you that I _am_ going to go in and see him whether you like it or not. You know that I have just as much right to be in there as you do, maybe even more." I let go of Ted's hand and took a step forward.

"Oh is that what you think? Well you are far more delusional than I ever expected," she sneered, and it reminded me of one of our first encounters. She positioned herself directly in front of the slightly ajar door.

"I'm going in there Laura," I said calmly. This wasn't the place or the time for an argument.

"Mickie, I said no!" she hissed.

"Laura," I heard a voice speak and I was stunned into silence. It sounded weak, but I knew in an instant who it belonged to.

Laura turned around and I looked past her – Randy was awake. Laura rushed to his side, "Yeah baby? I'm here," she said softly.

He had multiple bruises on his face, particularly the upper part of his head. There was a cut directly above his right eyebrow that was tended to with stitches, and his left arm was in a sling.

Randy coughed, "I need you to leave Mickie and me alone for a few minutes."

"But Randy…" Laura said confused.

"Please, it'll just be for a few minutes. I promise."

"Yeah sure, of course, anything. I'll be right outside alright?" She kissed him gently on the forehead and didn't forget to shoot a glare in my direction before closing the door behind her.

I was nervous; he didn't seem too happy to see me. Although the majority of me didn't expect him to be, there had been a part of me that hoped he would just forget what I had done.

"Mickie…" he said and I looked up to meet his gaze.

"Randy… I'm sorry," I whispered. "I don't know why I brought it up…" I didn't know what else to say other than an apology, but I still felt pathetic.

How ironic was it that mere hours ago, Randy was the one in the wrong, and now we had switched positions and I was the one who wanted _his_ forgiveness.

He was silent for a moment and when he finally decided to say something, I wished he hadn't opened his mouth to speak at all.

"Mickie, I wanted to talk to you to tell you that after this I never want to see you again," it was a blow. I felt winded, and what made it worse was that I knew he meant it. His face wasn't like it had been in the past when he claimed he didn't like me, or that he didn't care about me. Those times I had known that there was no truth behind his words, but it wasn't like that this time.

"Now obviously that's ridiculous considering we are on the road together constantly, but we will never have anything other than a professional relationship."

"What?" I whispered. I didn't know what else to say.

He didn't have any hint of emotion on his face, "You heard me–"

I took a step forward, "But Randy please you have to understand–"

"Understand? How can I understand Mickie? When I begged you to understand after you found out about Laura, you couldn't, so just imagine what I'm feeling right now after what _you've_ done! The way that I have treated you recently has been unacceptable and something that you didn't deserve, but none of that compares to what you pulled off tonight. You dug up the worst moment in my life, the time that I am most ashamed of, and you threw it in my face like it was some sort of joke! I loved you Mickie, and I couldn't believe I had done that to you. To this day I regret it, but I can't take it back. See this?" he held up his injured wrist, "YOU DID THIS!" He flinched after shouting, obviously repercussions of his concussion.

"No Randy I would never–"

"No you're right, this isn't your fault. This is my fault. I never should have allowed you back in my life, and I never should have drank before getting in that car. I look back and realize you weren't worth any of it."

He continued, "You punished me for months and you pushed me away because you blamed me for the death of our baby. I made my fair share of mistakes but you are hardly innocent. You ruined our relationship because of your inability to get over it. I wanted that baby just as much as you did, but I didn't push you away when we lost it. We were in a relationship, but we were worlds apart. And _that_ hasn't changed. As far as I'm concerned, we're done Mickie."

The tears were flooding down my face once more, "Randy please you don't mean that. I said I was sorry… you can't mean it," I took a breath and then added in a whisper, "It's always supposed to be you and me," I was now pleading pointlessly for something I knew had already been decided.

I could see a hint of hatred on his face, "It's not you and me. It hasn't been you and me for three years and it never will be again. Just leave me alone Mickie. Apart from our on-air Legacy storyline, I don't want anything to do with you. You can stay in the women's locker room for all I care, but I don't want you anywhere near me."

"Please don't do this Randy." The tears just wouldn't stop.

I wanted him to tell me he was joking, and that he had forgiven me, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me just like we used to dream about. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and never let go because I know that is where I truly belong – in his arms.

"Just go!" he raised his voice, flinching again.

"Randy I–"

"GO! NOW… I don't want to look at you anymore. Get!" He shifted on the bed so his back was to me and he was looking at the opposite wall, his hand resting on his head. I knew that this wasn't helping him get better.

How familiar was this? Except this time the roles were reversed, and I was the one who had made the huge mistake. I couldn't stop the tears and I didn't know what to do.

So I did the only thing that I knew was right, walking slowly up to the bed I leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. I closed my eyes and whispered, "I will always be here for you if you need me."

I walked swiftly and wrenched open the door, and ran past all the people sitting out there, not caring to look at who had stood up or who had reached their arms out to stop me.

I ran, and ran until I was outside and just kept running, ignoring the shouts I heard behind me. I didn't care where I was going to end up. I just wish I couldn't feel anything because feeling nothing would be better than the agony that had made its home inside of me. It was as if my insides were on fire and there was nothing I could do about it.

_Randy's POV_

I watched as Mickie ran from the room, a part of me was feeling guilty about the things I had said to her. But the other part knew that I was only telling the truth. Everything I said was exactly how I was feeling. There was a few moments of silence until I heard shouting coming from the hallway.

"Get out of my way, I have a bone to pick with your so-called boyfriend," I heard Ted speak and moments later he pushed the door open so hard it hit the wall.

I didn't want to get in a fight with my best friend too. "Ted I know you're mad–" I started.

"Mad? You think I'm mad? I'm livid! How could you treat her like that?" he demanded. I knew he had a right to be mad. He and Mickie were so much closer than Mickie and I had been in our Evolution days.

"You don't understand the circumstances Ted," I was trying to be calm which I could tell Ted thought was odd. He was probably expecting the Viper, but I'm sure he knew that if he pushed too hard, the anger wasn't far away.

"Yeah actually I do understand, or at least I know what happened. And you were right when you said I would still think you made the wrong decision. After everything you have done over the past few months, I think you can cut her a little slack. You have done nothing but manipulate her, and lead her on since she came back. She fell in love with you again, only to find out you had a girlfriend. Don't forget that I was there for all of it! That Cody was there for all of it, and that a dozen other people were there to witness it as well."

"Ted, you don't understand anything! Mickie and I are over, and it's as simple as that. You cannot build a relationship without trust, and you definitely can't have a relationship with someone you can barely look at anymore without feeling sick to your stomach. You think I haven't beaten myself up enough over what happened in our past? A day doesn't go by that I don't wish I could have changed what I'd done… but I never expected her to use it against me to purposely hurt me." All of this wasn't doing anything to help this terrible headache that I had.

Ted looked at a loss for words, "Randy," he pleaded, "Randy this is Mickie we're talking about. Mickie! The kindest person you'll ever meet the one who always does more for herself than others. The one that you could always count on and the one that always makes you smile. I was there for that too Randy, you can't deny it," he lowered his voice.

I felt another moment of regret, but I had no room in my life for vulnerability. I put on my poker face, "I can't count on her anymore, what she did tonight was far from kind and would qualify under the selfish category. You don't see _me_ smiling anymore do you?"

He sighed and there was silence for a few minutes while Laura entered the room and came to my side. Ted nodded as if he finally understood something, "I see you made your choice." He looked towards Laura, "I've never had an issue with you but I want you to know something, Randy will never love you half as much as he loved – as much as he _loves_ her," he looked at both of us. Laura looked as if she was about to reply, but Ted turned and headed back into the hall and a waiting Cody who took a glance inside the room.

I saw Cody pat Ted on the shoulder and I heard him faintly, "You tried man. You know how stubborn he is, but at least you tried. Come on, let's go find Mickie." And with that, both of my friends were gone.

I looked up to a piercing gaze from Laura, "What?"

"I want you to explain to me what the hell Mickie was talking about at dinner, and why you didn't tell me about it."

"I told you Laura, I don't owe anyone an explanation," I said simply and grabbed the remote to turn on the television.

Laura snatched the remote out of my hand and turned the TV right back off, "Randy, I'm not anyone! I'm your girlfriend," she hissed.

I sighed, "Laura there is nothing to say, and it's definitely not something I'm going to relive by retelling it."

When she opened her mouth again I cut her off, "End of discussion. Now give me the remote. If I'm being forced to stay in this damn hospital for unnecessary reasons, I at least want to be able to watch television."

"Unnecessary reasons? Randy you were just in a car accident!"

"It was barely a car accident! I was the only one who was injured if you could even call it that. The doctor says I'll need only a few weeks of physical therapy, and then I'll be as good as new. The only reason they want me to stay overnight is because they want to torture me," I muttered.

Laura rolled her eyes and smiled, "Yes Randy, everyone is out to get you. Just be happy that you weren't seriously injured, and you should be even happier that you didn't injure anyone else. I know you didn't drink a lot, but you shouldn't have been driving."

All of the anger from before seemed to have evaporated, and I was glad she wasn't going to push me on the subject. I lifted my arm in the air and shifted to the side of the bed so that Laura could lie beside me. I placed my arm around her and she picked a crappy girly show for us to watch. It didn't matter anyway, it's not like I could concentrate.

Everything that had happened in the last few months kept replaying over and over in my mind like when you are watching a show and the character has flashbacks, except without the sappy music. Mistakes had been made on both mine and Mickie's part, and in spite of claiming that I could never forgive her, I think eventually I would be able to. I had let my anger consume me tonight, and I may have said some things I might regret. But Mickie and I, as far as having any romantic relationship was concerned, we were done.

I can honestly say with confidence that that had been the hardest day of my life – rather the hardest couple of days of my life. The stupid selfish decision I had made, has impacted my life up until this moment. I often wonder what life would be like had I been there the moment that it happened, if I had stayed with her and made the trip to St. Louis with her, and caught up with Laura at a different time. But I knew I would drive myself crazy with such thoughts.

It had been hard for the both of us, and Mickie rarely ever stopped to think that maybe I was hurting too, and that was the reason everything fell apart – the reason I came to resent her, and the reason for my one time infidelity with Laura. It was also part of the reason there was a piece of her that still resented me even after all these years. It was that part of her that flared up and, after finding out about Laura and me, set out to punish me tonight.

At the same time I don't blame her for still having those feelings about the past, if anything she is entitled. And I most certainly don't hold her responsible for my infidelity, because that had been my decision and one that I regret just as immensely. I'm not the cheating type, although that may sound ridiculous given my history with both Mickie and Laura, but I'm not. These past few months haven't felt like cheating because it was with Mickie… and Mickie isn't just anyone. But back in 2006, the fact that I had cheated on Mickie tore me apart. Mickie, regardless of _everything_ that has happened, is and always will be the love of my life.

But even though she may be entitled to harbouring negative feelings about the past, I don't want the reminder anymore. I want the past to become the past, because I was sick of living in it. It was time to embrace the future.

Tonight made me realize the reason I was so scared to enter into a relationship with Mickie once more. It was those last six months that kept replaying in my head – how miserable and unhappy the both of us were together. I was scared that if we started a relationship again, that history would only repeat itself and Mickie would become that person she was back then. It was selfish, because I was tired of putting up with it and I didn't want to have to endure the pain anymore. But even more than that, I didn't want Mickie to have to life her life unhappy because of reminders about what we had lost.

I truly wish more than anything that Mickie and I could one day become friends, and be able to leave everything in the past. I know that's asking for a lot and considering everything we've been through it's next to impossible, but all I can do at this point is hope.

_Mickie's POV_

The room was silent as I sat on the edge of the sofa with my head in my hands, thinking how different these last twenty four hours had been. I woke up yesterday morning feeling the anger I had been feeling the last few weeks towards Randy because of his betrayal, and now the only thing I was feeling was guilt – guilt at my actions towards him. Sure him lying to me was horrible in its own right, but why did I need to get my revenge, and why did I need to get revenge in the way that I did?

"How did we not know? I mean surely we should have put two and two together. You were so messed up for months after that. I always just assumed that the car accident had shaken you up and that it would take time for you to get over it. And the break-up, I just blamed it on the fighting as did everyone else. If only they knew… I just feel so terrible that you had to go through that alone," Melina spoke, causing me to lift my head.

She looked extremely guilty, and I knew that she shouldn't. This had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with me. I had made the choice to shoulder this burden on my own, and that is exactly what I had done – but like all secrets, it was bound to come out eventually.

"I'm so sorry Mickie that we didn't even question it. I mean we didn't even know that he had cheated on you," Kelly spoke quietly from the sofa chair she was sharing with Melina.

I shook my head, "It's not your guys' fault… really. I made the choice to keep it to myself, and despite being the wrong choice, I don't regret it. I've learned from it, most prominently to stop pushing everyone away."

Ted shifted in his position next to me, as I placed my head in my hands once more, ignoring the tears that were falling slowly. I no longer seen them as a sign of weakness… they were a sign that I was human. And they were proof that what I had with Randy was real.

Looking up I took in the tired faces of all of my friends. None of us had actually gotten any sleep since yesterday morning before the pay per view, and with Raw tonight it wasn't good to be sleep deprived.

"You should go," I looked from Kelly, to Melina and then rested my eyes on Cody. "You guys, I really appreciate that you're here, but we have Raw tonight and you can't show up looking like a bunch of zombies."

"Its fine Mickie… we can stay," Melina assured me.

"I know you have no problem with staying," I forced a small, weak smile, "but I need some sleep as well."

"Okay," she said, climbing to her feet, "We'll see you later alright?"

She leaned down and gave me a hug, placing a kiss on my cheek and moving out of the way so that Kelly could do the same.

"Get some rest Micks, we'll get through this together," Kelly said quietly, before they both turned and left the room quietly.

I turned to look at Cody, "Eve's probably wondering where you are," I said softly.

"She knows I'm with you Mickie."

I slowly got to my feet and walked over to him. Reaching my hand out, I waited for him to grasp it before I pulled him to his feet. Wrapping my arms around him tightly I sniffled once more, freeing my hand so I could wipe the tears off my face.

"I love you so much Cody Rhodes. You'll never know how much you truly mean to me. You're such a wonderful person and you are wise beyond your years. Thank you for being here for me, regardless of everything that's gone on. It means the world to me," I spoke softly, pulling him, if possible, closer to me.

He hugged me back and we stood that way for about a minute until I pulled away, "We both need to get some sleep. If you want to tell Eve about tonight, feel free to. It's only a matter of time before everyone finds out anyway. We'll go to the arena together alright?"

He nodded, "I know it may not seem like it, but everyone _will_ be okay Mickie."

I nodded my head in a show of strength, but knew with certainty things weren't going to be okay. At least not for awhile. I watched him go before I turned around to face Ted.

"Teddy…" my voice broke.

He stood up quickly to pull me into his arms.

"How could I have treated him like that?"

"Mickie, we all make mistakes. He'll get over it," he assured me. "It's time for you to get some sleep," he said softly.

Merely nodding my head, I crossed the distance and climbed into my bed, pulling the covers over top of me and seconds later Ted had turned out the light and I listened as he climbed into his own bed.

A few minutes passed as we laid there in silence.

"Ted?"

"Yeah Mickie?"

"I don't want to sleep alone," I whispered.

He didn't say anything more, but I heard the blankets shifting around and moments later my bed jostled under the added weight. I turned over so I could rest my head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around my body holding me close to him.

"I don't know what I would do without you DiBiase," I whispered. "You and Cody are the only ones that have got me through this. Please don't leave me."

"Never Mickie… it's you, me and Cody for the rest of forever. I promise you that," he said with certainty and I knew with every fibre of my being that he meant it with everything he had.

_Chapter 50, there it is :) Please as usual, let me know what you think. And once again, I never get tired of reading the reviews and I never get tired of telling you how much I appreciate each and every one of them! The next chapter is finished, so it should be up in a couple days hopefully. It depends if I get the time. Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me._


	51. monday night without the viper

_Just a heads up this chapter will be featuring Ted's POV. I know it's different, and I never actually intended to ever have a point of view other than Randy's or Mickie's but I think in this chapter it is necessary. Besides it might be nice to have a different point of view ;)_

I awoke with a startle, bolting into an upright position and glancing around my hotel room. It was dark but there was a hint of sunlight creeping through the curtains. Looking over I found Ted sprawled out on the opposite side of my bed.

Rubbing my eyes, I became aware of how tired I felt. I couldn't have slept for more than a few hours, but it felt as if I'd slept for ten minutes. I knew with confidence that I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. If anything I was lucky to have even slept at all. Images of last night, or rather early this morning, floated through my mind and instantly a feeling of remorse over took me.

I used the death of my unborn child to get revenge on a man, who yes had hurt me on more occasions than I had time to reminisce on, but a man who didn't deserve to be treated in the way he had been last night. I let my anger consume me and it cost me everything. I will _never_ be able to get the look on his face out of my mind… the look of betrayal. We may not have seen eye to eye a lot of the time but that is the one area he was supposed to be able to trust me. Our unborn child was a tragedy for the both of us and I had used it to hurt him… to get retribution.

How did I get to this point? When did I become this person exactly, because I wasn't sure I knew the answer. I had endured so much that I couldn't even pinpoint what had led to this moment in my life.

Most people probably think that everything Randy has done this far is far worse than my actions yesterday, but they would be severely wrong. Our loss was far worse for us for various reasons.

One, like most expecting parents, we were one hundred percent set on having our baby. We were so incredibly happy, not only with one another, but with our life together. A baby was finally going to solidify our future with each other– to make it complete. The both of us were so eager to start a family that nothing else seemed remotely important in comparison.

Second, the loss of our baby tore our relationship apart until it was beyond repair. Neither of us had ever expected (of course no one would have in the same situation) to be placed in that predicament and it was a shock because we had been so sure of everything – our lives, the baby, _us_. The drift that came up in our relationship came up unexpectedly and not having each other to depend on sent us into the downward spiral that became our relationship.

I shouldn't have blamed him because it wasn't his fault nor was it my own. No one could have changed what happened and nothing was ever going to bring that innocent baby back. The loss should've brought us closer, we should have grieved together but instead I chose to punish him day after day for something that wasn't his fault. How did my resentment help anything? It didn't and I lost the love of my life because of my childish ways. I don't blame him for choosing Laura, he deserved someone who was going to treat him right and despite my obvious dislike for her, I knew she would do just that.

Why? Why this happened to us has been the question on my mind for the last three and a half years. What did we do wrong? We loved each other with everything we had, we were both good people, what did we do so wrong that we deserved this punishment?

"Why?" I whispered to no one in particular.

Not receiving an answer – not that I actually expected to – I threw the covers off myself and extracted a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and entered the bathroom trying my best to be quiet. After getting dressed, I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a loose ponytail. Exiting the bathroom I slipped on a pair of Uggs and exited the room not knowing where I was going exactly, but knowing I couldn't stay in the room any longer.

Stepping off the elevator on the main floor, I was going to head outside to take a walk to try and clear my mind when I spotted a familiar figure standing just outside the sliding doors. I took a few steps forward wondering what Cody was doing up so early, and took a few steps outside when I stopped abruptly.

Randy and Laura were standing a short ways away immersed in a conversation with Cody.

In front of them a cab driver was loading someone's luggage into the trunk of his cab. Looking back at Randy I noticed his left arm was nestled in a sling and cradled up against his body as his other hand was entwined with Laura's. His bruises, if possible, were more noticeable than last night, and there was a white bandage above his right eye that I knew was sheltering his stitches. There was a shoulder bag sitting at their feet and another one slung over Laura's shoulder.

It was Randy who noticed me first and his eyes showed how surprised he was to see me before they suddenly darkened. No matter how hard I tried to look away, I couldn't break away from the angry gaze of the Viper. It made me feel small and more than anything I wanted to run and hide, but my legs defied me and instead I stood there locked in a gaze with him.

It only took a few seconds for Laura to turn her piercing gaze on me and for Cody to turn his head to see what had caught the Viper's stare. Everyone just stood there – I couldn't be sure of how much time had passed – not knowing what to say or do.

"Everything's set we're good to go," the cab driver spoke mindlessly, oblivious to anything that was going on.

I finally found my voice, "Good to go where?"

"Home," Randy spoke harshly, "I'm going home."

"Why?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

"Randy can't wrestle with the injury _you_ caused," Laura sneered.

"Laura…" Randy spoke.

"No, I'm sick of holding my tongue because you don't want to hurt her feelings when she hasn't even showed you the same courtesy," she said aggressively. "Your little stunt last night was childish Mickie, even for you."

"You don't think I know that?" I half-shouted. "Randy," I turned my gaze on him, pleading for him to understand as I took a step forward, "Randy please… I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen and I wish I could take it back… but I can't. I hurt you and I'm just… sorry."

"Not so fun to be in that seat is it? Where someone you love won't forgive you. At least my sin back then wasn't intentional," he spoke harshly. "Spare me the apologies, they don't mean a damn thing."

Without saying anything more he scooped up the bag at his feet and headed off and climbed into the cab, slamming the door violently behind him. Laura took a step forward causing me to quickly turn my attention on her, ignoring the tears that slowly fell down my face. She stared at me angrily and just as I was about to open my mouth to tell her to get lost she reached up and slapped me, rather aggressively, across the face.

"You're pathetic and you _don't_ deserve him."

The anger got the better of me and I tackled her to the ground, ignoring the shriek that escaped her lips.

"Get her off me, she's crazy!" she screamed, as I saw the cab door open out of the corner of my eye.

I didn't lift my hands to her, instead I pinned her arms to her side as I sat over her.

"You will _never_ love him the way I do, nor will you _ever_ be loved in the same way he does me," I hissed in her face just before an arm snaked around my waist pulling me off her.

I didn't put up a fight, and seconds later Cody released me as I watched through teary eyes as Randy pulled Laura to her feet and asked her if she was okay. They both turned to face me, and for once I didn't try and hide the fact that I was crying.

"But you're right…" I whispered, "I _don't_ deserve him, I never have," I looked up at Randy weakly, "You've spent all the years you've known me thinking that you weren't good enough for me, but you've always been wrong. You are _so_ much better than you think you are and you deserve someone who will treat you right."

There was silence once more before Randy leaned down and quietly told her to go and get in the cab, and after looking at me wearily, she turned and climbed into the car a few seconds later. After watching her, Randy turned his attention on me and took a step forward. Behind me I heard the sliding doors open, but I didn't care to look at who could be witnessing this.

Cody took a step forward as well, "Hey man, she put her hands on Mickie, you can't have expected her to just let it go."

"Actually that's exactly what I would have expected seeing as how she's a professional wrestler and should know better," he hissed.

"That's funny considering you don't seem to know better yourself," turning we found Ted strolling towards us. "I do remember you punching me in the jaw a few weeks ago," he snarled, positioning himself on the other side of me.

Randy remained silent, looking from one of us to the next before taking a step back and resting his gaze on me once more.

"Why don't you try and handle this situation with what_ little_ dignity you have left. That's the only thing you have going for you since I lost all respect for you last night. Grow up; I'm tired of the tantrums."

Turning on his heel, he climbed in the cab and seconds later it was gone from view. What the hell had I actually expected when I spotted them? That Randy was going to forget about Laura and tell me how madly in love with me he was? Ha! Yeah right, I'll be lucky if he'll even look at me after this.

"That is not how I expected my morning to go," I muttered.

"Mine was better; I got to witness a catfight! Of course I was all the way in the lobby and by the time I got out the doors it was done and over with, but it was still more than I expected!" Ted said excitedly.

"Dude you suck at offering sympathy!" Cody exclaimed, punching him aggressively on the arm. "Let's go get something to eat," he suggested, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I was still staring in the direction that the cab had disappeared until I shook my head and turned away towards the door, "No I," I sniffled, "I'm tired. I'm just gonna… get some rest," I spoke quietly before rushing back into the lobby.

I hated myself. That was the simplest way to say it. How could I have stooped so damn low?

What more could possibly be said? The only thing new in my life was the presence of shame and guilt and the fresh memory of the loss of my unborn child on my mind. But other than that I was the same Mickie James – heartbroken and angry at what my life had come to. The one thing I could take comfort in was the knowledge that Randy had a real chance at happiness. I was going to live the rest of my life with regret, but he had the opportunity at a normal life.

If these past six months on this roller coaster ride had taught me anything, it was that no matter how much I wanted it to work; Randy and I weren't good for each other. I loved him and he loved me, but love wasn't enough. It was time to let him go and stop being selfish. I vow that I am not going to get in his way again.

I, Mickie James, was going to try my hardest to move on.

Randy's POV

I was fully aware of the reality that I had been much too harsh on Mickie at the hotel earlier. I had had the night spent in the hospital to think it over, and yes she had purposely set out to hurt me when she brought the past up, but I was so far from being innocent in all of this. We were both guilty of hurting one another and I could hardly punish her when I was the one who had started this in the first place. If only I had been honest about Laura from the beginning, perhaps Mickie and I would be friends right now instead of two people heart broken and barely holding it together.

How she could have even said that she wasn't good enough for me, that I deserved better, was beyond me. It was so far from the truth, and I wanted so much to tell her that, but my anger got the better of me.

Because of my supposed injury, management was forcing me to take a month off so that I could rest and give my wrist good time to heal. Apparently they didn't want to risk me injuring my wrist even worse and resulting in months off as opposed to just one. I argued with them and put up a fight, but they just wouldn't subside and now I was to be stuck at home for the next month. I was livid, and beyond that I was disappointed that I was going to be missing a months worth of Raw and live house shows. It was too much to bear, and I had to struggle to calm myself every time I thought about it.

Of course Mickie wasn't to blame for that either. She didn't force me into that car… that decision was solely on me. But she had been the reason I was angry and had stormed off in the first place, so I guess a part of me _did_ blame her and that was the reason for my harshness earlier.

"Randy…?" Laura spoke from the seat next to me, interrupting my thoughts.

I cleared my throat, "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about slapping Mickie… I just, I'm angry at her for hurting you the way she did," she spoke, the sincerity obvious in her tone.

"Don't worry about it," I said simply, before turning back to stare out the window of the plane.

"Randy?"

"What Laura?" I said, flinching at the irritation in my tone.

"Are you…" she released a sigh, "Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" she asked quietly.

I turned back to face her to see she seemed worried, "What are you talking about?"

"I mean… about Mickie. Are you sure things are over with her? Is that _really_ what you want?"

I looked away again, staring out the window once more and contemplating her words. No, it wasn't what I wanted, because despite everything I still wanted to be with Mickie more than anything. But it was wrong, and the both of us needed time to move on and get past this.

I looked back at her, "I made my decision Laura. Things with Mickie and me are over. From this point forward me and her have a professional relationship for as long as this storyline continues and then that's it. It's time to put Mickie James in the past."

"It's me and you," I said quietly wrapping my arm around her shoulders and placing a kiss on the top of her head.

A few moments later I released her, and resumed my previous task of staring out the window into nothingness. We were flying above a layer of clouds so there wasn't much in terms of a view.

"I decided to push back my start date so I can accompany you on the road for a little while longer if you don't mind," she announced.

I looked back at her once more, "You don't have to do that Laura. I know how much you hate not being able to work."

"It will only be for a few weeks, and then I'll get settled back down so I can start. It's nice to be able to take a break from the hectic schedule," she smiled softly.

"Oh because flying and driving from city to city is such a break," I teased.

"It's actually been nice… except for a few obvious occasions," she said. "Randy…"

"Yeah?"

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this… but don't," she sighed and rolled her eyes, "Don't keep punishing Mickie for her mistake. It's only going to hurt you in the long run."

I merely nodded my head, a bit surprised at her words, but appreciative of them. Maybe there was hope for a friendship between me and Mickie after all. We accomplished it these past few months… perhaps with a little hard work we would be able to make it work between the two of us. And if that happened, we would be able to get back on track with the Legacy. God knows Ted and Cody have been suffering because of what has taken place, and I actually felt bad that they were, unintentionally, in the middle of everything. I wasn't angry at them at all for their words, and for standing by Mickie because I knew she both needed and deserved them.

Mickie's POV

On-Air

"So I bet you're all wondering why Randy Orton isn't scheduled to be here tonight," I spoke into the microphone, a scowl on my face. "Randy Orton won't be on Raw for awhile due to an injury suffered at the hands of the deranged Kofi Kingston," I paused for a moment as the crowd cheered. "Look at all you people cheering for that lunatic; you're all just as _juvenile_ as he is!"

How ironic my words were considering I was the one who had been the cause of Randy's injury.

They booed me this time, as I continued to scowl. Looking over at Ted and Cody who were showing their disapproval and shouting "insults" at the crowd, I placed the microphone back to my lips.

"Mark my words Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton _will_ be back. And he will be back with a vengeance just in time for Tables, Ladders, and Chairs."

I handed the microphone to Cody who took it swiftly and brought it up to his mouth.

"Now don't get ahead of yourselves, don't think that because our leader is out of the picture for the next month, that you won't be seeing the rest of us maintain the group that is the Legacy. In a match coming up, Ted and myself will be taking on Cryme Tyme to determine the number one contenders for the tag team championships at TLC."

"Which basically means," Ted continued with a smug look on his face, "…you'll be seeing us in the tag team title picture and in one months time you will all witness Legacy taking back the tag team gold."

I retrieved the microphone, "As for tonight, and the stupid Indians vs. Pilgrims match that the guest host has booked for tonight, you can guarantee a win from my team. I don't know why Laycool is even here on Raw tonight, but there is no doubt in my mind that we are going to pick up the win."

Before we could say anything more, Cryme Tyme's music sounded throughout the arena and the crowd erupted in cheers. Angrily we all exited the ring and waited for Shad and JTG to finish their entrance before Ted and Cody entered the ring, with Ted and Shad starting out.

Ten minutes into the match, Ted had the referee distracted when he kept trying to get into the ring to help Cody. JTG was dominating the match and was waiting for Cody to get up so he could finish him, when I climbed onto the apron, distracting him. He came to tell me to get down when I reached up and slapped him aggressively across the face. Ted ran around the ring to pull Shad off the apron and give Cody a chance to execute cross Rhodes and pick up the win for Legacy.

We walked up the ramp, celebrating our victory and the fact that Ted and Cody were going to go on and face the recently crowned tag team champions Jeri-Show for the tag team gold. The guys had beaten them months ago at Night of Champions; I had faith that they could do it again.

Backstage we immediately headed back to the Legacy locker room as I had to prepare for the six diva tag match that was taking place later. It pitted myself and Laycool vs. Melina, Kelly, and Eve. And guess whose team was to be dressed as the pilgrims?

"Ugh I cannot believe I have to wear this," I complained, holding up the hanger that had my pilgrim outfit on it. A short black long sleeve dress, with a white apron on the front and a white bonnet for my head.

"Yeah really, it practically covers everything," Ted complained.

"I saw Kelly's, Melina's and Eve's Indian outfits and they are _so_ much cuter than these," I pouted.

"You're a heel Mickie… of course you get the shit end of the deal," Cody reminded me.

Ted was chuckling, "I so wish Randy was here to see–"

He stopped talking the moment I had turned my focus on him. For a few moments I was free of thinking about him and now he was fresh on my mind once more. I headed towards the bathroom quickly.

"Mickie I'm sor–"

But he was cut off as I slammed the bathroom door. Leaning against it I let the hideous dress drop to the ground. Moments later my knees buckled and I collapsed to the floor as well, weakened just at the thought of him. I took a few deep breaths to steady and calm myself.

I needed to get a hold of myself. I had a match coming up and I couldn't afford to be a mess.

I still couldn't get the images from this morning out of my head or the look of hatred on Randy's face and especially the last words he had said to me.

"_Why don't you try and handle this situation with what little dignity you have left. That's the only thing you have going for you since I lost all respect for you last night. Grow up; I'm tired of the tantrums."_

It wasn't just you Randy… I'm tired of them myself. I'm tired of feeling angry and resentful and guilty and more than that I'm tired of feeling so utterly helpless all the time. I needed to focus on my career, because at this point it's the only thing I have going for me. I can't waste my time pondering what ifs and wishing I could change the past, because I can't change anything, I can only move forward. And I was going to try my hardest to do just that even if it kills me.

Removing the strapless black mini dress I had on, I replaced it with the pilgrim costume before stepping out into the main room.

"So…" I twirled around.

"The dress is hideous," Cody said with a grin, "but you make it work."

I smiled weakly, "Thanks Rhodes."

"Mickie, I'm sor–"

"Don't Ted," I interrupted him, "Don't worry about it alright. It's not a big deal."

I searched for a pair of socks, and pulled them on before I slipped my feet into a pair of black wrestling boots and checked my appearance in the mirror in the bathroom.

"See you in a few," I said to Ted before I slipped out into the hallway and headed in the direction of the gorilla position.

Michelle, Layla and I entered onto the ramp together to the sound of what was deemed "pilgrim music". The three of us were unhappy with the ugly outfits, but more than that my character was unhappy that I was to be teaming with Laycool.

"Look people, we get it. It's thanksgiving and here we are dressed as pilgrims. How… _original_," Michelle said lamely, as I rolled my eyes and pretended to be checking the condition of my nails. "They've made us do some stupid things in the past but this is by far the stupidest."

"But, but," Layla added taking the microphone from her best friend, "It's not nearly as stupid as making us team with… Mickie James," she spoke, disdain noticeable in her tone.

"Excuse me!" I shouted. "This is _my_ show… _my_ Raw divas division. How _dare_ you come to my show and speak to me like that!"

I got right in both of their faces, but before anything more could happen, the Indian music interrupted us and Kelly, Melina and Eve came strutting down to the ring in their cute Indian costumes.

After a five minute match, where Michelle and I argued extensively, she was pinned by Kelly (after a little help from Melina) as the rest of us were battling on the outside. I slid into the ring, just as Kelly slid out and her and her partners ascended the ramp smiling and celebrating their win.

Taking my attention off the trio, I turned to find Layla was helping her blonde friend to her feet.

I stomped forward and got directly in Michelle's face, "This is your entire fault!" I shouted.

"Mine? Melina helped her. You should've been in here!" she screamed back.

"It's not my fault you can't take care of Kelly Kelly by yourself!" I retorted, giving her a shove.

Michelle shoved me back aggressively and I fell on my butt, shocked at the action. I jumped to my feet and tackled her so viciously that the both of us fell to the outside area fighting for the upper hand.

Layla grabbed my hair so I turned around and hit in her the face, knocking her to the ground so I could continue dealing right hands to Michelle. She finally shoved me off her and struggled to her feet, clotheslining me viciously to the ground. I grasped my head in pain and watched as Layla helped Michelle stand upright once more. The blonde, angered by my actions, grasped my hair and pulled me violently to my feet and shoved me once more.

I was about to attack her again, when a hand gripped around my waist and Layla and Michelle stopped moving suddenly. Turning to look I found Ted had come out to restrain me, just as I had been expecting. I continued to try and struggle free from him, as Layla tried her best to restrain Michelle as well.

"You'll regret this!" I shouted, "Stay off _my_ show!"

After exiting to the backstage area, I told Ted I was going to take a walk before coming back to the locker room to get ready to go. He agreed hesitantly, but didn't push me on the subject before heading off in a different direction.

"Oh great," I muttered, as I looked down and remembered I still had on the pilgrim dress.

Oh well, I thought as I continued walking along the corridors hoping that I didn't run into anyone who might want to talk. Above anything else I found myself wishing that Randy was around, because despite the fact that he didn't even want to look at me, at least I would be able to take comfort in the fact that he was around. I felt so lonely and vulnerable not having him here on Raw tonight.

Every happy moment I had experienced with him this year felt as if it happened in a different life time, and every painful experience was fresh on my mind. I wish it would go away, because at least then I would be left to survive off the special moments that I shared with him. Because those are the moments no one could ever take away from me. I would spend the rest of my life being lonely and heartbroken as long as I had the precious memories of my time with Randy Orton. I don't even care how pathetic that may sound, but it was the truth from the bottom of my heart.

"Hey, I've been meaning to drop by your locker room."

Looking up I locked eyes with none other than CM Punk.

"Oh… hey Punk. I'm not really in the mood to talk right now…" I muttered, attempting to dodge around him.

"Are you going to avoid everyone forever?" he asked, a hint of disapproval in his tone.

"You know what Punk, I'm not in the mood for your self-righteous ass," I snapped. "I'm sorry I'm not perfect!"

"No one is perfect Mickie, but when I told you to talk to Randy I didn't mean for you to go about it the way that you did," he said harshly.

"How do you even know?" I asked rudely.

"Melina."

I narrowed my eyes, "It's none of your business and it's no one else's business either."

"How about you stop feeling sorry for yourself for five minutes. Where is the real Mickie James?"

I scowled, "Dead and gone," I hissed, before turning on my heel and storming away from him not caring what direction I was heading in.

I didn't blame Phil really… he had always been like that and I would never expect anything less. He was both self-righteous and brutally honest and the combination is what made him so unlike any of my other friends. The difference of today and any other day is that I wasn't in the mood to put up with his attitude, and I certainly didn't want to hear him lecture me about everything I was already punishing myself for.

Ted's POV

"I hope she's back in your room," Cody said to me as we stepped off the elevator hastily and rushed down the hall to the room I was sharing with Mickie.

The last time I saw her, she had rushed back into the locker room to change out of her Pilgrim dress and left the room without saying two words to Cody or myself. We asked everyone we ran into at the arena, including Melina and Kelly, but no one had seen her since her match earlier tonight. We called her cell phone, but it automatically kept going to voicemail. I don't think I've ever been more worried about anyone in my life.

Mickie was going through a rough time, and I wish more than anything that I could take away all of her pain. She was too good a person to be going through something like this and a part of me felt anger towards Randy for starting all of this. But I knew deep down that no one was to blame for how things had turned out because these two have had problems for years. All of it just finally came to a boiling point. This was what I was afraid of back when everything started between them… afraid that Mickie was going to be hurt and of course I had been, unfortunately, right.

More than anything I wish they would see that they need to be together. Mickie was miserable, and despite convincing himself otherwise (probably for Laura's sake) Randy was just as miserable if not more. The difference between the two was that Randy was much better at hiding his emotions than Mickie was. He was a master, and Mickie's attempts paled in comparison.

The both of them, prominently Randy, were under the impression that things were too complicated for them to be together when the only way they were ever going to get through their past was by working together. Randy and Mickie shared a love that most people only dream about, and the fact that I, Ted DiBiase, can see that means that it truly was something powerful. Separately they had no chance at true happiness, and they would only be able to achieve it by hard work and dedication to one another. My only hope was that they would realize this sooner rather than later – for both of their sakes.

"You and me both. I'm actually scared for her Cody. She's a smart girl… but she's a wreck and I'm terrified at what she might do to herself."

Cody offered me a sympathetic look and patted my shoulder briefly, "She'll be fine alright. It's just a grieving process. My problem is how stupid she and Randy are being. Are they really that blind? Or are they just being stubborn?"

"Stupid, stubborn_ and_ blind," I reasoned. "There's no doubt that Randy loves Laura, but how can he be so content with settling for something that's less than what he really wants?"

"I don't know… if anything it's selfish because the person it's going to hurt most in the long run is Laura."

As we neared the door I pulled my card out of the pocket of my jeans and inserted it into the card slot and waited for the light to turn green before pushing the door open. The lights were on so I knew instantly that Mickie had been back. I also heard music playing so I was pretty sure she was still here.

"Mickie?" I called out, dropping my bag on the floor by the door. Cody closed the door behind us.

The light was on in the bathroom and the door was open, and a moment later Mickie poked her head into the room. She was strolling around in nothing more than a pair of jeans and a bra and a bottle of vodka in her right hand.

"Teddy?" she seemed confused by my appearance as she had a hard time walking straight.

"Yeah me and Cody were worried about you. How come you didn't wait for–" I stopped talking almost immediately as Mike came strolling out of the bathroom while pulling on a t-shirt.

"Do you mind? We were kind of in the middle of something," he said.

"What the hell are you doing here? What is he doing here Mickie?" I finally turned to look at her.

"Oh him? We were just having some fun," she giggled.

"Mickie you're drunk," Cody stepped forward, scooping a t-shirt up off the floor and attempting to pull it over Mickie's head but she refused.

"For what I'm going to do, clothes aren't exactly necessary. You should probably go," she said in an obvious sort of tone before taking a swig from the bottle.

"You aren't going to do anything," I said through gritted teeth as I took a step towards Mike, "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Taking advantage of her? She's drunk!" I shouted in his face.

He merely smirked back at me, "She invited me here Ted. Whether she's drunk or not she's given me her consent."

"You son of a bitch," I lunged forward, but Cody stepped in between us, restraining me from making a move.

"You took my girlfriend DiBiase… it's only fair I get something of yours," he said, wrapping an arm around Mickie's waist and pulling her closer to him.

"You release her now or I'll–"

"You'll what exactly? I'm not the one she asked to leave Ted. So why don't you do what the lady asked."

"Ted!" Cody half-shouted, trying to get my attention. I stopped struggling and remained still, but continued staring daggers at him.

Cody turned to face him, "Get out of here Mike," he said in a weary tone. Mike merely stood there, smirking back at me, "Don't make me tell you twice."

He continued staring at me, the smug grin on his face, "She probably wouldn't be worth my time anyway," he sneered before turning and heading towards the door.

"No Mike… don't go. Ted and Cody don't mean to be rude. They're going to leave," Mickie pleaded, and it broke me to hear her utter those words. It tore at me how vulnerable she was. This was so unlike her.

"Are you kidding? I used to date Maryse… this would just be slumming it," he sneered down at her.

"You fucking bastard!" I shouted, stomping my way to the door. My intent was to punch him right in the jaw but Cody grabbed my arm just before I made contact and allowed Mike the chance to slip out the door.

"What the hell did you do that for Rhodes?" I shouted at him.

"Because he's hardly worth it. He's doing all of this to get under your skin Ted! Don't give him the time of day," Cody reasoned.

"What the hell was that?" Mickie shouted, surprising the both of us. "How dare you two come in here and tell me what I can and cannot do!" she slurred, making her way towards the bathroom.

"What the hell were you thinking Mickie?" I asked angrily, watching as she stumbled while turning back to face us.

She narrowed her eyes, "I am an adult! I can do what I want with whoever I want!"

"You're a mess Mickie and you and I both know that the only thing that would have come from that would have been regret!" I retorted.

"Mickie, you need to stop with this," Cody spoke softly. "You're hurting, we understand that. But you're hurting yourself and that's–"

She laughed maliciously, "Understand? You don't understand a fucking thing about what I'm going through right now. And who do either of you think you are? My parents? What? I'm not allowed to have sex with anyone other than Randy Orton!"

"Mickie that's not what–"

"NEWSFLASH! He doesn't want me!" she screamed.

"Mickie that's not true! If the both of you would just realize–" I started this time but had to stop talking so I could opt for diving out of the way when the bottle of vodka she had been holding came sailing at my head.

It smashed against the wall behind me, with its contents spraying everything.

Her eyes welled up with tears, "He doesn't want me. And things will _never_ be okay. You may as well put me out of my misery, because that would be a hell of a lot better than what I feel every morning when I wake up. Do you know what it's like to lose sight of who you are?" she whispered, the tears streaming down her face. "I'm on a path of recklessness and I can't even help myself. Before I met him I was stronger than this… but I'm not that person anymore. Being in the ring…" she wiped the tears off her face, "…it means nothing to me anymore. Standing in that ring, with the atmosphere that is the WWE Universe… I feel empty. Do you know what that's like? To feel nothing from your passion? It was my last hope, and now it's gone."

"Mickie I'm so sorry…" I couldn't think of anything more to say and looking at Cody he looked just as worried as I was.

"Of course you don't…" she muttered before turning and hurrying into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.

She was in a much worse place than I had _ever_ imagined.

Mickie's POV

I was tired, both mentally and physically, as I sat in front of the bathroom door. For the last two hours I ignored the attempts of Ted and Cody trying to coax me out of the bathroom. The vodka I had drank was wearing off, and more than anything I felt ashamed of everything that had taken place in the last three hours. Ashamed of even invited Mike back to my hotel room, ashamed of begging him to stay, ashamed of getting angry with Ted and Cody and especially ashamed I had thrown a bottle of vodka at the both of them. I had lost control completely and there was no taking it back.

I was surprised that either of them still wanted anything to do with me. Why couldn't I just get over it? I promised myself I was going to move on and allow Randy to do the same… so why couldn't I do it? I guess I couldn't really expect all of that to happen in less than a day.

"Mickie?" I was surprised because everything had been quiet for the last half hour.

"Phil?" I asked, confused at the change in voice.

"Yeah it's me. Ted and Cody thought I might be able to persuade you out of there," he informed me.

"Usually when someone is unwilling to do something you aren't supposed to tell them that you are going to try and make them do it," I responded lamely.

"Well when do I ever follow the rules?" he replied. In my head I pictured him grinning smugly… ugh I wish one day I would be able to smack it off his face.

"I don't want to come out. I told Ted and Cody that… and the same goes for you."

"Mickie, drinking away your problems is never the answer. And I'm not only saying that because of my own lifestyle, but because it's the truth. We all have our own problems in life, and it's best to deal with them directly. Drinking may seem like it helps, but it only poses as a distraction and does not in fact make your problems go away. You know this already, so why are you trying to hurt yourself?"

I took a deep breath, "Because he doesn't want me Phil," I said in barely more than a whisper.

"The Mickie James I know would say screw him. You love him Mickie that much is obvious but it's not impossible to live without him. It'll be hard but no one ever said life was easy. Life wouldn't throw something your way that you weren't capable of handling. And not only that, but you don't know that this is the end for you two. I believe more than anything that you two just need time to consider and take in everything that has happened. Just give it some time before you decide to give up on him… you never know where life will take you. You just need to have faith."

It took me awhile to realize that the tears had started up again, and I wiped them away while struggling to my feet. When was I going to realize that punishing my friends because I was angry towards Randy was wrong? They never judged me, and Ted and Cody _still_ wanted to be my friends after I threw a bottle of vodka at their heads!

Slowly I reached out and unlocked the door before pulling the door open slowly, ignoring the slight dizziness I was feeling. I looked through misty eyes at Phil who was closest and offering me a small smile, then at Cody who looked at me sympathetically and finally my eyes rested on Ted who had taken a few steps forward, a look of worry deep on his face.

"I knew I could get you to come out," Phil said smugly.

I punched him lightly before rushing forward and half colliding with Ted who hadn't been expecting it. I wrapped my arms around him tightly as he did the same to me, the tears streaming down my face heavier than ever.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry Teddy," I whispered into his chest.

"Shh, it's fine…" he said softly, rubbing my back and placing a soft kiss on my head.

A few moments later, after helping me into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, he helped me into bed and pulled the covers over me.

"We're just going to go out into the hallway for a couple minutes. I'll be right back okay?"

I merely nodded my head, as he followed the other two out into the hallway but not before turning the light off so it was dark in the room.

What the hell am I doing?

I got through this once before, the same pain for the exact same reasons with the same man from three years ago. The experience goes to prove that if I got through it before, I was more than capable of getting through it again. And even more so because this time around I had Ted and Cody.

I am stronger than this. I am capable of getting passed this.

I _am_ strong enough.

_**xoxo**_

It was the sunlight streaming in through the window that woke me up the next morning. Releasing a groan, I cursed myself for not closing the curtains before going to bed last night. I was momentarily blinded, but it only took a few seconds to regain my eye sight. I realized that once again I was sharing a bed with Ted, but this time I had woken up in his arms. It felt oddly comforting, until I remembered what had happened last night. Out of instinct I craned my neck over towards the wall on my right and found that someone had already cleaned up the mess of broken glass.

God, if I was Ted or Cody, I would _never_ forgive myself for that. What the hell had I been thinking?

_Mike._

I released another groan. Oh great… I am _never_ going to live that down. At least I can take comfort in the fact that nothing, apart from a heated make out session and some heavy groping, had actually happened.

Sliding out of the bed slowly and gently so as not to wake Ted, I extracted my iPhone from the table in the corner, and quietly tip toed past the sleeping Cody in the second bed and entered the bathroom gently closing the door behind me.

I took a seat on the floor in front of the bathtub, making myself comfortable before going through the contacts in my phone until I found Randy's name. Taking a deep breath, I gently touched his name and then placed the phone to my ear. It took seven rings for him to finally answer.

"Hello?" he said, and by the sound of his voice I could tell I had just woken him.

"Hello?" he repeated, but still I remained silent. I was merely content with just hearing his voice.

I could hear him moving on the other line and then a door closing in the background.

He released a sigh, "Mickie…" he spoke softly, "I know it's you. Your name showed up on the caller ID."

I still didn't say anything but to my surprise he remained on the other line, silent as well. We stayed this way for at least five minutes until finally I had to hang up as the urge to cry came over me again. Only, after I placed my cell phone on the floor beside me, I found that I didn't cry. I didn't feel the actual need to, it must have been a reflex of some sort seeing as how that's basically all I've been doing lately – crying. But I had cried my fair share of tears, and maybe this was the end of it.

After half an hour just lounging in the same position in front of the tub, I finally mustered up the energy to get to my feet and shower myself. I felt dirty after last night… from the vodka and from allowing Mike to put his hands on me. I honestly didn't expect him to be that kind of guy because I had always thought of him as sweet a caring. I guess finding out your girlfriend was seeing another guy and then dumping you for said guy was a pretty shitty situation. But that didn't excuse his vengeful behaviour.

This was the end of my drinking. Sure it had only been two separate occasions that I had resorted to drinking alcohol out of the bottle, but it was two times too many. I was acting like a child and I feared that if I didn't stop this downwards spiral now, before I knew it, it was going to be too late.

I had a flight to catch in a few hours and maybe a few days spent at home with my family was just what I needed.

"Hey you're up," I stated, as I walked back into the main room to find Ted and Cody standing in the middle of the room in conversation.

Ted smiled softly, "How are you feeling?"

"Like a fool," I muttered.

Cody cleared his throat, "Mickie we're really worried about you," he said quietly.

I nodded my head, "I know… and I don't blame you. Hell I wouldn't hold it against you if you were mad at me."

"Why would we be mad at you?" Ted asked.

"Hmm I don't know… does a bottle of vodka sailing at your head ring any bells?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yeah that was a little scary, and I'll admit I did fear for my life at one point, but we'd hardly hold it against you," Ted admitted.

"You never know, maybe if you would have hit Ted it would have helped out with the problem that is his face," Cody said with a grin.

"Jealousy," Ted grumbled, staring daggers at his tag partner.

"I appreciate you guys letting it slide, but it was unacceptable and hardly behaviour fitting of a WWE diva. I'm sorry, you'll never know how much and I promise to make it up to you," I spoke sincerely.

"Mickie, the only thing we want is for you to smarten up," Cody said hesitantly.

"I know…" I hung my head in shame for a few moments before looking up at them, "But this is my vow to you two. I promise from this point forward I am going to try my best to get through this. No more drinking, no more tantrums and this time I mean it. I'm sick and tired of being ashamed of myself."

"We're here to help with anything," Ted assured me.

"I know… and I'm not saying it will be easy for me. Randy is too important to just get over with the snap of a finger, but I guarantee that I am going to do my best. It's what is best for everyone."

Cody smiled encouragingly before enveloping me in a hug. It lasted for a few seconds until a second pair of arms wrapped around the both of us.

"I just _love_ group hugs!" Ted exclaimed.

"I don't," Cody complained, breaking free of Ted's grasp and sending him a dirty glare.

I laughed softly at the both of them, "I'm going to pack all my things so I'm not rushing around at the last minute before my flight."

"Hey guys?" I turned back to face them.

"Yeah?" they both said in unison and then turned to send each other glares before turning back to me.

"You'll never know how thankful I am for you two getting Mike the hell away from me. So how about we never bring that up again?"

Ted grinned, "You'd have to be pretty damn lucky for that to happen."

It was going to be hard… there was no doubt about it. But for the sake of myself, for my friends and more essentially for Randy I knew there was nothing more important than trying. I knew I was never going to get over him – it was silly to actually expect that – but I knew I needed to progress to a place in my life where I was content with just being friends with him. And that was a 'big if' seeing as how he stated he wants nothing to do with me. I can only hope that he can forgive me and change his mind.

_There is chapter 51. It's a little shorter, and less happened in it but there's more to come trust me. I have to tell you that I'm not sure exactly how many chapters are left because I haven't __**quite**__ figured out how I want to end the story yet, but it will be ending sooner rather than later. Which I am rather sad about, but I don't want to drag it out more than I already have! Thank you so much for the reviews, and even more so for reading this story. It means the world to me!_

_Next chapter: The Viper makes a return :)_

_Now I'm off to watch Raw… hope you enjoy the chapter!_


	52. life isn't always about what you want

I have no idea why I thought going for a run was going to get my mind off the one person I wish I never had to think about.

Randy Orton.

It was possible that a part of me hoped that since I hadn't had one thought that didn't concern him that hopefully my mind would be so exhausted with the effort that a brief distraction would have come as a relief. Or maybe I was just so desperate for this aching pain in my chest to subside that I figured keeping myself occupied would help. But considering I hadn't been successful at distracting myself _yet_, I was practically going to need a miracle.

It had been three weeks since the night I had my meltdown in front of Ted and Cody and thus three weeks since I had seen Randy. It felt weird appearing on Raw and the various live events without our 'fearless' leader but off-screen it was nothing short of relief. I knew I had to see him eventually. He was, after all, scheduled back next week and there was a huge part of me that longed to see him, but I didn't have any idea as to how he was going to react when he saw me. But taking into account the last conversation that took place between us, I wasn't exactly eager to find out.

I had been good on my vow these last three weeks – there was no drinking (not that that had_ really_ been a huge deal in the first place or difficult to accomplish), no sudden outbursts but more or less I kept to myself as much as possible. Sure we hung out, laughed and had fun, but it always seemed as if it took a lot of effort to be "happy" because I spent so much of my time worrying and contemplating about what was going to happen when Randy returned.

Ted and Cody happened to be out with the girls this afternoon so I was hoping, as I stepped off the elevator onto our floor, that maybe my body was tired enough that I would be able to get some sleep. God knows I haven't had a decent amount of sleep in what feels like an eternity. My mind was constantly working over time and it made sure that I was always feeling tired.

It was in that moment that a feeling came over me… telling me that I wouldn't be getting much sleep this afternoon. I disregarded it not even a second later because I could trust my emotions these days about as much as I could trust Jillian Hall to hit an actual note. Inserting my card key in the slot, I shoved the door open and entered into the room letting the door close behind me.

I had just set my card key down on the stand next to the door when I heard commotion coming from the bathroom. Praying that Ted wasn't in there with Maryse, I took a few steps towards the door.

"Ted?" I called out, "It's me. I didn't expect you back so soon. I really hope you aren't doing anything dirty in there or I will kill– oh!" I inhaled deeply for it wasn't Ted who had come out of the bathroom.

"Oh uh, Ted said I could hang out here for a bit because the hotel didn't have a room ready for a few hours… hey are you okay?" Randy asked.

It was clear that he had only just finished a shower as he had nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

Almost paralyzed with dread I somehow managed to nod my head. This had not been expected, because he was back sooner than he was supposed to be, and now I didn't know how I was supposed to react.

"He uh," he paused for a moment while rubbing the back of his head in a show of discomfort, "He also said you'd be gone for awhile so we probably wouldn't run into each other and have to endure the awkward moment, but you know Ted," he laughed weakly and it was then that I realized I wasn't the only one who was nervous.

"What uh, what are you doing here?" I choked out.

He fished around for a moment in his large black suitcase and extracted a black t-shirt to pull over his head. Once he was done he looked at me again, "I told you my room isn't–"

"No Randy, I mean what are you doing here at all? You aren't supposed to be back yet," I interrupted and with each word I steadily became more confident.

"Yeah well my doctor cleared me. I spoke to management and here I am. Creative was able to write me into the show for tomorrow, so I took the first flight out."

He stepped into the bathroom with a pair of jeans in hand and closed the door behind him.

I backed up slowly until the back of my legs hit the bed and I toppled backwards onto it. Perched on the edge, I placed my head in my hands and took a deep breath. He wasn't supposed to be back yet and I certainly wasn't expecting to walk into my own hotel room to find him there.

What seemed weird to me was that he didn't seem hostile or angry towards me. In the past, he usually just shut down completely and cut me out. He wasn't acting like that and to be honest I didn't know what to make of it. He seemed so relaxed, calm even, but I was sceptical of how long it would last because Randy was famous for his short temper.

"Mickie?" he spoke softly.

My head snapped up, the movement making me aware of how exhausted and drained I was feeling. Under normal circumstances I would have assumed it was because of the workout and not having eaten but I knew that it wasn't the case now. I was tired of carrying all this guilt and pain and it had taken its toll on me. Would I ever _truly_ feel happy again?

"Mickie, you look as if you haven't slept at all since I last seen you and I know it's none of my business but you look like you haven't been eating either," he spoke slowly and carefully.

After a few seconds I looked up into his blue eyes, "I'm never hungry," I whispered, shrugging my shoulders carelessly.

"Mickie…" he sighed.

"Anyways," I climbed to my feet, "I'm fine!" I chuckled nervously.

It was then that I realized something was wrong. I sure didn't feel fine. In fact I felt light headed. I took a deep breath hoping that it would help, but it only deepened the exhaustion. The last thing I remember was Randy speaking my name worriedly and rushing towards me before everything went black.

_**xoxo**_

When I opened my eyes again I was lying on my bed and it took me a few seconds to remember what had happened. Seeing Randy, I guess, was the final straw in everything that had been building inside of me the last three weeks that I had been trying to suppress. The reality that he no longer wanted me hit like a ton of bricks, and I wondered if I could ever fully recover from this. Taking in the time on the clock, I could have only been out for a few minutes.

I lifted my head a little to find Randy sitting on a chair with his head in his hands, not having realized I was awake yet. Knowing how much pain I had caused him was the worst out of everything. It wasn't just what had happened three weeks ago but mostly it was what had happened all those years ago when I placed all the blame on him for not being there for me when I needed him. I was a horrible human being whose actions were inexcusable and I was getting exactly what I deserved.

I felt the warm tears fall lightly down my face, "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He quickly removed his head from his hands and wasted no time in rushing to my side.

"Oh thank god. Are you okay?"

I averted my gaze, "Randy don't," I muttered.

"Don't what?"

"Don't be nice to me. I don't deserve it just like I don't deserve you," I spoke, finally meeting his gaze. "I finally understand why you chose her. The only thing I ever did was hurt you."

"Mickie I don't want to get into this with you. I promised myself I was going to let it go and leave it at that. We've done this too many times and I'm tired of it. I'm just… tired," he was almost pleading with me.

I had to turn away from him because I couldn't stand to look into his eyes. I didn't want to embarrass myself any more than I already had.

"I'm gonna go. Please just eat something alright?"

He went to open the door but I spoke up before he could turn the knob.

"Randy?" he looked back at me, "Just let me say this."

I threw the blanket off me and shifted into a sitting position. By the time I got to my feet he had already turned to face me – his way of permitting me to go ahead. I was pleased to realize I no longer had tears or the feeling of wanting to cry. Perhaps this was a sign that I was going to be okay after all. I looked him in the eyes feeling confident and knowing I needed to lay this out, to be honest and say what I was feeling like an adult and without the pain and anger controlling my actions like it has been lately.

I took a deep breath, "All of this is my fault and I fully acknowledge that now. And I'm not saying that because I want you to pity me because I don't deserve remorse. I've been selfish and ruthless and someone that I never thought I would be. I told you I wanted the physical relationship for my benefit but I lied. I did it because I was holding onto what was and you may know that _now_, but I knew it from the beginning."

I paused before continuing, "And yet I continued despite knowing with every fibre of my being that it was going to end badly. I just always figured it was going to end badly for me and pathetically enough I was willing to endure it as long as I got to pretend things were what they used to be between us even for a little while. I never, _never_ intended to hurt you because you have to know that your happiness is more important to me than anything," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "…which is why I'm giving you my word that I'm stepping back. You are with Laura and I want you to be happy. You are a good person and no one knows that as well as I do. You deserve every happiness and I'm sorry if I ever made you doubt that."

I took another deep breath, willing any courage I had left to come forward in my time of need, and waited to see what he had to say or _if_ he had anything to say at all.

"But I'm not going to lie anymore. I still love you Randy. I'm _in_ love with you. There I said it," I spoke the last part more to myself than to him.

Finally he lifted his head to meet my gaze, "Mickie I knew… which I guess puts me at fault just as much, maybe even more."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid. I knew full well the reason you offered the physical relationship all those months ago. Of course I chose to ignore the voice screaming at me to stop, but do you honestly think I only wanted this for the physicality of it? I knew what I was getting into and I chose to ignore my conscience in favour of giving into something I craved for years. Years of perfecting my self-control and it all goes out the window when you come along. Everything seems so normal when we're together, as if nature intended for us to be a perfect match. How can a person resist something as powerful as that?"

I merely shrugged my shoulders in response because I didn't know the answer to his question. I had never been able to resist him since the moment we met.

"I didn't fall in love with you again Mickie because I never _stopped_ loving you. I foolishly tried so hard to convince myself I no longer had feelings for you that eventually I believed it," he paused for a few moments.

"I realized my mistake when you got back to Raw because it only took a few weeks for you to break down the wall I had structured around my life but still I didn't _want _to believe. So I did the only thing I could and I tried my hardest to treat you horribly in hopes that what I was feeling was merely lingering from all those years ago. But I knew I was wrong that first night we slept together again and I knew I was in dangerous territories. So I made an agreement with myself that I would stay away from you. So what happens? They set up a storyline to incorporate you into Legacy and then you offered the no strings attached relationship and the moment we agreed to it, I knew I was in trouble."

"We boarded a runaway train and didn't even _attempt_ to get off it."

He was completely and totally right. What a mess we had made of our lives and the horrendous part was that we both knew it would come to this. We had selfishly hurt one another and our friends in the process and for what? Something that had never worked for us?

"Having these last few weeks off to contemplate everything that has occurred between us helped me to see everything so clearly," he spoke again. He took another step closer to lessen the gap between us, "We were never _meant to be_ Mickie, we just wanted _so hard_ to believe we were. It was the circumstances and the strong love we felt for one another that made us believe we were so perfect together. But if we are 'meant to be' why is life trying _so_ hard to keep us apart?"

To be honest, I was blindsided by his words and more than that I was hurt by them.

"Don't downplay our relationship Randy, don't you dare!" My body started shaking, "It may seem like we are constantly being torn apart, but why do we keep finding each other? Sure we have had a harder time than most, but how I felt… how I _feel_ for you is something I could never describe in words. The love I have for you threatens to overwhelm me because I was never taught how to deal with this kind of power. Anger, pain, happiness… all of that is _easy_. But love, Randy… love is hard."

"It's about putting your heart on the line in hopes that the person you love will feel the same. It's putting all of your trust in someone because you know that the only thing they want for you, like you do them, is happiness. And we had that Randy. Maybe we never got as long of a time together as I would have liked, but we will always be connected for the rest of our lives. And _that_ is something that you _cannot _disregard."

I was staring directly at him, but his gaze was focused on the floor. I took a few more steps forward so that I was positioned directly in front of him.

"Do you know how much it hurts to know this love I have for you is never going to go away? That I can never be in a relationship with another human being because my heart will never belong to anyone but you." I reached out and grasped his hand in mine and placed it on my chest directly above my heart. Finally he looked up into my eyes, "This will always be yours if you ever change your mind, just know that okay?"

I let go of his hand and it dropped to his side but we maintained eye contact. I was about to turn away when he pulled me in for an embrace. I can honestly say that I was shocked, but it didn't stop me from reciprocating. Being in his arms once more felt great, but I wasn't foolish enough to believe a hug was going to make the problems go away.

I knew it was a good bye hug, or a closure one or whatever you want to call it and I was grateful. When we ended our relationship all those years ago, we ended it on horrible terms. Maybe just maybe this was a sign that it was possible for us to be friends, possible for us to be happy in a way that doesn't involve a relationship or sex and I was going to be okay with that… given time.

I was surprised to find that for the first time since I had found out about Laura I felt as if I was going to be alright. Already I felt lighter somehow and the pain and guilt that had enveloped me the last several years was beginning to melt away and left behind was the person I used to be. Of course I knew it was going to take time, and I wasn't expecting things between Randy and myself to be perfect, but at least this was a good start.

I still felt the aching in my chest but I knew that would never go away and yet it seemed as if I had already accepted it. The pain hadn't in fact decreased, but rather I had grown strong enough to endure it. I didn't ever want to forget the moments I shared with Randy and if that meant I was to take the pain with me wherever I went then so be it. The pain was the proof that it was all real and I wouldn't give that up for anything.

"I've resented you all these years because of how you treated me after we lost the baby… and I've waited three years too long to tell you that I'm sorry for all of it. We spent so much of our time blaming one another for reasons that were beyond our control, that we ruined our relationship in the process," he said after pulling out of the hug. "And I know I've said this a million times, but I'm truly sorry for everything Mickie. I'm sorry for not being there, I'm sorry for running to Laura and I'm especially sorry that I didn't do everything I could to bring you back from the place you had retreated to. I could've changed everything, but I decided to run. I'll spend the rest of my life regretting that."

I shook my head, "You couldn't have changed anything. I was so set on punishing you, _especially_ after I found out about Laura. And _I'm_ sorry for that. But Randy we can keep going back and forth and blaming one another or we can move on from this. We've spent too much time feeling angry and resentful for what happened… but it's never going to change the past."

He nodded his head in agreement, "You're right… of course you're right. Look, in light of everything and being honest with another, I should probably tell you that Laura is going to be joining me on the road again for about another month. She wasn't prepared to come this time, but she will be here for the pay per view," he informed me.

I hesitated for a moment, before looking up into his eyes, "Thanks for telling me and I promise I won't be any trouble."

Before anything more could be said there was a knock on the door, followed by another more urgent one.

"I'm going to use the bathroom," he muttered.

"Mickie! Mickie!" I heard Ted calling from the hallway, "Mickie!"

I pulled open the door to find my two best friends on the other side.

"I don't have my key. Mickie! I forgot to tell you Randy is back! I don't know if you saw him yet or not but– wait a minute, something is different about you. Cody isn't something different about her?"

Cody eyed me suspiciously, "You're right. She's… smiling."

At this revelation both of them seemed shocked. Like really, you'd think the world was about to end.

Ted looked around the room, as did I, confused as to what he was looking for exactly.

"What's going on?" Ted scrutinized me.

It was at that moment that Randy exited the bathroom and strolled up to us, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Ted stared back and forth between us until his eyes widened, he inhaled deeply and he pointed at the both of us. Honestly you'd think we'd just committed a crime.

"You didn't?" He gasped.

"What the hell are you talking about Ted?" I asked.

"Yeah man, did I miss something?" Randy asked from his position beside me.

Ted narrowed his eyes, "Don't _man_ me! After everything that's happened, after you hurt her, and she spent the last two months moping around!"

"Ted, hey fill me in!" Cody muttered.

"They've done it again," Ted crossed his arms and glared at us.

"Did what?" Cody asked.

"Yes, please enlighten us before I murder you for shouting_ and_ glaring at me," Randy spoke menacingly.

"Good choice of words, I would prefer torturing him for my own enjoyment though," I muttered to him and crossed my arms.

"Seriously you two are going to stand there and assume that I'm too stupid to know what's going on?"

"Ted we _hardly_ have to _assume_ that you're stupid," I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, play dumb. But I know the truth. You're sleeping together again."

It wasn't a question it was a statement.

Randy and I exchanged looks of disbelief before turning back to face them, "No!" we shouted in unison.

"Bu– but she's smiling!" Ted stuttered, "Are you dating?"

"No!" we shouted again.

"Okay no I'm with Ted on this one. God it feels weird to say that, but you are in fact smiling Mickie… for real and not like your on-screen smile. So enlighten us, what happened?" Cody crossed his arms.

I released a sigh and let my arms drop to my sides, "We just talked… about everything. It's what we needed and what we should have done three years ago."

"So hold up, you guys talked and all of a sudden everything's okay?" Ted asked sceptically.

"No," Randy said, "but it's a good start."

"Clearly we have a lot of trust issues to work through, and it's not going to be easy so I'm forewarning the both of you… but we're willing to try," I added.

"And I have a girlfriend which isn't going to change but I want Mickie and me to try this friendship thing and I'm hoping she's okay with that."

It wasn't what I wanted but it was what I had promised I would settle for.

I turned to look up at him, offering a small smile, "If that's what you want."

He smiled back at me but a second later Ted had rushed forward interrupting our moment as he wrapped an arm around each of us, pulling the both of us into a bone crushing group hug.

"Ted?" Randy questioned, "Personal space," he growled.

"I don't care!" Ted cried, "The foursome is back together and happy again!"

Randy and I craned our heads to exchange looks and both of us started laughing at the same time a few seconds later and reciprocated the hug.

"Cody get over here!" I laughed.

"No thanks," he said.

"Cody!" I stomped my foot.

"Oh fine, if you really insist!" I laughed again because I knew he really wanted to but was acting manly about it.

Finally Randy pulled away, "That's enough hugging to last a lifetime."

"I hear ya," Cody commented as he too pulled away.

Ted stepped back and stared at all of us in turn, "You are monsters! Hugging is such a beautiful and natural act."

I chuckled and opened my arms, "Awe DiBiase!"

He rushed into my arms almost knocking me over with the gesture as the other two guys laughed at the scene in front of them.

Ted finally pulled away and cleared his throat, "So what now?" he asked in a manly voice.

"How about you two girls visit a salon and get your nails done," Randy teased.

"And you can even ask if they'll give you tips on how to do your make-up because you've been looking hideous late– well ever since I met you," Cody added looking at Ted before he and Randy high-fived.

"Hey you two better apologize, that wasn't nice to say about Mickie," Ted said sternly.

I punched him on the arm, "Thanks Ted."

"You two are just jealous that I'm comfortable with my sexuality," Ted said confidently.

"Dude I think you're _confused _with your sexuality," Cody remarked receiving another high five from Randy.

Ted turned to me, "Cody's just jealous because my girlfriend is the sexiest of sexy and Randy's jealous because you've got a thing for me."

I sent a death glare in his direction causing his confident expression to falter and him to emit a nervous chuckle, "Too soon to make jokes about you and Randy?"

"Way too soon," I muttered.

"I must say James it's nice to see you smiling again, it makes me feel happier," he said with a smile.

"And that I'll agree with without making jokes," Cody offered and gave my hand a quick squeeze.

"Thanks guys, you're honestly the best friends I've ever been given," I said sincerely.

"Hell yeah! I can't wait to shove that in Kelly's and Melina's faces! They didn't believe me when I told them you loved me more!" Ted shouted excitedly.

I shook my head in amusement and released a small laugh. Ted was such a dork.

"So what should we do now? We have a free afternoon," Cody enquired.

"What about your girlfriends? Hey you two were supposed to be out for the day!" I just remembered now that they had had prior plans.

"Well I completely forgot I told Randy he could come crash here for a few hours and I was afraid you might die if you saw him so I phoned Cody and we decided to meet here to come check that the both of you were still alive," Ted explained, taking a deep breath.

I rolled my eyes, "So you ditched them for no reason? You should go back to them."

"Pff and leave you two unsupervised?" Ted said, receiving glares from both me and Randy. "One day it _will_ be appropriate to joke about it!"

"And yet that day isn't now! So keep the comments to yourself or I'll release the Viper on you," I said menacingly.

"Oh this guy right here?" Ted asked, pointing at Randy and stepping forward so he was right in his face, "I'm not scared of him. He's harmless. I could totally take him with one arm tied behind my– okay, okay I promise not to make any more jokes!" he pleaded.

He eyed Randy nervously and took a tiny step back before turning away from him awkwardly.

I was pleased to find that after having been through so much together it still felt normal to stand here and bicker while making jokes. It was so great to know that not _everything_ had changed.

Cody rolled his eyes at Ted before turning back to me, "Seriously being here is more important. The four of us haven't had a normal day in what feels like ages. I think I can speak for both Eve and Maryse when I say that they will understand," he said.

"What should we do then?" Ted asked, surveying all of our faces one by one.

"Mickie?" Randy asked, turning to face me.

I smiled at all of them, "I'm really leaning towards hitting up a buffet right now! I feel as if I haven't eaten in weeks!"

"Uh that's because you like… haven't," Ted said bluntly.

Cody rolled his eyes once more, "That's what I'm talking about! I knew I kept you around for a reason," he said while patting my head.

"That's the Mickie I know," Randy said, offering me a smirk.

"I missed the annoying smirk!" I exclaimed, causing the three of them to laugh.

"Seriously man, I missed you. Maybe Mickie will shower now," Ted said.

"Ted!"

"What? I've been holding that in because I didn't want to hurt your feelings," he said defensively.

"He's probably smelling himself, don't worry," Cody assured me.

"Possibly," Ted shrugged. "Let's go, I need to feed my abs!"

"I second that!" Cody called out as they both exited the room.

I turned to Randy, "I'm glad you're back and I'm happy things can still be _somewhat_ the same between the four of us. Out of everything that's what I missed the most. Just joking around and bickering with one another."

"Can't say I didn't miss it either," he smirked. "The three of you just kind of grew on me."

"Well I'm happy for that," I smiled and we remained silent for a few seconds before I took a step back, "I need to change, so I'll uh meet you guys downstairs alright?"

"Yeah sure just don't take too long. Ted seems extra irritating today," he joked.

"That's just because you've been away too long," I teased, and watched as he headed out the door after the other two.

I smiled to myself as I made my way over to my suitcase. When I woke up this morning I definitely hadn't expected my day to end up like this. How different it felt to smile again, to actually be hungry as opposed to eating only because I knew I needed to.

I was searching around for a pair of jeans and a zip up sweater, as the weather was chilly outside, when my hand hit something hard at the bottom of my suitcase. I pushed my clothes aside to find the picture frame Cody had given me for my birthday all those months ago. I smiled again thinking of how long ago that seemed and how far the four of us had come. Ted and Cody had found women they cared about so much and Randy and I had finally, after almost four years, confronted our problems. All the while the four of has had only become closer and stronger as both people and friends.

Cody, my sweet, strong, smart and supportive friend who hasn't ever thought twice about sticking by side. He always tries to act so macho, but underneath the act he was as sweet and understanding as they come, which is why Eve was the luckiest woman alive to be able to call him her boyfriend. Cody was so mature beyond his years, and it never failed to amaze me how grown-up he was in certain situations. He never let his anger get the best of him, and preferred to use his brains as opposed to his brawn when outside the ring.

And dear Teddy. My first official Legacy friend. He welcomed me into his life with arms wide open, no questions asked. He has been the rock in my life for several months now and much like Cody I knew for certain that he would always be there for me regardless of the circumstances. He will always be around to throw out an unnecessary joke at the wrong time and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The thing with the both of them that stood out beyond everything else was their unconditional loyalty not only to me, but to each other and Randy as well. There wasn't any other group of friends that I had experienced, that were as loyal and as accepting of one another as the four of us were. Ted and Cody had stuck by Randy for the last year and a half despite the judgement that was bestowed upon them by everyone else on the roster. You couldn't have better friends than Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.

Which brings me to Randy. The one man who makes me happy by looking at me, acknowledging me. The one man who knows me inside and out and can understand me better than anyone else in this world. I would give my life for him in a heart beat because a life without him would hardly be worth living and I say that knowing the judgement others may pass on me upon hearing it. Most people don't see him the way I do, and are willing to pass judgement on him just by seeing the cold, hard exterior that he's perfected over the years.

But beyond that is a man who deserves every happiness and a man who is capable of the greatest love you could _ever_ imagine; a love that he was generous enough to share with me. He can make you feel like the most important person in the world just by looking at you. And it was for that reason that there will never be another man like Randy Orton, at least not in my eyes anyway, so there wouldn't really be a point in looking would there?

As for me, I was perfectly content with my life right now and in this moment, and everything else I will just have to deal with down the road.

_**xoxo**_

"Okay Ted, I love you to pieces but you have _got _to stop smiling like that. It's creeping me out," I complained to the blonde next to me.

"What? I'm showcasing my happiness!"

"This is awkward enough as it is, stop making it worse," I said.

"Awkward? But you said everything was good between you two," he whined.

"Ted we've discussed our problems, but that hardly means everything is fixed. We've got a ton of issues to sort through and that sort of thing takes time," Randy explained to him before turning his gaze on me. "Do you feel like a divorced parent trying to explain the situation to their kid? Because that's what I'm feeling like right now."

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes.

I was sitting across from both him and Cody at a restaurant located not too far from our hotel and I had just enjoyed what felt like the best meal I've ever had. Also I surprised everyone at the table when I ate more than even Cody had. What? I'd barely eaten anything in almost a month; I think I was more than entitled.

"Don't mind Ted, he's an idiot," Cody commented.

"Worry about yourself Rhodes," Ted scoffed, "at least I have a girlfriend!"

The brunette merely rolled his eyes, "I _do_ have a girlfriend Ted!"

"Oh… right. Well it's _still_ hard to believe that someone as hot as Eve would go out with you."

"Ted you're such a moron. Do us all a favour and stop talking."

"What fun would _that_ be?"

"Trust me, it'd be music to my ears," Cody said dramatically.

Smiling to myself, I looked over to find Randy was looking over at me, his own smile resting on his face. After a few seconds I was forced to look away because an awkward feeling came over me. I had to control myself or I was going to have a hard time behaving.

A good twenty minutes later we were back out on the street, walking in the direction of the hotel as Ted and Cody walked ahead arguing over who would win a mixed tag match if it pitted Ted and Maryse versus Cody and Eve.

"So," I cleared my throat, "how's your family? I feel really bad about the last time I… saw them," I trailed off thinking about the moment I had found out about Laura. I hadn't thought this through nor was I prepared for the pain I felt thinking about that day.

I turned away quickly, focusing on the lights at the intersection up ahead to keep myself occupied for even a brief moment. It was going to take _a lot_ of hard work if we were going to_ attempt_ the friendship route.

"They're uh, they've been good. Don't worry, the only one who noticed anything was my mom. Nathan was too busy with his eyes glued to the divas and my dad is programmed to keep his distance when a woman is upset," he chuckled. "My mom's wanted to call, but I told her to give you some space."

"It'll be nice to talk to her again," I said quietly. "Randy, what are we doing?" I stopped walking and he had to walk back a few steps to reach me.

"I thought we were going back to the hotel," he stated, but I could tell he was just trying to avoid the subject altogether.

"Can we _really_ do this? Or are we just fooling ourselves. The friend's thing I mean…"

He looked out towards the traffic, "Honestly? I doubt it. There's always going to be feelings lingering under the surface but I want to try Mickie. I can't not have you in my life," he spoke slowly and carefully.

That's funny he should say that seeing as how he said he didn't want me anymore… just my luck.

"After all these years we finally confronted our problems. Maybe that's the only thing that's kept us out of each others lives so far. There's a reason this happened. There's a reason you were brought back to Raw and there's a reason you were put into Legacy with us and grew so close with Ted and Cody. I _have_ to believe it… I don't have a choice."

I folded my arms over my chest and watched a few people passing by and then focused on Ted and Cody farther down the street, still arguing away, oblivious to the fact that Randy and I were no longer following.

"Did you ever think four years ago that we would be here? Struggling to maintain any semblance of a relationship, with our past haunting us?" I finally asked, knowing I was potentially in dangerous territories.

"Honestly? No. I would have figured we'd be married with a family, happier than ever. I guess life didn't share the same opinion," he shrugged.

I nodded my head, still staring after Ted and Cody who were growing smaller in the distance, "Do you ever think about how things would be if I hadn't lost the… baby," I struggled with the question, but I knew I had to say it. It had been haunting me for far too long.

After a moment of silence I looked up into his eyes, waiting for an answer to a question I had been wanting for years. As painful as it was to think about, I can't describe with words how relieved I felt to be able to talk openly about something I've had to withhold for years.

"Everyday," he said simply. "Mickie…"

"Yeah?" I whispered.

"I'm _really_ sorry… for not being there for you… back then."

I looked down at the sidewalk, searching for anything to focus on so I didn't have to look up into the eyes I was afraid of. Despite everything, I just wanted to move on and move away from the pain I had been feeling for far too long.

"I know you are," I said softly, forcing myself to look up at him, "But I had no right to treat you the way I did. I can't believe you put up with me for as long as you did."

"It was never a choice for me, nor did I feel obligated. I wanted to be there Mickie, I loved you and every bad day was worth it when we enjoyed the good days together."

"Why did you go to Laura that day?" I whispered, fighting emotions and trying my best not to let them get the best of me.

"I went to her a lot throughout that time," he admitted, "She just had a way of calming me down in a sense. I only… was _with_ her that one time and I've regretted it everyday since."

I turned away from him. I couldn't even calm my own boyfriend down and I treated him so terribly he went running to an ex-girlfriend. How messed up is that? But that day had been different than the other "good days". I had felt different, and looking back I was sure that had Randy not told me about his infidelity with Laura we would have been together for the last three years. I was so ready and willing to move on that day, but then he came back and was honest with me. I guess I couldn't know for _sure_ if that was the end of my continuous bad mood… but I had this feeling that it would have been over.

But I knew I couldn't tell Randy this. I knew he would punish himself for it for the rest of his life. That had he not ran to Laura… none of this would have happened. I know he would never forgive himself for that.

Who the hell were we kidding? We had far too much history and there were too many feelings involved to ever be just friends. But what choice did I really have?

"I guess you can only run from your problems for so long hey?" I said softly, turning back to face him.

"I think we're a prime example of that statement. Who would've thought that you publicly announcing our loss would be the best thing for us?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by his statement.

"It may have been embarrassing and painful, but Mickie we should have discussed that years ago instead of trying so hard to bury it. You bringing it up forced us to sort it out and as a result I think we've got a chance of moving away from it now."

I offered a smile, a very small one, but a smile nonetheless, "I guess you're right. But that doesn't excuse what I did. Every night since, I couldn't get the look of betrayal on your face out of my mind. It's the reason I've barely slept these last three weeks. I've been scared of how you were going to be when you returned."

"I was angry and I wanted so extensively to retreat back behind the wall I've built over the years but I realized I need to learn from my past. Staying angry at you was going to have more negative results than positive. That was when I realized you did the right thing… granted I would have preferred you to have thrown it in my face in private but hey whatever works," he grinned down at me.

I couldn't help but smile once more, "Look at us being all friendly!" I nudged him playfully, "Come on let's catch up with the guys before they kill each other."

I smiled after him, but didn't follow straight away. After the longing and the promise to settle for a friendship, it saddened me beyond imagine to realize that it wasn't possible. Any "friendship" with Randy would be a fake, and I wasn't sure if I was okay with pretending.

Randy's POV

It was Monday once again and I don't ever remember being more excited for a Raw show than I was tonight. I had missed three weeks of live events which in reality was three weeks too many and I was anticipating getting back in that ring tonight.

Yesterday had gone much better than I had anticipated, especially considering I didn't intend to discuss anything with Mickie before I came back. I vowed to just leave it in the past, but I guess that would have been the wrong route to take. Despite the obvious work that was necessary, I believed Mickie and I were at least on the right track to say the least. Would we ever be just friends? More than likely not, but if we were able to maintain some sort of relationship that worked for us and for our friends than that was good enough for me. The truth was, Mickie was far too important for me to just let her go and make the same mistake for a second time. I knew it was selfish of me to want to be just friends with her, but I couldn't let her go again.

I was in the process of pulling my jacket on when a knock sounded on my door. Opening it I found Cody on the other side.

"Hey man you ready to go? Ted and Mickie are waiting downstairs," he said as he entered the room.

"Yes I'm ready, I just need to grab my things," I said, crossing the room to pick up my bag.

"Hey Randy, I'm glad you're back and that you and Mickie seem to be doing _okay_, but," he seemed to hesitate for a brief second before continuing, "I mean are you _sure_ that this is it for you and her?"

I should have expected this, but it didn't make it any less irritating. I guess that was the case mainly because I had been asking myself the same thing constantly.

"Truthfully I don't know. With everything that was holding us back sort of… out of the way, it's made it easier for the two of us and it makes me wonder where we'd be if all of this had happened sooner. But I think we need to at least try this friendship thing. At the very least I owe it to Laura. Despite what you guys may think after everything that's happened, she's a great person and she doesn't deserve to get hurt."

"I understand that, but neither does Mickie. God Randy you should've seen her these last three weeks. I would like to use the word wreck, but she was _so_ much worse than that. I honestly didn't even recognize her," he said, his face showing how much he wished he could forget what had happened.

"The day you left, she seemed fine at first. We attended Raw, she did great in her match and our ring segment but then she disappeared and Ted and I got worried. No one knew where she was and her phone was going straight to voicemail. So we went back to the hotel, to find her with a half empty bottle of vodka and… Mizanin," he said the last part reluctantly, a scowl appearing on his face.

"Mizanin? As in Mike Mizanin?" I questioned, not liking at all where this was going.

Cody nodded his head, "We got there before anything really happened, but I'm quite sure it would've gone farther had Ted and I _not_ shown up."

"What the hell was she doing with Miz?" I snarled, the images of him with his hands on her made my blood boil.

Cody shook his head, "She was drunk, I mean a half a bottle of vodka. Apparently it was going to be Mike's way of getting back at Ted for everything that happened with Maryse."

"That fucking bastard," I hissed to myself, "I'm gonna kill him!" I started forward, nothing but Mike on my mind, but Cody stepped in front of me blocking my way.

"Randy that's hardly what Mickie needs."

"He put his hands on her!" I hissed, "He tried to take advantage of her and he'll pay for it!"

"That's not the problem here," he grunted, giving me a shove backwards. "You want to know what else she did? She whipped that half empty bottle of vodka at me and Ted."

I stopped pacing, to look him in the face, surprised at the words that had come out of his mouth. He couldn't be serious, could he?

"Because _we_ were the ones who had to stay behind and clean up _your_ mess," he said angrily before releasing a sigh a few seconds later, "Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem being here for her and I would do _anything_ for her, but I'm tired of seeing her in pain because of you."

I turned away from him, running a hand down my face, "So am I Cody. I just need to give this a try. Things are looking up and Mickie seems content now with how things are. Maybe this could work," I said, turning to face him.

It was a lie. Mickie was anything but content, and I knew that after one look at her. She was pretending, and I appreciated it, but it hardly made me feel better about anything. We were fooling ourselves… how long could this go on?

"She's tried fooling us the last three weeks. Laughing at all the right times, but she hasn't actually been here. Every time she looked at anyone, it was as if she was looking through them, like she couldn't focus. She's living and breathing but she isn't _alive_. It's like all of the life that Mickie normally has in her was sucked out the moment you left."

I didn't need him to tell me this. I noticed it the moment I locked eyes with her yesterday when I got back. It tore at my heart. Mickie was usually so full of life… I guess that's part of the attraction I have for her. I wish all of her pain would go away. She's too good to be feeling the way she is.

I turned away from him again, "She hasn't been truly alive for the last three years," I explained. "Cody if you knew her back then, you would think the Mickie James of these last six months was a poor example of the Mickie James from my Evolution days. And it kills me that I'm the cause of that. But I can't be anything more for her than I am right now."

"I don't understand why you won't fight to be with the one you truly love but that's your call. Ted and I will back your play, whatever you choose, you know we'll support you. Just please do everything you can to make this work. Whether you realize it or not you and Mickie need one another whether it is as friends or more than that."

Knowing he was right I merely nodded before following him out into the hall and down to meet Ted and Mickie, not paying much attention when he told me to stay away from Mike. If I seen that bastard tonight, I was going to make him regret ever _looking_ at Mickie.

I didn't know what I wanted, what the right decision was or whether or not things were over between Mickie and me romantically. But what I did know was that I needed to focus on my career. I had a big match scheduled at TLC in less than a week and tonight I was making my return. Everything else was going to have to wait until the New Year.

_**xoxo**_

Fresh off of making my "surprise" in ring return by attacking Kofi Kingston after he won his match against William Regal, so as to fuel our feud and get ready for our match this Sunday, I was walking backstage when I spotted Miz in the near distance.

Instantly my anger flared up and Cody's words to "stay away from him" were lost. I walked up to him as he was immersed in what appeared to be a flirting session with Alicia Fox. I grabbed a hold of him and shoved him roughly against the wall.

"What the fuck!" he shouted, surprised at my action but a look of fear grew in his eyes when he looked into mine.

"Leave!" I hissed to the diva who didn't need to be told twice as she scurried away.

"I didn't think I'd have to deal with you. I mean I thought you and Mickie were "over". Didn't really seem like you gave two shits about her," he said smugly.

"That was a pretty stupid assumption on your part and a huge mistake that you made. You better watch your back Mizanin because it won't be Ted you'll be dealing with, it'll be me," I hissed.

I could tell he was uncomfortable at our position and unsettled because of the threat that I made. I had to resist the urge to smirk… after all this time I still hadn't lost my ability to truly be the Viper. It felt great, to say the least. The Viper wasn't just my own screen persona, it had grown to be a part of me and in situations like these, it was useful.

I continued glaring at him for a few more seconds until finally I backed away, not taking my eyes off his. I wanted nothing more than to knock him on his ass, but it was hardly going to be fun seeing as how he didn't have the balls to provoke me into taking action nor was he truly any competition. I went to walk away but his next words stopped me.

"Maybe Ted is the one you should be angry with. After all, I merely did it to spite him. She's nothing more than an overrated, pathetic diva. I used to date Maryse; do you _really_ think I would go from someone like her to Mickie?"

Not even a second after the last words left his mouth; my fist collided with his jaw, the impact knocking him to the ground instantly. I squatted down beside him, and made sure he was looking into my eyes.

"Don't forget who I am Mizanin, and what I'm capable of. If I _ever_ catch word that you were anywhere near Mickie or the rest of Legacy, Ted and Cody included, I will make sure it's the last thing you _ever_ do," I hissed, staring coldly into his eyes.

"Randy!"

Turning my head I witnessed Mickie rushing towards me, a worried expression on her face, staring curiously back and forth between me and the superstar lying on the cold ground. I looked up into her eyes, taking in every detail of her delicate features.

I couldn't fathom for the life of me how Mike could even compare Mickie to someone like Maryse. Sure Maryse was sexy, in an obvious sort of way, but Mickie… she wasn't only sexy, she was _beautiful_ on the inside and out. She had the kindest heart out of anyone I knew. She was capable of being both the best friend and the girlfriend. She wasn't high maintenance like Maryse was. She was laid back and casual and no matter the time of day or occasion she never failed to look beautiful. She was the whole package; the type of woman any guy would be blessed to have.

"What is going on?"

I pushed myself to a standing position and regarded Mizanin as if he was nothing more than a piece of trash.

"Nothing, Mike tripped. Let's go," I put my hand on the small of her back to lead her away, but she kept glancing behind us.

"Who told you?" she asked sternly.

"Who told me what?" I asked innocently.

"Don't insult my intelligence. It was Cody wasn't it? I knew there was a reason you guys took so long meeting us in the lobby," she muttered.

"I would never question your intelligence," I responded, ignoring her last statement only to receive another stern look from her. "Does it matter?"

She sighed, "I supposed not, but I didn't want you to know. God knows I'm embarrassed enough."

"Mickie you were under the influence…"

"Not when I invited him back to my room I wasn't. But by the time he showed up I guess I was," she admitted. "I feel so dirty thinking about it."

"Don't think about it. Forget about it, it's in the past. Come on, let's get back to the locker room."

"Um sure," she glanced back at my hand that was resting on her back still and took a few steps away from me. She averted her gaze and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears, "Let's go," she offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes before turning and leading the way down the hall.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I guess I never expected things to be normal. I mean how could they be? How do two people who are in love with one another maintain nothing more than a friendship? They can't. So either we continue pretending things are normal or we do the right thing. But what _was_ the right thing?

As much as it pains me to say it, maybe our best bet is to cut any ties that aren't professional. But to do that would not only affect Mickie and me, it would affect Ted and Cody as well. It would be like a divorce… who gets what?

But on the other hand, I love Mickie and as difficult as things are… she's special to me and she always will be. Is it fair to Laura to continue a relationship with her when I will never love her like I do Mickie? Of course it wasn't.

Would things ever really be the same between me and Mickie though?

So many questions running through my mind that I didn't know the answers to. I needed time to figure everything out. I guess I didn't need to rush into anything because after everything that's gone on, taking my time to decide would be the smartest thing I've done in awhile.

What the future held for Mickie and me… I wasn't sure, but I certainly wasn't in any rush to find out.

"Earth to the Viper!" I looked up to find Mickie waving her hands in my face trying to get my attention.

I looked down at her, "Yeah I'm right behind you."

Mickie's POV

I don't know what was going on with me, but it's not as if I could just go back to normal and I'm sure Randy didn't expect that either. Things seemed so normal during times when we were distracted, like when I found him leaning over Mike who was lying in the corridor, but the moment we had any time to reminisce on our issues, everything went right back to being awkward between us. I thought that after our conversation earlier that maybe it was in fact possible to be friends, but now I realize that that wasn't the case. I can't be _just_ friends with the man who holds my heart.

But on that same note, what other choice did I really have? This wasn't only about me and Randy, this was just as much about Ted and Cody. The both of them had been in hell these last several weeks, and I couldn't bear to put them through anymore. They meant way too much and beyond that I owed them for everything they've had to put up with recently.

I couldn't do this to them. I couldn't make their time on the road awkward and more than that I could never expect them to choose. Things might be different if we weren't involved in the same storyline, but I had to be realistic. I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and neither was Raw's top superstar, so until further notice, I was going to suck it up.

"Where did you two disappear to?" Ted asked when we entered the Legacy locker room.

"Why don't you ask Randy," I said, crossing my arms and turning to stare at the Viper sternly.

"Why?" Cody asked, looking up from shoving his belongings hastily into his bag.

"Why Randy hmm? Tell them. I'm sure they'd be _very_ interested to know."

This sort of behaviour was easy… especially when I had Ted and Cody around as a comfort blanket. It was everything else that was going to be slightly more difficult. Randy glared in my direction, apparently uncomfortable at this newfound attention on him. The Viper, uncomfortable? I never thought I'd live to see the day.

To my surprise though, a smug look grew on his face, "I ran into Mizanin."

"Randy," Cody groaned, "I told you to stay away from him. What happened?" he turned to ask me.

"Let's just say Ted endured a similar experience a few weeks ago."

Turning to Ted I found him sitting on the sofa glaring in Randy's direction obviously remembering the time he was punched in the face by him. A part of me, the cruel part that laughed at Ted's misfortunes, wished I had been there to see it.

"Oh!" he said, standing up and folding his arms across his chest, "So I wasn't allowed to knock Mizanin on his ass but Randy was?"

"Ted let's be realistic. If we want to get the job done would we send someone named Theodore Marvin, or someone who goes by the name the Viper? Randy would be the assassin, you're the expendable moron," Cody explained.

"I resent that! Mickie back me up," he said firmly, appearing confident that I was going to do just that.

"Sorry Teddy, I hate to admit it, but Cody's right."

Ted gasped, "You traitor!" he turned to Cody, "So what would you and Mickie be?"

"Well that's easy," Cody said matter-of-factly, "I would be the guy who gave the orders and Mickie would be the kick ass leading lady."

"And _I'm_ expendable?" Ted asked.

"That's what I said," Cody grinned.

"No, no, no!" Ted argued, "I would be the big head honcho. Randy would be my right hand man, Mickie would be my damsel in distress and _you_ Cody would be my servant," Ted said smugly.

"Oh puh-lease!" I exclaimed causing everyone to turn and look at me, "There is no way I would be a damsel in distress. I would be the mob boss, Randy would be my right hand man, Cody would be my driver and Ted you would shine my shoes. Sorry Teddy but we would be terrible citizens if we ever allowed you to gain power."

Randy and Cody chuckled as Ted grumbled insults under his breath and turned away from us shaking his head. I chanced a glance at Randy and found he was also looking at me, and we maintained contact until I forced myself to look away. As great as it was to joke around, it broke my heart at how uncomfortable I still felt. But this pain I was willing to endure for the sake of my friends and the man I love.

An hour later, I was settled on the couch in my hotel room, alone as Ted was out with Maryse for the night. I chose a movie on the TV and was halfway through it when a knock sounded on the door. Slowly climbing to my feet, I crossed the room and pulled the door open to find Randy standing behind it.

"Oh… hey," I tried to make myself sound as relaxed as possible, even offering a small smile.

"Hey," he offered back and when I didn't respond he continued, "Right… well Cody is out with Eve of course and I'm bored. Are you up for hanging out?"

"Um…" I contemplated saying yes, but I couldn't possibly spend the rest of the night feeling as tense as I did earlier, "Actually, I was just getting ready to go to bed. I'm really tired and I do have a flight to catch early in the morning."

He took a step back, "Right… of course. Well I just figured– Never mind actually. Sleep is probably a good idea. So I'll see you tomorrow maybe or later this week…"

He was already taking a few more steps back down the hall, "Randy…"

"No it's not a problem. Sleep well Mickie…"

Turning quickly he headed back down the hall not giving me a chance to say anything more. Sighing quietly, I closed the door behind me and leaned up against it. I knew it was the right thing to do, but it certainly didn't make me feel any better. I just needed to remind myself that things would be tense between us, and hanging out with him wouldn't be as effortless as it had been months ago. I needed to stop longing for simpler times and I needed to realize that this was my life now.

_So there's chapter 52, sorry for taking so long to update, I'll try my best to update sooner but I've still got a few things to figure out._

_Things aren't as easy as Mickie and Randy expected them to be – and sure it's possible to be friends with someone you love – but I think it's too hard and too painful for them._

_Thanks once again for the reviews from last chapter… I love reading each and every one of them and thanks to everyone who reads this story._

_Despite this being one of my favourite chapters to write, I'm still unsure about it so please let me know what you think in the reviews :) Thanks again._


	53. the struggles of Mickie James

It's just a month Mickie. You can endure the torture of seeing them together for a months worth of live events… right? I took a deep breath and glanced across the gym once more, where Randy and Laura were both working out. Ugh could I be more pathetic? Fine, I had to witness the man I love with another woman but did I have to publicly show how much it affected me? I released a sigh and gave up on the set of squats I had appointed myself to do and bent down to scoop up my water bottle. Looking back over to the "happy couple" I couldn't help the longing that had crept in.

"As much as I would like to laugh, I just feel pity."

Looking up I found Phil had approached me without my realizing it and now was glancing back and forth between Randy and me.

"I have really started to dread PPV's lately because it means I have to see you," I teased, giving him a brief hug.

"How have you been?" he asked quietly, gesturing subtly in the direction of Randy and Laura.

I offered him a small smile, "I've been okay. It's hard, but I'm trying."

"That's what's important. You'll get through this Mickie. You're strong and independent and you have friends that love you."

I nodded my head, "I know," I said confidently, "and that's my main focus besides getting back my divas title of course."

"It's only a matter of time but Melina certainly isn't going to give it up easily," he grinned.

"I'm always up for a challenge," I said, grinning up at him.

"Hey listen, I gotta head to the arena soon. Hopefully I see you later but if not good luck against Michelle tonight."

"Thanks Punk, good luck to you too," I winked playfully and watched him leave before turning my attention back to my current entertainment across the gym.

I was surprised when I found Randy was also staring in my direction and my eyes locked with his. I couldn't bring myself to look away until I felt a second pair of eyes on me and shifting my focus slightly I found Laura looking at me as well, obviously wondering why Randy hadn't been listening to her.

"Oops," I muttered, offering the smallest of smiles before turning towards the door to make my exit only to end up colliding with the metal weight machine I had completely disregarded until that exact moment.

The impact knocked me off my feet and the moment I hit the floor I became fully aware of the pounding in my head. I was feeling dizzy as I clutched my head, wincing in pain as my eyes started to water. That certainly was _not _one of my finer moments.

"Mickie! Mickie are you okay?" the voice sounded distant, and opening my eyes I took in the blurry figure of Randy Orton.

Now I wish I were dead because he had obviously just seen that.

"Mickie…?"

After a few seconds my vision started to become clearer and he came into focus, the worried expression noticeable on his face.

"Mickie are you–"

"Yeah," I cut him off, "I'm fine. More than anything I'm embarrassed," I muttered, attempting to get to my feet.

Randy took my hand and placed his other one on my arm and pulled me to my feet, making sure I was steady before he released me. I didn't even know what to say so I turned my attention on the figure next to me.

"Graceful," Laura spoke sarcastically before releasing a sigh, "Are you alright?"

"I–" I looked back at Randy again, still unsure of how I was going to recover from this nightmare, "I'm fine… excuse me."

Turning I rushed away from the both of them and didn't stop until I was safely in the elevator. Great, just another experience to add to my list of pathetic moments that seemed to be growing steadily longer as of late. It made me wonder why life was so intent on torturing me.

"Hey James… whoa what happened to your head?" Ted asked, rushing over to me when he took in my appearance as I stepped into our room.

"What?" I gasped, rushing past him towards the mirror above the TV. "Oh my god!" I shrieked, staring at the red lump in the middle of my forehead.

"What happened?" he asked again, turning me around to face him.

I gently placed my hand over my forehead and narrowed my eyes, "Stop staring at it!" I hissed.

Ted grinned, "It's hard to miss from where I'm standing."

"I hate you," I scowled.

He chuckled, "So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"No! But what I am going to do is figure out how to cover this up!"

I stalked over to the bathroom and opened my makeup case to test and see if I was going to be able to cover this up when I applied my makeup later. I applied some concealer to the area, various layers in fact, but it still didn't hide it completely. Sighing I looked up in the mirror to see Ted had joined me in the bathroom, a curious look on his face.

"What?" I growled.

Sighing once more I rolled my eyes, "I collided with an exercise machine," I muttered, purposely avoiding eye contact.

"Why the hell would you do that?" he crossed his arms.

Rolling my eyes yet again, "I didn't do it on _purpose_!"

"So what happened?" he asked, confused.

"I saw Randy," I grumbled.

"So you decide to run into an exercise machine? Smooth move."

"I forgot it was there and I got distracted," I explained.

"By looking at Randy?" he asked causing me to narrow my eyes at him, "What? I'm just trying to make sense of this," he spoke, following me out of the bathroom.

"Well _please_ by all means analyze my pathetic flaws, I _don't_ mind," I spoke sarcastically.

"It _is_ my favourite pastime," he grinned down at me.

I punched him on the shoulder playfully and offered him a small smile before turning to face the door when I heard it open.

"Hey guys Randy wants to– whoa! Ted what did you do to her?" Cody exclaimed, staring directly at the bump on my forehead before turning back to Ted.

Turning to face Ted I noticed he was giving Cody hand gestures telling him to shut up, but he was too late.

"Oh great!" I complained before rushing into the bathroom and closing the door behind me.

After staring at myself in the mirror – unsuccessful at making the bump go away by merely staring at it – I decided to take a shower to calm my nerves. Damn, I needed to get control over myself! The last thing I needed was to be making a fool of myself in front of Randy and making myself more vulnerable. I had enough problems as it was I didn't need pity – from myself or others – on top of it.

"Mickie are you okay?" I looked up from straightening my hair to see that both Ted and Cody were staring at me, a look of worry on both of their faces.

"Um… yeah," I smiled while finishing up the last section of my hair and styling my bangs to my liking.

"No Mickie I mean are you _okay_?" Ted asked.

I turned the switch on the flat iron to off before turning to face the men of Legacy with my arms folded across my chest, "Uh I believe I answered your question the first time you asked," I said, purposely being evasive.

"Mickie…" Cody sighed, indicating this conversation was about to get serious, "What are you doing?"

"Okay if we're going to play this game _maybe_ you should be a little more precise," I said, irritated at their lack of clarification.

They exchanged glances, which only deepened my aggravation until Ted took a step forward, "You're not fooling anybody. Why are you even attempting this whole friends with Randy thing? Why are you purposely hurting yourself? You don't owe him anything Mickie."

"Ted I–"

"I'll tell you why," Cody interrupted me, taking a few steps forward, not removing his scrutinizing eyes from my face, "She thinks she's doing us a favour." 

"What do you mean?" Ted asked.

Cody ignored him and positioned himself directly in front of me, "Mickie we appreciate you thinking about us and I won't lie and say these past couple months haven't been hard, but this isn't about us. This is about you…" he reached out and grabbed my hands in his, "…doing what's best for yourself."

I released a soft sigh and turned away from him, folding my arms across my chest once more. After a few seconds I abandoned that stance and raked a hand through my newly straightened hair.

"Mickie we just want–"

"This isn't just about you guys, mostly yes," I whirled back to face the both of them, "but it's also about me. I have spent," I released another sigh because of the emotion that had seeped into my tone, "the last several years wallowing in self pity. I thought I had gotten over what happened but if I've learned anything over the last several months it's that I'm never going to heal… at least not fully. I've been a shadow of who I truly am for three years and I'm so exhausted with the effort. I'm tired of hiding from my life and dealing with this in the wrong way. I need to take control of my future and handle all of this in the mature, adult way."

"Mickie we're just saying that it's unnecessary to hurt yourself purposely."

"Ted, it's my job. I can't exactly cut him out of my life! But what I can do is handle this entire situation with as much dignity as I can."

I inhaled deeply, allowing the air to seep out of me as I searched both of their concerned faces, "It's gonna hurt… like hell. Every time I see him it's a reminder of what I'm missing in my life. But I don't have a choice. Randy and I discussed our problems and no they aren't solved, but it's a step forward in the right direction. And _that_ is so much more than we had three months ago."

I took a step forward and grasped Ted's hand in mine and motioned for Cody to give me his hand so I could take it in my other.

"I can do this you guys," I surveyed Cody's face and then Ted's before allowing a small smile on my face, "I _can_ because I have something else this time as well."

"What?" Ted asked.

The smile on my face grew as I released his hand and reached up to place it on the side of his face gently, "I have the both of you."

I looked up at Cody who was smiling down at me and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"You guys have been by my side no questions asked this entire time. I can do anything with you two in my life. And no matter what I will always be here for you."

"We don't doubt that Mickie. The same goes for us for you," Ted assured me, pulling me in for a brief embrace.

"But Mickie you have to promise us you'll do what's right for you. Stop putting everyone else before yourself and take the time to think if this is _truly_ what you want. That's all I have left to say… just think about it okay?" Cody said before offering me a hug as well.

I pulled away from him, "For the first time in what feels like an eternity, I feel as if I'm going to be okay. There's no getting over him, but I have the opportunity to progress to a healthy state in my life. And it may seem impossible to be friends with him, and right now it is, but it can't always be that way. I need to have hope… because if I don't then I don't have anything," I said the last part more as a way to convince myself it was the truth.

"Anything you need we're here and we'll get through it together," Ted assured me.

"I know," I smiled up at them once more before turning and heading over towards my suitcase. "Hey Cody you mentioned something about Randy when you walked in."

"Oh yeah, he wanted to stop off and get something to eat before the arena… together."

"Is uh… Laura gonna be there?"

"Where's this _mature_ Mickie James we've been hearing _so_ much about," Ted teased.

"Hey, baby steps!" I said sternly.

"No just the four of us," Cody informed me.

"I can do that," I said with a smile while deciding on an outfit – a pair of skinny jeans and a cute sapphire blue top.

"Hey guys?" I turned to face them just before entering the washroom.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want either of you to ever feel as if you need to choose between us because that's exactly what we're trying to avoid. He's your friend and I'm your friend and it's going to stay that way."

"We're not concerned about us," Cody responded, "Just do what's best for you."

"You know," I leaned against the doorframe, "before I actually knew either of you, I _never_ would have pictured you two to be as sweet, loyal and as supportive as the both of you are."

Cody grinned, "That's precisely why you don't judge a book by its cover."

"Wait why not? With one glance in the mirror I can tell how awesome I am," Ted reasoned.

Cody rolled his eyes, "Clearly you have a problem with your eyesight."

Chuckling to myself I entered the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I meant every word of what I had said; the hard part was sticking to it. I wasn't stupid. Things weren't going to magically work themselves out at the snap of a finger. It was going to be hard work, and enduring a lot of emotional pain, but no one ever said life was going to be easy.

_**CFY**_

No life certainly wasn't making things easier for me. Of course I didn't expect things to be easier, like I've said a million times, but I didn't expect to feel _this_ way. I felt self-conscious sitting in a normal restaurant, with my normal friends, in a _normal_ way. Sure, Randy was at the table but _come on_ I was going to need to get over this at some point… right?

The only reason I was complaining was because these feelings were starting to get worse as opposed to… better. I was capable of looking Randy in the eye for a total of two seconds before I felt like crawling in a hole and dying. What was worse was that I had a feeling both Ted and Cody were quite aware of this fact, okay Cody was as Ted seemed to be oblivious to anything but himself at the moment.

"So what did you guys get me for Christmas?" Ted asked.

"You don't deserve anything so I didn't _get_ you anything," Cody responded.

"Seriously have you not been getting laid recently? Because a girlfriend is supposed to pander to your every need… sexual or otherwise. You see Maryse has never let me down, so you just let us know if Eve isn't getting the job done and we'll find you someone more approp–"

"Ted?" Cody interrupted.

"Yeah man?"

"Shut up!" the brunette exclaimed, smacking him across the back of his head.

I smiled and heard Randy chuckle next to me. Turning I met his eyes briefly and then looked away even quicker, setting my sights on Ted. I thought sitting next to him would decrease the eye contact but no, apparently that's not how it works.

"God I can't believe I might be forced to become tag team champions with him tonight. Maybe I'll make us lose on purpose," Cody complained.

"You didn't just say that," Randy said disapprovingly.

"Yes I did so you can get the idea of just how much I hate Ted."

"But it's not worth–"

"Excuse me?" I was interrupted by a soft voice and turning to my left I took in the form of a petite blonde girl, no more than seventeen years old. "You guys are the Legacy… right?" she asked shyly.

I smiled up at her, "Yes we are. I'm going out on a limb here to say you're a fan and not someone who wants to dump their beverage on us."

"Someone did that?" her eyes widened.

"Yes a few months ago… Ted was pretty upset that his hair got ruined," I teased, reminiscing on that moment and how I had to restrain Randy from taking action against the hateful fan.

"Wow what a jerk!" she exclaimed, "I'm a huge fan! Originally of Randy… and then Ted and Cody but when they added you to Legacy I was so ecstatic. I mean of course it would've made more sense to incorporate someone like Nattie Neidhart who is a third generation diva… I don't know if you knew that… but I love you even more! So I was like so…." I think it was at that moment that she realized she was rambling, "…excited," she finished quietly and laughed nervously.

I looked at Ted who was regarding her in a judgemental way, as if she was crazy or something, Cody who seemed more interested in finishing the food on his plate and Randy who seemed to be amused by the entire situation.

I turned back to face her, "Are you coming to the show tonight?"

"Oh my god yes! I got tickets for my birthday and I was actually here picking up food for me and my friends so we can eat before we go and then I saw you! I think its fate," she gushed and then turned serious, "I'm so sorry for interrupting you but I would regret this forever if I didn't come say hi."

"What do you say guys, can you be bothered to say hello?" I asked, sending Ted a stern glare which he didn't see because he was still staring at her judgementally.

I nudged Randy because no one said anything. He cleared his throat, "Hey what's up?" he extended his hand across me for her to shake.

She took it excitedly and apparently didn't want to let go, "Sorry… I ramble and act weird when I'm nervous. I promise I'm not like this normally."

"No judgement here," I laughed. "And you know Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes."

"Hey, what's your name?" Cody asked, offering his hand for her to shake as well.

"Nicole," she shook his hand eagerly, "And you are Ted," she extended her hand once more but he was still staring at her.

"Ted… _Ted_!" I said through gritted teeth, kicking his leg under the table.

"Ow you bit… oh right. I'm Ted," he shook her hand reluctantly as well.

"So… you two are dating right?" she turned and looked back and forth between me and Randy.

Really! It's been _three_ fricken years!

"Um…" I looked back at Randy, feeling my cheeks turn hot before turning back to face Nicole, "No. We used to… but not anymore."

"Ohh… my gosh. I am _so_ sorry. I've just seen pictures… recent ones of you guys and it just seemed like you were… This is… awkward."

"You have no idea," I muttered, taking a swig of my water.

"I'm just gonna go now…" she said, turning to walk away.

"Don't be silly, you don't have to go," I said, receiving questioning looks from both Ted and Cody. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Really?" she asked. "I mean I don't expect to hang out with you," she chuckled nervously, "I was actually wondering if… I could get a picture with all of you."

I smiled at her once more, "You're in luck, Ted here can't deny a picture if he's invited to be in it," I teased.

"Yeah so let's force him to take it," Cody spoke up.

"No!" Ted argued, "My face was made to be on camera."

"The camera makes you look fat," Cody said casually.

"I'm insulted! Make Mickie take it. That bump on her head has taken on a life of its own… trust me she doesn't want any record that it existed."

"Ted!" I exclaimed, forced to reminisce on the nightmare that had taken place only a couple of hours earlier.

"What? It's bulbous… sort of hard to miss," he shrugged his shoulders.

"We can ask someone else to take it," Nicole said excitedly, "I would love a picture with all of you."

"Perfect!" I said, climbing up off my chair and gesturing the waitress over so I could ask her politely if she would be willing to take the picture. We all lined up, Nicole in the middle, Randy and me on one side and Ted and Cody on the other. Excitedly she threw her arms around all of us in turn before turning back to face me and Randy.

"I think it's really cool you guys managed to stay friends after breaking up. God knows I feel like killing my ex-boyfriend sometimes!" she said shyly before turning and hurrying away towards the till.

"It's because we work together!" I shouted after her despite knowing she couldn't have heard me.

"Wow," Cody spoke.

"Definitely one of the more interesting fans I've experienced in awhile," I admitted, smiling at how happy it made her just to get a picture with us.

"That sort of stuff never happened before," Cody said.

"Fans have never come up to you?" I questioned.

"No of course they have. Girls seem to never want to leave us alone… but we would never stand up and get a picture with them at least not while we were eating. I mean Randy hates it when they do that… thinks it's rude or something."

"Well it _is_ rude in a way," Randy defended himself. "I mean I don't go up to other people when they're trying to eat."

"You're a public figure Randy… it's sort of something you signed up for when you decided to become a sports entertainer," I told him.

"I didn't sign up for people harassing me all the time."

"It comes with the job," I responded.

"She was… odd," Ted said, apparently oblivious to anything that had just been said.

"She was not _odd_, she was excited," I explained, sending him a glare.

"She invaded my personal space," he argued.

"Since when do you care about your personal space? Last I checked that was Randy's 'thing' and _he_ doesn't seem to be whining about it," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"Since I have a girlfriend and I'm off the market," he said smugly.

"You all have girlfriends and I don't see Cody and Randy complaining like little bitches!"

"God are you on your period? You are _extra_ bitchy today!" he complained, sending me a judgemental glare.

"And _you're_ extra irritating today so can you blame me?" I scowled, annoyed at his attitude.

"Nope I don't blame you," Cody started, finishing off the last of his meal, "Sometimes I like to pretend Ted doesn't exist."

"You know you say that _now_ but all three of you know you wouldn't last a day without me," he responded bitterly.

"Oh I think you'd be genuinely surprised at what we could accomplish if you weren't in our way," Cody replied confidently.

"I would _love_ to stay here and chat," Randy started, "but I have bigger and better things to do tonight," he finished, irritated by the current conversation.

"Okay let's get going. I vote we leave Ted here," Cody suggested.

"I second that," I agreed, sending Ted another death glare.

"Randy old pal, you wouldn't leave me would you?" Ted asked, looking up into the eyes of the Viper.

"No but only because I would have to hear you bitch about it down the road," he muttered, pushing his chair back and climbing to his feet. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and placing a fifty dollar bill down on the table, he took another sip of his drink before heading towards the door.

I climbed to my feet after him, "You got told Ted," I said childishly before turning and following the Viper out the door.

_**CFY**_

After a gruelling match with Michelle McCool where I didn't win the women's title because of Layla's interference, I was back out at ringside to support Ted and Cody during their tag title match against Jeri-Show. The last time they had won their titles it was against these two so I was hoping they would be successful again. But at the moment, Big Show was firmly in control of the match.

"Come on Ted!" I shouted, pounding my hand on the canvas.

I paced back and forth on the Legacy side of the ring, nervous about the direction the match was heading. It was weird that tonight, two out of three of Legacy's matches were heel vs. heel ones. It was me vs. Michelle earlier, who was one of the top heels in the women's division and Ted and Cody vs. Jeri-Show who were on another heel run in their careers.

It didn't happen often, but when it did it was usually ego vs. ego, at least in the case of myself and Michelle. These sort of feuds didn't last for long, maybe a couple of weeks at the most unless creative saw something special in it. But mostly heel vs. heel feuds were a no because it forces the fans to choose who they like more and to ultimately cheer for them. And if you're being cheered for, you're hardly considered a heel.

Yes! Ted tagged in Cody while Big Show tagged in Jericho. Both men battled for the upper hand while their partners recuperated on the outside. It was only five minutes later, after Ted and Cody were able to double team the Big Show and then execute 'Dream Street' so that Ted could secure the win.

I screamed with happiness and slid into the ring to throw my arms around Ted's neck. The ref handed them their titles and we raised our hands in celebration! Legacy was back on the road to the top!

"Congratulations DiBiase!" I exclaimed, hugging him briefly once more as we walked along the corridors in the back.

"Can you believe this? Four time tag team champions!" Cody exclaimed, a grin plastered on his face.

"I had no doubts that you could do it!" I stated, giving him a tight squeeze.

"Don't worry Micks, I have faith you'll bring the title home soon," he said with confidence.

"Until that time, let's celebrate the gold we _do_ have!" Ted suggested, giving another shout of triumph.

Apart from my loss to Michelle, the night went in favour of Legacy because Randy had also won his match against Kofi. Both men were such gifted athletes, and managed to work well in the ring together both bringing different styles to the table. The match was a treat for anybody to watch, but because Randy had won it was that much sweeter.

"So what do you say to going out?" Ted asked, wrapping an arm around my waist as he led me in the direction of the exit.

"Why? Do we have plans?" I asked, reaching out to shove the door open. I had to wrap my arms around my body, because it was a bit colder than I would have liked.

Cody answered my question, "Well Maryse decided to set up a celebration for the evening at a club she's apparently heard great things about."

"Wow she seems to hear great things about a place in every city we perform in," I responded.

"What can I say, she's a social butterfly," Ted said proudly, fishing the car keys out of his pocket at the same time and throwing them in the air so Cody could catch them.

"I do recall a certain comment from Cody about not going out drinking after a PPV because we have Raw the next night," I reminded them as I pulled open the back door – not feeling up to fighting for shotgun – and climbed inside just as Cody brought the car to life.

"Well I don't expect either of you to be drinking, so that won't be a problem. Besides, we won the tag team titles… I think a celebration is in order!"

I had to smile at his enthusiasm, "Fine! But I'm only going for an hour or so."

"Fair enough," Ted grinned back at me before turning to face the front of the car once more as Cody set course back to the hotel.

A half an hour later, I was receiving angry texts from Ted and Cody, who were both downstairs in the lobby, because I was taking too long to meet them. After sending an angry one back, telling them they can't rush perfection, I stumbled to the door and pulled the door closed behind me aggressively, not wanting to give them a chance to leave me behind.

I had only made it a few steps down the hall towards the elevator when I spotted a familiar figure stepping off the elevator to head in my direction.

"Hey," I said softly, stopping and waiting for him to approach me.

"Hey back," Randy grinned down at me. "Where are you off to looking all _fancy_?"

"I'm being dragged out to a club with the 'gang'," I did the air quotes. "But I will be making a quick exit after making an appearance."

"Since when do you like to make a quit exit from a bar?" he teased.

I smiled up at him, "I'm the new and improved Mickie James… sort of. I'm still trying to polish the rough edges." There was a silence as neither of us knew what to say, "So what are you up to then?"

"Oh not much, just hanging out… celebrating my win with peace and quiet."

"I'm jealous. I lose my match and I'm still forced to celebrate. How fair is that!"

He chuckled, "Legacy did win back the tag titles, I do believe that's reason enough to go out and celebrate."

"Funny you should say that considering you're locking yourself up in your room tonight," I teased, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

"Well you know me… anti-social and all…"

"Yeah if only I believed that. Anyway, you should stop by. I can't claim it's going to be fun, but it has to be better than sitting around doing nothing."

"Actually…" he trailed off. "I… well Laura is waiting for me so…"

"Oh right!" I said, a little too high pitched for my liking. God why didn't I think this through? Where's Ted when you need him for a distraction? "Well why don't you invite her to come… it'll be… fun…" It was me who trailed off this time and the moment the words came out of my mouth I instantly regretted them.

"You're kidding right?"

"Of course not! We're friends right? I mean… me and you of course because me and Laura… well I just don't see that working. But you're my friend and she's your girlfriend and I think everyone needs to get used to that… you know introduce her to everyone," I rambled, not finding the ability to shut up.

"Everyone? She knows the only people I actually care about… you, Ted and Cody," he said hesitantly.

"Yes well if she's going to be dating a WWE superstar she needs to get to know _everyone_!" Oh god Mickie would you just shut up for your own sake?

"You think so?"

"…Absolutely!"

Well there's no going back now otherwise I would just look like a fake, and that was something I was trying to avoid. I was sure Randy could really see how I was feeling, but I was going to keep this act up even if it killed me.

"Well I'll think about it…" he responded.

"Great, do you know the place everyone is talking about?"

"Yeah Ted and Cody told me earlier. Well I'll see if Laura wants to come and if not then I'll text you, but if she does we'll be down in ten. I'm actually really glad you–"

"Well perfect!" I exclaimed, forcing a smile onto my features, "Hopefully we see you downstairs then."

Before he could say anything more I rushed past him towards the elevator and didn't release the breath I was holding in until the doors came to a close. I had to take a few minutes to compose myself before I could step off the elevator and face the group of superstars, no doubt waiting for me, that consisted of Ted, Cody, Eve, Maryse, Kelly, Melina, John, Jomo and a handful of other superstars from both rosters.

"God Mickie do you think the world revolves around– what's wrong?" Ted asked quietly, making sure no one heard.

"Nothing," I smiled and greeted a few other superstars before turning back to receive 'the look' from Ted. "I ran into Randy and sort of accidentally invited him and Laura to come out with us…" I said under my breath, still forcing the smile.

"Why would you do that?" he asked judgementally.

I rolled my eyes, "I didn't do it on purpose!" I hissed, "It just sort of… came out."

"First you run into an exercise machine and then you invite him and his girlfriend, who you hate may I remind you, to come out with us. Randy Orton is going to be the death of you."

"Tell me about it," I grumbled.

"Or maybe your brain just got rattled from the collision this morning," he teased.

I laughed sarcastically and offered an eye roll but didn't dignify his response with an answer.

"Well is he coming?"

I pulled my phone out of my clutch to see I had no new text messages, "I'm going to guess so seeing as how he didn't text me like he said he would if he decided against coming. But maybe he forgot…" I said hopefully.

"Yeah I wouldn't get your hopes up," Ted said quietly.

"Why not?"

He cleared his throat and gestured subtly in the direction behind me, "Hey you two!" he exclaimed, walking past me towards what I assumed was the 'happy couple'.

Turning around I took in the forms of both Randy and Laura, the latter seeming a little hesitant but smiled when Ted greeted her. I knew Ted wasn't faking, but I also knew he wasn't a huge fan of Laura given everything that happened. But we all agreed we were going to be on our best behaviour, for Randy's sake mostly, but also because none of us actually _knew_ Laura and it would be rude of us to prejudge her.

I waved slightly at them, exchanging a quick glance with Randy and I had a feeling he was trying to read my expression so I turned away quickly to talk to Maryse who was closest to me.

"Mickie, I am _so_ sorry. I heard about the whole Mike thing," she said softly after I greeted her, "I never expected him to act that way, I guess he took the break up really hard."

I offered her a small smile, "It's not your fault," I assured her. "It's actually my fault, but it's also in the past. It's all just a _bad_ memory."

"Still I feel partly responsible anyway."

"Well don't. I'm moving on from everything that's happened recently. I'm just happy things are good between you and Ted," I smiled, pulling her into a brief embrace.

"Ready to go?" Ted interrupted, receiving shouts of approval from everyone in the lobby as they all turned and filed out towards the various cabs waiting to take us to our destination. He wrapped an arm around my waist, "Are _you_ ready?"

I chanced a glance towards Randy who had his arm slung over Laura's shoulder, "I need a drink," I muttered before following after the rest of my friends.

An hour later I was positioned on a stool at the bar, drinking tonic and lime, while not being able to take my eyes off Randy and Laura on the dance floor. He looked so… happy. It made me wonder if he ever looked that way when it was me and him on the dance floor in the past.

"It doesn't even compare to how he looks when he's with you."

I looked up as Ted took a seat on the stool next to mine. "How did you–"

"Mickie James, I may have known you for less than a year but I can read you like a damn book, _especially_ when it comes to that man on the dance floor."

"Which man?" I teased.

He smiled and reached out to give me a comforting one armed hug, "You'll be okay James… I can guarantee it."

"I'm glad you have the confidence I seem to be lacking these days. But I know you're right DiBiase… I just wish that time would come sooner."

"That's life kid. The hard times are what make it worthwhile."

"Who knew you could be so insightful?" I teased, nudging him gently. "Where's Maryse?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Bathroom I think…" he said uncertainly.

"Well go find her I'll be–"

I was interrupted by a man obstructing my view of the dance floor. Looking up I found a brunette in his late twenties dressed handsomely, smiling down at me.

"Hi?" I asked, unable to contain the smile growing on my lips at the cute one on his face.

"I have about a million pickup lines at my disposal but none of them seem to be appropriate for this situation."

"Smooth dude," Ted muttered, looking over I caught him rolling his eyes before he gestured that he was going to take his exit.

"Your boyfriend?"

"If he was do you really think he would have left me alone with you smiling at me the way you are?" I responded.

"Good point."

"So that pickup line you were referring to…?" I leaned back on the counter, finding myself insanely amused and beyond that attracted to the guy in front of me.

"Complete crap actually… I was hoping a simple suggestion that we should dance would suffice," he grinned down at me, the dimples on his cheeks growing more profound at the gesture.

I was about to decline when a quick glance to my left showed me Laura and Randy heading in this direction and I knew that I couldn't keep my life on pause forever. He had made his decision, now it was my time to stop hiding.

"Sure," I smiled up at him, "I'm Mickie."

"Brandon," he responded, holding his hand out for me to take.

Placing my empty glass down on the bar behind me, and ignoring the blue eyes I knew with confidence were positioned on me, I allowed him to lead me towards the dance floor. I enjoyed myself as much as I was capable of and danced with him to more than one song. He was a funny guy and on top of that he was charming and did I mention attractive?

But I couldn't help but feel guilty at the fact that deep down I knew I had only agreed to this because a part of me wanted to make Randy jealous. I hadn't actually looked to see if it had worked, because I was far too scared at what I might find if I looked in his direction. I looked up into the eyes of the man I had shamelessly used in order to make a man, who didn't even want me, jealous.

"Does this have anything to do with that guy who was staring daggers at us when I lead you towards the dance floor?" Brandon asked, surprising me at his insight. Could everyone read me that well?

"What guy?" I asked.

"The incredibly scary dude who looked like he was ready to take my head off at any second…"

I released a sigh that obviously couldn't be heard over the sound of the deafening music, "I'm sorry…"

I turned away from him and pushed my way through the throng of people until I cleared the dance floor and headed in the direction of the women's washroom. I didn't get very far until a hand snaked around my arm and whirled me around. I half-expected to see Randy, but I knew how foolish it was to even think he would confront me over something like this. Instead I took in the form of Brandon who still had a grip on my arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a look of concern crossing his face.

"Yeah," I tried to smile, but I'm sure it came out as a grimace. I knew I shouldn't have come out tonight. "I'm fine," I assured him.

"You don't look fine. Why don't you let me buy you a drink… and then we can find that friend of yours you were sitting with earlier. Come on, it's the least I can–"

He was cut off however when he was shoved to the ground almost taking me with him.

"What the– Randy!" I shouted, "What the hell are you doing?"

I had to step in front of him because his eyes were flashing dangerously with anger, and his face was contorted in rage.

"He had his hands on you!" he shouted at me, still looking at the guy behind me.

"We were dancing!" I shrieked.

"No just now!" he responded, clearly referring to when Brandon had turned me around to face him but didn't let go instantly.

"Oh my–" I couldn't even finish the sentence before I turned away from him, so I could help the fallen man to his feet.

I turned back to face Randy, my own anger boiling to the surface, "He was checking if I was okay!"

"It certainly didn't look like it!" Randy spat, not removing his gaze from the shocked man standing beside me.

"Yeah well you have a history of interpreting things the wrong way! Oh god Brandon I am so embarrassed. I'm terribly sorry!" I said, turning to face him.

"Don't worry about it… look I'm gonna go…" he muttered.

"That's probably a good… idea. Once again I'm so sorry…" I responded, and he merely nodded his head before taking his exit.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" I hissed, ignoring the few people who had stopped to watch us. Randy finally looked down at me.

"Mickie I'm sorry. I thought–"

"You thought _what_ exactly!"

"I thought he was bothering you…"

"So you come rushing to my rescue! That is_ not _your job… it hasn't been your job for almost four years! I don't _need_ you to save me! You have a girlfriend, or have you forgotten?" I shouted.

"No of course I haven't … it was just a reflex that's all…" he responded.

I turned away, combing a hand through my hair and trying my best to ignore the emotion building inside of me, "What do you want from me Randy?" I pleaded, "Because you certainly aren't giving me the chance to move on. Am I supposed to wait around forever? Am I supposed to remain alone because you can't stand seeing me with someone else when I have to witness you with _her_?"

"No Mickie that's not what I–"

He stopped talking because Laura had approached from behind, a look of hesitance and uncertainty evident on her face. I looked up at Randy for a few more moments before turning and hurrying away from the both of them. I didn't have to walk far before I ran into Ted and Cody, looks of concern on both of their faces.

"Hey we saw what happened… are you okay?"

"I'm fine… I'm just getting tired of Randy's angry outbursts. I'm going to head back to the hotel alright?"

"We'll come with you–" Cody suggested.

"No!" I almost shouted. "I mean… I just want to be alone for awhile. I'll be okay I promise."

"Are you sure?" Ted asked hesitantly.

"I'm sure. I'll see you later," I responded, before continuing past them in the direction of the exit.

_**CFR**_

Sitting on my bed a half an hour later, I had my laptop out on my lap as I searched the internet for the supposed pictures of me and Randy. Ever since the fan from earlier had mentioned that the pictures she seen on the internet of us recently are what fuelled her assumption that Randy and I were dating, I couldn't get it off my mind. Sure enough when I searched up 'Randy Orton and Mickie James' on the image search engine, various pictures of us over the past few months came up. A lot were taken by fans or people on the streets, but some were from some events that a superstar or diva from the roster had uploaded onto the net.

What must people think? I mean there were a couple of Randy and I holding hands… and sure we could pass this off as sticking to our storyline but what about Laura, or mine and Randy's family… what were they going to think once they came across these pictures? We had been so careless… of course at the time I hadn't known Randy was single, but that doesn't change the reality of the situation. The pictures highlighted some of the happiest moments in my life, but they were just a reminder of everything I had lost.

Ted had come back to the room an hour later, and I had learned from him that Randy had left only shortly after I had. It was two in the morning, which was an inappropriate time to be visiting someone, but I needed to get this over with before I chickened out. I had spent the last hour going over in my head what had happened tonight, and everything that had happened the last several months. I found I only came to one conclusion this time… and it was going to hurt like hell.

I took a deep breath before reaching out and giving three short raps on the door in front of me. A few seconds later the door was pulled open and Randy came into view.

"Mickie…" he breathed, a look of surprise crossing his face. "Look about earlier, I'm sorry I don't know what I–"

"I–" I looked past him to see Laura exiting the bathroom and look at me questioningly, "Can I… talk to you… in private?" I asked. "Just for a moment."

"Yeah sure," he turned to look at Laura, "I'll just be a minute," he assured her before stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind him.

"Mickie I know I had no right to do what I did earlier and trust me when I say I'm so sorry. It's just so hard to let go of that undying need to protect you all the time," he said before I could get a word in.

"You can't keep doing this to me Randy – jerking me around and giving me false hope. I've had enough as it is and I don't need you pulling things like you did tonight." I looked down at my feet for a few moments before forcing myself to look into his eyes, "Look I thought I could do this. But… I can't. I'm sorry."

He released a sigh, "I had a feeling you were going to say that," he muttered. "Okay…" he rubbed the back of his head, seemingly searching for the right thing to say, "I mean we can't force this right?"

"No we can't because no matter how hard we try or how much we want this to, it's never going to work." I paused briefly before continuing, "I am sorry Randy. I wanted this to work. And I know it's only been a week... but it's only making everything worse. I can only endure so many moments of self-doubt before it becomes too much. For Ted and Cody's sake we can still hang out once in awhile, but beyond that we can't have anything other than a professional relationship. I mean… it shouldn't be hard considering you've all got girlfriends… right?" I asked, searching for any hint of reassurance on his face.

"Uh… yeah. Look I'm really sorry for putting you in this position," he spoke, the sincerity evident but not the reassurance I was hoping for.

I reached out and placed my hand on the side of his face. He closed his eyes at my touch.

"It's not your fault," I spoke softly, "I wanted all of this too and to be honest I wouldn't take any of it back. The pain will _always_ be worth it with you."

We continued gazing into each others eyes for what felt like an eternity before I took a step forward and leaned up so I could place a soft kiss on his other cheek. I lingered for a few moments, my lips inches from his ear, "Goodbye," I whispered and avoiding his mesmerizing eyes I knew would be too painful to look into I turned away slowly and took the long trek back down the hall towards my room.

I wanted to look back, I knew he was still watching after me – I could feel his gaze, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. If I looked back then all of this would be real and all I wanted to do right now was crawl in my bed and sleep my sorrows away… even if it was for the time being.

_Okay so there's chapter 53! I apologize sincerely from the bottom of my heart for taking so long to update recently! I've been busy with work, and trying to figure the rest of the story out. It's not much longer now so I hope you all are ready for it! I just want you all to be satisfied so bear with me._

_Thanks so much for each and every review :) Please continue doing so and letting me know what you think._

_I know this chapter wasn't all that great… but I'm trying! Thanks for sticking with me._

_Ooh next chapter features the WWE Christmas party (a little far fetched, but hey that's fanfiction right ;) ) ._

_I'm pretty sure you guys will be surprised with the next chapter so stay tuned!_


	54. a party, a little fate and a surprise

I was seated at the table in my hotel room with my Slammy award in one hand and my camera in the other, snapping pictures of myself to document my win at last night's Slammy awards on Monday Night Raw.

"Would you put that thing away?" Ted grumbled at me from across the room where he was leaning against the sofa with a scowl on his face.

"Awe Cody I think Ted's a little jealous!" I teased.

Cody chuckled as the scowl on his tag partner's face deepened, "Can't always win at everything Ted… oh wait you never win at anything what am I talking about?"

"I believe _I_ was the one who pinned the Big Show to win our tag team titles," he said defensively before continuing, "Besides it's clearly a case of me being angry at not being appreciated. I mean if _Mickie_ can win a slammy, I certainly deserve one!" Ted spoke angrily.

"I _appreciate_ your utmost confidence in me," I said sarcastically, sending him a glare before continuing, "All I had to do for this was win a match. If it had been up to a vote by the WWE Universe like it was for yours, let's just say I wouldn't have this right now," I gestured to the slammy I was _very_ proud of. There was no way I was letting Ted ruin my moment.

"Well _clearly_!" He said bitterly.

"_Moving on_," Cody interrupted our glaring contest, "When do you guys want to exchange gifts?"

"How about you give me mine now?"

"I didn't get you anything Ted," Cody said, not even bothering to look at the blonde, "What do you think Mickie?"

"Um I don't know…" I said, pondering when the best time would be and also knowing exchanging gifts would mean I had to see Randy, "I guess we could do it after the party tonight," I suggested while pulling on my jacket. "Now let's go, I have two hours to find a dress for tonight."

"Okay explain this to me again. Last time I checked you had already bought a dress for tonight," Cody asked.

"That was _before_ she found out Laura was attending as well," Ted informed him.

I turned to offer him _another_ glare, "Thanks Ted. God I tell you these things in confidence!" I complained. "Let's go!" I ordered, picking up my Coach purse before exiting the hotel room with the other two following.

It was only three days before Christmas and the company was throwing a huge holiday themed party at a venue in downtown New York City. It was a semi-formal, mini red carpet event held for every superstar – on the main roster as well as the developmental one – the commentators, ring announcers, interviewers, referees, trainers, road agents, script writers and so on. Spouses and significant others were also welcomed to attend if they wished to do so. About a month and a half before the actual party, invitations were sent out and those who would be attending were to RSVP so the party planners would know who would be present on the night of.

Every year I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There was exquisite food, drinks and beyond that a chance to relax and have fun with _all_ your co-workers, superstars or otherwise. The company never failed to amaze me with the splendour of each party and the venue, which was different every year, was _always_ beautifully decorated and somehow managed to create a magical effect.

This year though, things were much different and even more difficult. Last year Randy and I simply "hated" one another and merely avoided each other. This year however was going to be a lot different taking into consideration everything that has occurred these last several months. And also this year around Laura was attending and thus the reason I felt the dress I bought a month ago wasn't good enough. I knew it was ridiculous, but I felt I needed to look my best if only to save face.

"I can't believe you spent fifteen hundred on _one_ outfit," Cody said for the millionth time as we walked through the sliding doors to enter the lobby. "I mean the shoes and the purse? You have a million of them as it is and you had a dress already."

"Okay I need to look my best," I explained, pressing the button for the elevator, "Which means I needed the new dress and the shoes I originally bought for tonight aren't what I had in mind when I envisioned myself in _this_ dress."

"It's a white dress Mickie… it goes with everything."

I pondered his words, "Okay that's… true. But certain shoes have different effects and can make the outfit into something totally different."

"But why didn't you just decide to wear the dress you wore at your birthday. I thought it was very beautiful and made you stand out," he continued.

"Oh my god are you dumb?" It wasn't me who responded this time but Ted. "That would be like fashion suicide. Nothing screams pathetic more than, 'I couldn't even be bothered to buy a new dress because my life sucks right now, so I'll just reuse an old one and hope no one notices.' And trust me, Mickie's birthday dress is famous… _everyone_ would notice. God Cody you are _so _clueless!" he exclaimed.

By this time we were stepping off the elevator onto the floor that housed mine and Ted's room, "Thanks Ted," I glowered at him again, "for those _kind_ words. Sadly enough," I turned my attention on Cody, "he's right. I need to let everyone know I'm not affected by how everything has turned out lately. After all, everyone knows Randy and I were together and now he has a girlfriend. So I need to keep up my appearance," I clarified as I was inserting the card key in the slot of our door.

"Mickie you have nothing to prove to anyone," Cody said.

I smiled up at him as I pushed the door open, "I know… but that doesn't mean I shouldn't. I made my bed and now I have to sleep in it."

"Actually I don't think you _ever_ make your bed… and you and Randy never really _slept_ did you?" Ted commented.

I rolled my eyes and shoved him into the wall, "This is me dealing with the decisions that led me here," I continued explaining to Cody, ignoring Ted's idiotic comment. I placed my bags down on my bed and removed my jacket before turning back to face the both of them, "What now?" I asked.

"Actually I have to go meet Eve, she wants to get a workout in before she has to get ready," Cody spoke up.

"That's a good plan… but I just did two hours of cardio while shopping so I think I'm good to go," I grinned.

"So I'll swing by sometime after five and then we'll head down. The limo is supposed to be here at five thirty," he informed us.

"That sounds perfect, I _think_ I can be ready by then," I joked. "Cody can I have a hug?"

He narrowed his eyes in confusion for a second and then smiled, "Of course you can, you don't need to ask. But may _I_ ask why?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I feel lonely," I offered as a response.

He offered me a sympathetic smile as he pulled me into his arms. He held me tightly for a few moments before we both pulled away, "I'll see you later then," he said before turning back towards the door, "See ya man," he said to Ted before exiting into the corridor pulling the door closed behind him.

I turned my attention on Ted who was seated on the sofa in front of the TV and walked the distance to curl up beside him as he wrapped his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and absorbed myself into my own thoughts despite my attempts at trying to focus on the TV show Ted had chosen.

It had been less than two days, but I had barely spoken two words to Randy since the night I told him I couldn't settle for being his friend. Somehow I felt emptier than before and the piece that was missing in my heart was growing steadily larger by the day however lame that may sound. I didn't know how long I could continue this and more than once I had found myself contemplating leaving the business. It broke my heart to even think about, but I figured things would be a bit easier if I had a clean break.

"Earth to Mickie James!" Ted brought me back to reality.

"Wha– Oh sorry… I'm just thinking. What were you saying?"

"I said I was going to head out and see Maryse," he replied quietly, surveying my face as if trying to find answers to some unasked questions, until finally I forced myself to look away from his scrutinizing gaze. "Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

"Talk about what?" I pulled away from him and brought my knees up to my chest, focusing my eyes on the TV but not taking in what was showing.

"Oh I don't know… whatever happened with Randy perhaps."

I hadn't told Ted or Cody about the decision I had made because I didn't want to burden them unnecessarily nor did I want to worry them. It now appeared as if my "plan" had indeed backfired.

"What do you mean?" I asked, purposely avoiding his gaze.

"Oh the fact that you've been sulking or that you won't even talk about him let alone stand in the same room with him for more than ten seconds. But _nooo_ nothing happened," he said airily.

I released a sigh and turned to look at him, "I feel guilty."

"Why?" he asked, angling his body so he was facing me.

I remained silent for a few moments trying to find the right words, "Because I couldn't do it Ted. I couldn't… I _can't_ settle for just being friends with him."

"Why do you feel guilty about that?"

"Why? Maybe because of this huge speech I gave to you guys about how I _could_ be friends with him because things are different this time. Guilty because all I had to do was pretend everything was fine and you all would be happy but I can't even do that! I want him in my life so badly I was so sure that I was capable of being friends with him, but I couldn't have been more wrong."

"Mickie are you kidding me? We don't want things to go back to the way they were, okay it would be nice, but beyond that we want you to do what's best for you. Mickie…" he reached out and placed his hand over mine, "…you could have pretended all you wanted but all of us, Randy included, would have known how full of it you were and _that_ would be _so_ much worse than the four of us not being what we were three months ago."

"But Ted I don't want to make things uncomfortable for–"

"God Mickie would you _stop_ thinking about everyone else and start thinking about what's best for you?"

"No I can't Ted because I haven't been thinking about anyone but myself for the last several months!" I cried.

"You don't even know how wrong you are Mickie! Sometimes I swear I could slap you!" he said sternly.

I scoffed, "I'd like to see _that_ happen."

"I'm serious Mickie… if you can't be friends with Randy, that's fine! We're your friends and we're his friends and we'll work it out as we go."

"We shouldn't have to _work it out_ because this shouldn't have happened in the first place. Randy and I could be friends right now if I could have controlled my hormones for five minutes."

"I don't believe that. I believe you would have gotten here one way or another. You love him and it's ridiculously obvious how much he loves you… you would've realized that regardless of the path you took."

"Whatever," I laughed bitterly while gazing into my hands for a few moments until I finally looked up at him, "I'm still heartbroken and alone… it doesn't change what's happened."

"No it doesn't–"

"Ted can you do me a favour?"

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Anything Mickie."

"Do you _really_ love Maryse? I mean do you think she's the _one_?"

The confusion on his face deepened but he looked away and I knew he was pondering my question. After a few moments he looked up at me, "Yes," he said confidently.

I offered him a weak smile, feeling the tears well up in my eyes, "Promise me you'll always treasure what you have with her, and that you'll _never_ take it for granted. Promise me that you'll work through any problems you may have in the future together and understand that nothing is more important than honesty and forgiveness. And above and beyond that Ted…" I reached out and grabbed his hand in mine, "…love her with everything you have because at the end of the day love is all that matters."

"I promise," he said assertively and quietly, the sympathy noticeable on his face.

I wiped away a stray tear that had fallen and chuckled softly, "Look at me getting all emotional. I know you will… we may tease you and make fun of you all the time, but you are a good man Ted DiBiase… don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Are you gonna be okay Mickie?" he asked softly.

I paused for a moment before shaking my head, "No," I said truthfully, "but I'm going to try my absolute best to move on Ted. Whether that is on the road or at home in Virginia, it's going to happen."

He eyed me suspiciously, apparently understanding the underlying meaning, "Mickie you're not–"

But he was cut off by the knocking on our hotel room door. He looked over in the direction of the interruption and then back to me seemingly torn on which issue he wanted to tackle first.

"I'll be here," I said cheekily.

Sighing out of sheer irritation he advanced towards the door and pulled it open a little aggressively, his face softening when he found Maryse standing on the other side.

"Hey you two," the smile on her face faded slightly, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Actually–" Ted started, but I interrupted him immediately.

"No not at all," I jumped to my feet and rushed over to them, "Ted was actually just on his way out to meet you. See you both later!" I exclaimed nudging Ted out into the hall so I could close the door behind him.

I leaned up against it listening as their footsteps retreated down the hall before releasing a sigh. I knew this conversation was far from over. But before I could even _have_ this conversation, I needed to figure out what it was that I really wanted.

Was I _really_ considering leaving the business? Everything I had worked my ass off for the last ten years to achieve? This was my passion, my life and I wake up every morning so I can walk down that ramp every night and give my all to the WWE Universe.

And it saddened me beyond anything I've ever felt that the recent events lately have made me enjoy my life significantly less than before. How could I continue doing something when my whole heart wasn't in it? It wouldn't be fair to me and beyond that it wouldn't be fair to the WWE Universe.

I had Randy, and I lost him again. I was never going to get over that… it was like I was missing a huge piece of myself. I needed time away, to figure things out, that much I was sure of, but what was it going to accomplish? I felt so hopeless. I didn't have the answers I wished for and it was a terrible feeling.

_**CFR**_

Four hours later I was positioned in front of the full length mirror that was positioned on the wall opposite the two beds, going over every inch of my body trying to find a flaw. Not to toot my own horn, but I had to admit that I looked pretty great dressed in a white figure hugging lace frock that ended mid thigh. It was classy, and seemed perfect for the holidays in my humble opinion. I paired it with a pair of bright red pumps and a matching clutch while my hair was done in loose curls with one side pinned back.

I knew a lot of my fellow ladies were going to be sporting more of a sexy look, we were divas after all, but a woman could never go wrong going with a classic look. Besides, tonight was about my new image, or rather my _attempt_ at a new me. I was so far from the healthy stage I wanted to be in but I decided to take Randy's advice and _pretend_.

I sighed thinking about that day. It was the last _good_ day I had with him before I found out about Laura.

"Wow!"

Turning around I found Ted staring at me having just entered our room, eyes wide in amazement as they searched every inch of my body much like I had done earlier.

"Is that a good wow?" I asked.

"Are you kidding Mickie? You've never looked better!" he exclaimed smiling down at me before wrapping his arms around my frame, "You look beautiful," he murmured softly.

"I wish I could say the same for you!" I said, taking in his unkempt appearance.

He offered a boyish grin, "I sort of got… distracted."

"No really?" I exclaimed sarcastically, giving him a push in the direction of the bathroom.

"Hey Mickie?"

"What?" I turned to find him leaning against the door frame.

"Don't think I forgot about our conversation earlier."

Without giving me a chance to protest or even respond, he retreated into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Moments later I heard the shower turn on, and I took a seat on the edge of my own bed.

Perfect!

What exactly was I going to say to him? That I was going to ask for a sabbatical? No of course I wasn't going to because I wasn't sure if that was what I truly wanted. I felt I needed time away from Randy but I didn't want that to be time away from Ted, Cody and the rest of my friends as well. It would be great to be able to see my family everyday of the week and make up for lost time, but Ted and Cody were my family as well and I didn't want to have to give that up either.

I also didn't want Randy to be blamed for me leaving and beyond that I didn't want him to feel responsible himself for everything that's happened if I _did_ leave. All of this had been floating around in my head non-stop lately and it was driving me nuts. What was the right decision not only for me but for everyone I care about?

_**CFY**_

"Wow look at all the people waiting to take pictures of me," Ted exclaimed excitedly as our limo pulled up in front of the venue for our Christmas party.

"Is it considered bad if my boyfriend likes getting his picture taken more than I do?" Maryse asked openly to everyone in the limo which consisted of – Ted, Cody, myself, Eve, Maryse, Kelly, Melina, John Cena and John Morrison.

"Usually yes, but since its Ted we usually just make an exception," Cody responded.

I nodded my head, "Yeah we've come to terms with the fact that Ted is _special_."

"You know I _never_ get tired of your lame jokes," Ted spoke sarcastically.

"No offence Ted but you take self-obsession to a whole new level," John Cena called out from the other end of the limo, "I mean I enjoy getting my picture taken, but I've seen you in front of a camera and it's not normal."

The other occupants in the limo laughed and agreed as Ted sulked in his seat.

"Awe Teddy, pouting isn't a good look for you," I teased before leaning closer to him, "Besides, I like you just the way you are."

He smiled back at me, "Of course you do. And you should be lucky I can say the same thing about you. 

I rolled my eyes, "You know I stick up for you and you insult me. This is like a one way friendship."

"Just the way I like it," he grinned.

Before anything more could be said, our driver pulled the door open and we all filed out individually with John Morrison taking up the rear. Melina and Kelly both linked arms with me as we posed for a few pictures for fans. I don't know why but I looked back towards the street where the limo had dropped us off and I saw Randy stepping out of his car he had rented for tonight specifically (a Bentley no doubt since he couldn't have his own as it was in St. Louis) and hand the keys to the valet before circling the car and reaching out to grasp Laura's hand.

It was that moment his eyes met mine and his hardened expression faltered for a brief moment as his eyes searched every inch of me. I continued staring at him, not being able to ignore how handsome he looked dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a nice open collar dress shirt and a black suit jacket. Laura also looked beautiful in a navy blue strapless baby doll dress. I had to ignore the throbbing pain in my chest as I took in how wonderful they looked together and how they, as a couple, seemed to make perfect sense.

"Mickie?"

I broke eye contact to find Kelly staring at me questioningly, her hand outstretched in my direction.

"Oh right," I quickly reached out to grasp her hand and allowed her to pull me inside and away from another potential embarrassment.

"You okay?" she whispered in my ear.

"I'm fine," I assured her.

"Okay," she nodded her head before smiling, "You look stunning Mickie James."

"Thanks so do you _of course_," I smiled back at her.

"Come on let's go find everyone else and a table," she suggested, leading me through the horde of people.

We stopped several times to greet various other familiar faces and mingle until we finally found the group of friends we had arrived with. We claimed a table near the dance floor and I positioned myself between Ted and Cody with their girlfriends on their either sides and Kelly, Melina and both John's across from us.

Vince McMahon, who was surprisingly in attendance this year along with his family, gave a wonderful speech directed towards all of us who helped make the WWE as successful as it was, superstars or otherwise, and that he hopes that we all achieve even more in the year to come. It was especially moments like these when I was so proud to be a part of such a big family that it made me feel guilty for even _contemplating_ leaving. I practically grew up in this business and matured with all of these people together. Wherever they were was my real home.

But I wasn't happy and I could only ignore it for so long before I came to resent everything around me. I _despised_ being in this situation – unsure of what to do and what was _truly_ best for me. I wish I could hire someone to make these sorts of decisions. It would certainly make life less of a hassle.

After the speech we were served a three course meal, which was delicious beyond words, and champagne to celebrate the holiday.

"So what are everyone's plans for the new year?" John asked.

"Surprisingly I haven't figured anything out yet," I responded, as the majority of the table admitted the same thing.

"I usually do whatever I feel like at the time," Maryse shrugged her shoulders, "Sometimes I have plans… and sometimes I just go with the flow."

"Well John and I were thinking of throwing a party in a hotel suite next week since we'll be on the road for new years," Kelly announced, sending a smile in John's direction. "What does everyone say? I was going to send out invitations, but I don't want it to be that formal. Everyone is invited, whether they want to come or not it's up to them."

"We may as well, they say how you spend your New Years eve is how you'll spend the rest of your year," Cody said.

"Well in that case I know what Maryse and I will be doing on New Years," Ted said, wiggling his eyebrows much like he had done earlier.

"God Ted what did I tell you about making those comments when I was around!" I punched him on the shoulder, "You're like my brother, trust me that mental image is disgusting."

"Oh look who's talking," he retorted.

"Oh puh-lease Ted I have never–"

I was interrupted by Cody clearing his throat and sending us looks that reminded us there were other people who were listening to us.

"Anyway," Kelly said, sending me an odd look, "Do you think everyone else will be interested?"

"Of course!" Eve exclaimed, "It's New Years, we should spend it in style and having fun…" I zoned out as the rest of them continued throwing out ideas and expressing their excitement.

I couldn't believe how_ fast_ this year had flown by. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday when I had run into Randy my first night back on Raw, but other times it seemed like an eternity ago. He and I have been through so much in such a short time, going from "enemies" to friends in a gradual process. We had learned to let one another in and trust each other again but it didn't matter because we had lost it all once more. Everything we had endured these last few months has been for nothing and it saddened me to my core. I couldn't keep holding out hope that he was going to change his mind. I was so tired of getting my hopes up and allowing myself to become vulnerable only to be disappointed once more. It was too hard and I didn't know how much more I could take.

"This year definitely trumps last year," Natalya voiced all of our thoughts aloud.

"Oh definitely… and the waiters this year…" Layla said with a grin as the rest of the divas we were standing with giggled and nodded in agreement. To be honest I hadn't really noticed whether or not the waiters were good looking… my mind was far too busy with other things.

"No I'm surprised that Mr. McMahon is here," Michelle said quietly, "I don't think I've ever seen him at a Christmas party."

"Which is weird right?" Melina added, "I mean he foots the bill for the whole thing, but doesn't bother showing up?"

"That just makes him an even more wonderful boss than he already was," Layla added with a smile.

"Well I for one am especially grateful for that chocolate fountain they have set up at the dessert table," Maryse commented, "And don't tell me the rest of you aren't thinking the same thing!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this frenchie but I do agree with you," Eve remarked with a giggle, "Speaking of who wants to go and check it out again? It _is_ Christmas after all."

"I definitely won't say no to that," Maryse exclaimed and the rest of the divas nodded in agreement and I watched them all follow after the French-Canadian.

Telling Melina to go on ahead I remained standing off to the side enjoying a glass of champagne while watching the various couples on the floor dancing along to the Christmas music that was playing softly. I was so absorbed by the movement that I hadn't noticed Randy approach me until he cleared his throat indicating his presence.

"Oh… hey," I said awkwardly, remembering our last conversation clearly as well as the various times I had dodged him throughout the night.

"Hi Mickie," he responded softly, his eyes searching my face, "I've been waiting for the divas to disperse so I could approach you," he said lightly, rubbing the back of his head in a show of discomfort, "I haven't had a chance to tell you that… you look beautiful Mickie."

I had to look away as an overwhelming amount of emotion overcame me mixed with the feeling of butterflies in my stomach. It was such an odd feeling and both seemed to be battling each other for control. The emotion won out as I forced myself to look into his eyes and ignore the tears that wanted to fall.

"What do you want Randy?" I tried to make myself sound strong, but the question came out in barely more than a whisper.

"I just– I wanted to talk to you. We need to talk about this," he said confidently.

I shrugged my shoulders, "There's nothing left to say Randy… just go back to Laura."

"Mickie we can't leave things this–"

"Fine I'll go then," I stated, rushing away in the direction of the washrooms.

I was scared of what he was going to say, that somehow he might convince me to change my mind. After all he still held some sort of control over me and I always succumbed to him. But more than that I was afraid of what _I_ might say given the current state I was in – I was an emotional wreck.

Randy's POV 

I couldn't help but feel irritated towards Mickie as I watched her hurry away from me. The least she could do is give me a chance to say what has been on my mind the last two days. It's unfair for her to say that we can have nothing to do with one another… Okay I guess she's more than justified, but that didn't mean that I had to accept it. I knew it was self-centred of me, but in this situation I was more than willing to be selfish. I couldn't let Mickie go… not when she meant so much to me.

What was wrong with me? For the last few years I had made more selfish decisions than I would care to remember, but I wasn't that same guy anymore and the guilt that came along with these choices bothered me more than it ever had. Of course I knew the right thing to do was to let Mickie go… allow her to move on and be happy with someone else who would treat her better than I ever did. But we both needed to be realistic. There was no way this _staying away from each other _was ever going to work with the both of us being on the road together constantly, which was why I was trying to convince her that we just needed to make the best of it and try harder to make a friendship work.

"Randy what's going on?"

Turning to my left I was surprised to find Laura had approached me unnoticeably. I smiled down at her, "Nothing… do you want to go get another drink?"

She nodded her head somewhat hesitantly and placing my hand on the small of her back we found a waiter who was carrying around a tray filled with glasses of champagne. Laura helped herself to one as I declined because I was driving tonight. We stood in silence merely surveying everything else that was going on around us, but mostly I was scanning the room for any sign of Mickie. Finally I found her standing with Ted and Cody over near the bar, and I had to resist the urge to rush over to them. After a few seconds, Mickie looked up and our eyes met for what seemed to be the hundredth time tonight. We continued staring at each other, saying everything we were both feeling without words until we were interrupted when Laura stepped into my line of vision.

She released a sigh and surveyed the area around us before looking back up at me, "Randy what am I supposed to think about this?"

"Think about what?" I asked, resisting the desire to look in Mickie's direction once more.

"Ever since we arrived you've been rushing off every moment you catch sight of Mickie, and if that isn't bad enough every time I look over you're always engaged in a staring contest with her. You haven't heard one word I've said all evening."

"That's not true…" I argued.

"Name one thing I've said since we've arrived," she challenged.

I faltered for a moment, "Uh, you said that…" but I was at a loss because I had been paying attention to nothing but Mickie all evening.

She didn't look angry, just more or less defeated, "I'm going back to the hotel."

"Laura come on, don't be mad…"

"I'm not mad Randy. I'm just… I'm feeling a little bit sick right now. Okay? So I'll see you when you get back to the hotel. Go and have fun with your friends," she suggested, leaning up to give me a kiss on my cheek.

"I'll come with you," I offered.

"No it's alright. This is your Christmas party, you deserve a break. I'll just catch a cab back and we'll talk later alright?"

There was something on her face that I couldn't read, and I had a feeling there was something she wasn't telling me. I felt guilty for not being more concerned but at the moment my main concern was to figure things out for good with Mickie and then deal with mine and Laura's relationship later. I hated it, but the two things were interrelated and figuring things out with Mickie was essential.

I merely nodded my head and watched as she made her way through the crowd and towards the exit without looking back. I ran my hand down my face and released a sigh… all of the recent events in my life were taking a toll on me and I was beginning to wonder if it was worth it. Maybe if I just let Mickie go, in time things will be easier and this time around I won't be filled with hatred and bitterness – that in itself would be nothing short of a relief. Regardless I knew I needed to talk to Mickie… I wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

I turned around to survey the area I had last seen her, but found it to be empty. However I didn't have to look much further as I found her dancing with Ted in the middle of the dance floor. I was only a few feet away when I could finally hear their hushed conversation, and neither of them had noticed me.

"But you're not actually contemplating leaving are you? Mickie… do you really think leaving the business is going to help?" Ted asked her.

The question stopped me in my tracks… had I heard him right?

"I don't know," Mickie responded, "But I can't stick around being miserable Ted."

"You're leaving?" I hadn't realized it was me who had asked this question until both of them turned their attention on me. "I mean… you're not serious."

Mickie turned to shoot a glare in Ted's direction, "No Randy I'm not leaving… I'm… considering my options."

"That surely can't even be an option," I said a little too aggressively.

She folded her arms across her chest, "Oh yeah? And why not? Because if you can come up with a better solution I'd _love _to hear it."

"This is _so_ not my place," Ted interrupted, putting his hands up defensively and walking away hurriedly.

I continued staring at her, not knowing what to say or how to respond to this. She couldn't be serious about this. Wrestling was her life… she would be giving away so much. The only other time this had ever been an issue was when she was pregnant, but then leaving hadn't seemed like such a big deal. This time around this was her _choice_…

"Look Randy this is all premature. I haven't actually _thought _about it. So don't get all worked up over nothing," she interrupted our bout of silence.

"So why are you even talking about it?"

"Because Ted's a persistent ass that's why," she responded, rolling her eyes, "Randy what are you doing? Where's Laura?"

"She left…" I said mindlessly, still focused on the idea that Mickie might be leaving. I couldn't stand not seeing her because let's face it; the only reason I got to see her so often was because we travel together.

"She left?" she repeated. "Why did she leave?" I don't think she actually cared to hear the answer, but was merely looking for a way to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"She wasn't feeling well. Mickie… we need to talk," I stated, finally realizing at the moment there were more pressing issues. Mickie said that she hadn't actually been thinking about leaving, so I was going to cross _that_ bridge when I came to it.

She released an angry sigh, "No Randy… we don't," she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes we do," I insisted. "In the past when I never wanted to elaborate on anything, you _always_ forced me to. I think you at least owe me an explanation."

"This doesn't need an explanation Randy… I think it's pretty straight forward," she said, turning to walk away.

I reached out and grabbed her arm reflexively, "Yes I think it does because just a week ago you were more than happy to be friends with me!"

She narrowed her eyes at me and wrenched her arm out of my grasp, "You do not control me Randy, so keep your damn hands off me!" she hissed, keeping her tone low, but the venom was unmistakeable.

She stalked off in the direction of the bathrooms and I knew I had to stop her before she got there. I picked up my pace and with my longer legs I had caught up in no time. She put her hands out to push the bathroom door open but I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into the secluded coat check area.

"Randy what the hell are you doing!"

"You know what Mickie? You can be stubborn all you want but we both know I am just as good at playing that role as well!" I snarled. "I'm tired of you running away every time I try to talk to you."

"How does it feel?" she spat, attempting to walk around me but I blocked her way.

I released a sigh, "Mickie… please talk to me," I reached out and placed my finger under her chin so I could tilt her head up to look into her eyes, "It's me Mickie… what are you afraid of?"

The tears gathering in her eyes were painful to see. I wanted her happiness more than anything in the world and it killed me to know that I was the one who could give her just that but I was reluctant to do so. Why was I still fighting so hard against the idea of me and her? If anything I had lost sight of that reason, and kept saying no just because I had become accustomed to it – accustomed to things not working out between the two of us.

"Mickie I can't lose you again… I just can't," I said softly.

The tears finally spilled down her face, "But you made it clear you don't want me Randy. You can't have it both ways…" she whispered. "I can't be _just_ friends with you because I would be lying to myself. Can you _please_ understand?" she pleaded.

"But Mickie we haven't really tried this. We were friends before… why can't we do it again?"

"We weren't friends Randy… we were merely denying our feelings for one another and I'm sorry but I can't do that anymore!" she said a little more forcefully. "Randy you _need_ to let me go… if you insist on this and try to force me to remain in your life, I'm _never_ going to be happy. Don't you see that?" she asked, the tears still falling even as she wiped them away.

"Mickie please… don't do this," I was surprised to find I was pleading now, "I'm sorry that I can't be with you… I am more than _anything_. But that doesn't mean that we can't–"

"You took my passion from me!" she shouted, taking me by surprise as her eyes filled with fury once more.

I looked at her questioningly, "What are you talking about?"

The anger fell away just as quickly as it came and was replaced with agony, "Every time I step into that ring I feel _nothing_… nothing Randy," she whispered. "Do you know what that's like? I have worked my _ass_ off for the last ten years so that I could go out there and entertain those fans! They have all gotten me to where I am today and how do I repay them? By going out there half heartedly because I don't _feel_ the same emotion or passion that I used to. And _you_ took that from me!"

I staggered a bit, the impact of her words leaving me breathless. I couldn't imagine, or rather I refused to imagine what it felt like to perform in that ring and feel nothing from it. It was the reason we, as superstars in the wrestling business, woke up in the morning… to feel the thrill, exhilaration and passion from being able to entertain those faithful to us. To go out there and feel empty… it was nothing but a nightmare. I had no idea that this was how she was feeling and of course I was the one to blame for all of it. I turned away and rubbed my hand down my face not knowing how to respond. How could she lay this all on me?

"I'm sorry…" was all I offered as a response.

"Oh Randy…" she whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I didn't want to tell you that. You made me angry. Of course it's not your fault…" she reached out, but I pulled back.

"Go then," I spoke without any hint of emotion in my tone.

"Randy please don't believe what I said… it was all just in the mome–"

"I said _go_ Mickie!" I shouted, ignoring her flinch at the sudden loudness of my pitch.

She continued staring at me for a few moments, until finally she brushed past me and hurried away. I didn't bother staring after her… I didn't know how to react to any of this. I felt the anger pulsing through my body that was triggered by the immense amount of frustration I had endured over the last several months. I reached out and smacked a vase filled with flowers off the counter, bringing the woman who was working the coat check running from the back room.

"Excuse me but what are you–"

I silenced her with one glare before turning my back on her. I knew things were serious between Mickie and me, but I didn't think they were bad enough to make her want to leave. But this revelation put things into perspective. She wasn't happy – but it wasn't just in her social life like I thought, but also in her career. This was a lot worse than I had anticipated. I had taken the one thing she had left in her life away from her. I couldn't even imagine what she was feeling right now.

Mickie's POV

Rushing away from Randy I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going and ended up colliding with someone else and falling to the floor. I didn't think this night could possibly get any worse. What a great Christmas!

"I was actually just looking for– Are you okay?"

I looked up into the eyes of CM Punk as he knelt down in front of me no doubt taking in my tear stained face. I no longer had the strength to pretend as I shook my head and allowed him to wrap his arms around me.

"Is it Randy?" he asked softly.

I nodded my head in response, still not trusting my voice as we sat there in silence for a few moments. Finally he pulled me to my feet and leaned away from me.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

I nodded my head again, "Can you find Ted for me?" I murmured.

"Of course, just wait here alright?"

I took a seat in the nearest chair and kept my head bowed so as to not attract any unwanted attention. I had no idea where Randy was, but I had a feeling he didn't want to see me anymore. I can't believe I told him what I was thinking and above that I can't believe I blamed him for something that wasn't even his fault. It was exactly the situation I was trying to avoid.

"Mickie?" I heard my name shouted and when I turned around I saw Ted rushing in my direction with Cody and Phil following.

"Teddy," I whispered, standing up so he could pull me into his arms.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Can you take me back to the hotel?" I asked softly.

He nodded his head, "Of course, let's go," he grasped my hand and then turned around to face Cody.

Cody merely nodded his head, "I'll tell the girls. We can leave the rest of them the limo; just go get us a cab."

Without waiting for a response he rushed away in the direction they had just come. I turned to face Phil who was offering me a sympathetic look.

"Thanks Phil…"

"Don't worry about it. Call me later okay… if only to let me know how you are."

"I will," I assured him and then allowed Ted to lead me towards the exit.

A half an hour later we were back in our hotel room, and I was sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea in my hand, clad in a pair of yoga pants, a zip up sweater and a pair of wool socks. Ted was sitting next to me on the sofa as Cody was seated in the arm chair on our left, all of us sitting in silence.

"How could I have said that to him?" I asked aloud.

"You were upset Mickie… I'm sure he didn't take it literally," Cody assured me.

I turned to face him, "Wouldn't you? I mean every one of us is different in our own way, but our passion is the _one_ thing that ties us together. And if anyone knows the passion that Randy feels for this business it's me. It's gotta be killing him thinking that he could have taken that from another person."

"Look he'll come around. He's so obsessed with the idea that he's going to lose you that he'll just forget all about it," Ted said confidently.

"It doesn't matter anymore Ted. There's only one thing left to do now…"

He surveyed me for a few moments, "Mickie… you can't. You told me you weren't even really considering it."

"Yeah but–"

Cody interrupted me, "Considering what?"

Ted remained silent as I turned to face the brunette, "Leaving…"

"You mean like asking for time off?"

"That's the thing," I took a deep breath, "Getting over this, or at least progressing in my life is going to take much longer than I'd like to admit," I confessed.

He continued staring at me until finally his eyes widened, "You're going to ask for your release?"

"I don't know yet… I mean right now it's the only thing that's making sense. I need time away from this life to re-evaluate everything, to decide what it is that I truly want. It's not just Randy anymore… for the first time in my career I'm doubting whether or not this is what I truly want."

They both went to protest but I held my hand up to stop them, "I still don't know for sure. And I'm certainly going to spend more time thinking this through, but I want… no I _need_ you guys to support me on whatever it is I choose."

They remained silent for a moment, until Cody responded first, "Of course Mickie. All we ever wanted is what's best for you and whatever you think is right, we will support you one hundred percent."

I looked over at Ted who seemed more reluctant, "I think if you decide to leave you'll be making a huge mistake. You have so much left in your career Mickie; it would just be a waste. But with that said you know that I'll always support you."

I grasped his hand in mine, "Thank you… both of you. Without you two I _know_ I wouldn't have made it through these last few months," I released a sigh and then offered them a small smile, "It may not feel like it, but it's still the holidays and I think this is the perfect time to exchange gifts."

Cody had to leave to retrieve his gifts for us from his room and while he was gone Ted waited with anticipation. He was like the rest of the little kids who were just waiting to open up their presents on Christmas morning… except he was twenty-seven years old. He almost tackled Cody to the ground when he walked through the door trying to get his present, but Cody made him sit down with a threat that he wouldn't get anything.

We let Ted open his first. I bought him a portable DVD player, the best money could buy so that there was no chance of it breaking, and a pair of "noise cancelling" headphones.

"So now you can watch movies without someone interrupting you!" I explained.

"Oh Mickie you are so thoughtful!"

I leaned towards Cody, "It's because his taste in movies lately has been _terrible_," I muttered.

The brunette chuckled, and received a questioning look from Ted. He handed Ted what appeared to be a card. The blonde looked up at him and then back down at the card, a confused look growing on his face.

"This is it?" Ted asked, disappointed.

Cody merely rolled his eyes, "You're so damn ungrateful. Why don't you open it?"

It _was_ a Christmas card but a piece of paper fell out of it as Ted opened it up. He picked it up and read it, his eyes growing wide with each sentence.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Cody bought me a new set of golf clubs!" he said excitedly, "Oh man I've been meaning to buy a new set!"

"You play golf?" I scrunched my nose up in confusion.

Ted looked at me judgementally, "And you call yourself my best friend!" he scoffed.

I turned to Cody, "Seriously he plays golf?"

He merely chuckled, "Ted loves golf."

"Hmm you truly do learn something new everyday," I said thoughtfully.

"Anyway they should be delivered to your house the day after tomorrow," Cody told him just before Ted threw his arms around him and then afterwards me.

"You two are the best friends ever! I mean of course Cody's gift trumps yours but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it."

I laughed and rolled my eyes playfully, "Don't worry I won't take it personally."

Next up was Cody's turn. Ted bought him a stack of games for their PS3, which he admitted was mostly for himself, but figured it would be a nice gesture to give them to Cody as a Christmas present. But after he also gave Cody a comic book that he got weirdly excited about. Apparently it was in mint condition and Cody had been searching for it for such a long time. I do recall hearing him speaking about it on more than one occasion, but I never really understood what they were talking about. I was just delighted that Cody was so happy about it.

I had bought him an expensive wristwatch that I thought would suit him perfectly when I found it while I was shopping about a month ago. He gave me a hug and told me he loved it before going over and giving Ted a "man hug". I also had my camera out and was snapping pictures like crazy, just revelling in this moment.

"Now it's your turn!" Ted said turning to face me.

I smiled back at him as he handed me a box. Pulling the ribbon off slowly, followed by the wrapping paper, my eyes widened at the writing on the box. 'Christian Louboutin'.

"Oh my gosh Ted you didn't!" I squealed with happiness.

"Oh I did," he said smugly.

I pulled the lid off the box and the moment I took in the boots I was in heaven. They were black, knee high leather boots with a four inch heel and the patented red sole. These were exactly the ones I had been planning to order. Yes I usually hated being given presents, but not when it was a pair of shoes!

"Okay DiBiase you have got to stop creeping my laptop!"

"Why?" he said with a grin, "It's where I get the ideas for my amazing gifts!"

"Awe thanks Teddy," I smiled and motioned him forward so I could give him my attempt at a bone crushing hug.

Cody handed me a smaller box a few moments later, and I experienced the exact same thing. The 'Christian Louboutin' lettering. I swear my hands were shaking as I pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a beautiful handbag in the color of black with a small chain being the strap, a pocket on the front and tassels hanging from each side.

"We coordinated in case you didn't catch that," Ted announced.

"Ugh I can't believe you two! These were expensive gifts! It's nowhere near the amount I spent on either of you!" I exclaimed, feeling slightly guilty.

Cody grinned back at me, "First of all, it's the thought that counts. We all got one another something we knew one another would like or needed and second of all you've had some pretty crappy few months, the least we could do is spend a little money on a few material possessions."

"Thanks Cody," I said softly, getting up so I could give him a hug as well.

Walking back to my spot on the couch I spotted two more presents sitting on the floor behind the table.

"I'm guessing those are for Randy," I asked quietly.

"Yeah we didn't think he would come but we weren't sure he wouldn't either," Cody explained.

"So what did you get him?" I asked.

"I bought him a satellite radio. Apparently he's wanted one for awhile so I took the initiative. The dude is hard to buy for," Cody complained.

"Agreed," I stated, "What about you Ted?"

"I was on the same brain wave as you and I bought him a mini DVD player. He always complains when we have flights together about how I talk too much and that his iPod isn't a successful enough distraction."

"That's incredibly selfless of you giving up your talking time and all," I chuckled.

"Well you know I guess I can't _always_ be the center of attention," he sighed dramatically. "Anyway I bought him a bunch of movies too… most of them should remind him of me," he said proudly.

"Oh I'm sure he's going to _love_ that," Cody commented sarcastically. "What about you Micks… what did you get him?"

"Oh… just a chain. I mean an expensive white gold chain… but just a chain none the less," I responded.

"That's… sentimental," he said.

I smiled weakly, "I bought it like three months ago… I guess I was feeling sentimental towards him at that time. I'm still debating on whether or not to give it to him. It seems inappropriate given the circumstances."

"I think you should give it to him anyway," Ted commented.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I'll have to wait and see what I do with it."

Twenty minutes later, we were involved in Raw vs. Smackdown on the PS3 while enjoying some very delicious snacks, mostly just ice cream for me. But a knock on the door interrupted us and we all turned to stare at one another.

After a few moments Cody sighed, "Don't worry guys _I'll_ get it," he said wearily with a hint of sarcasm.

"We should keep him around," I suggested, "It would save a lot of arguments in the future."

"I think it would benefit me more seeing as how you _never_ answer the door," Ted complained.

"I do so!" I protested.

"It doesn't count when I'm not in the room," he said with narrowed eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Okay you have a point. But its unnecessary when I _know_ you'll do it."

"Oh hey man…" I looked over my shoulder to see Cody already had the door open, "Come on in."

A moment later Randy stepped into my line of vision, and Cody closed the door behind him.

"Hey Randy," Ted called, "You're just in time to open your Christmas presents," he announced, trying his best to keep the atmosphere light.

I had to avert my gaze, finding it uncomfortable to look into his eyes after everything that had been said this evening. The Christmas party seemed like it had taken place years ago… but the emotions from before came back almost instantly.

"I just came to drop something off," he said impassively.

A moment later a package landed in my lap, precisely where I had been staring. I looked up to see he was still staring down at me but I couldn't read his face. It saddened me every time that happened, because it showcased just how different things were these days. What was worse was that I still found myself longing for the simplicity of three months ago. I don't care that he had a girlfriend three months ago… at least I hadn't known about it.

A moment later he turned away and headed back towards the door. Ted shouted for him to stop so that he could hand him his presents from both him and Cody, and with a mere thank you Randy was gone again. Cody and Ted joined me on the sofa once more and I could feel both pairs of eyes on me but I ignored them as I continued staring down at the gift in my lap. It was wrapped neatly in simple white tissue paper. It wasn't much bigger than the size of my outstretched hand. I couldn't explain why, but I was very hesitant to open it.

"Are you going to open it?" Ted asked.

"Dude, mind your own business," Cody scolded him.

"What? I'm excited. Our present from him was awesome… ugh I _hate_ that word; Mike totally ruined it for me. Let me try again… our present from him was, _brilliant_; I can only imagine what he got Mickie."

I turned to look at him, "He already gave you guys your presents?"

Ted nodded his head, "He sure did."

I rolled my eyes, "Well… what was it?"

"Oh right, he bought the three of us a four day trip to Vegas," he responded.

"Yeah we have those four days off next month so he planned it for then," Cody added.

"Wow that's nice of him. Randy isn't usually the creative type," I smiled weakly and looked down once more at the gift in my lap.

I picked it up and surveyed it for a few more moments while Ted and Cody remained silent. _It's just a gift Mickie._ I slowly started to unwrap the white paper and the moment the actual box was visible, I inhaled sharply at the familiar Tiffany blue color of the box. Sure enough once the wrap was removed, in my hands sat the blue box with the white ribbon around it and 'Tiffany and Co.' written in black lettering. I exchanged looks with both men sitting on either side of me, both just as surprised but even more curious at what was inside the box.

I pulled the white ribbon off and let it fall gently into my lap, my eyes still fixed on the lettering on the front of the box. I slowly lifted the box lid off and had to resist the urge to gasp. Instantly I could tell that the necklace inside was white gold. It had a bar pendant that had a round diamond at the top, and underneath was a vertical engravement running the length of the pendant. I reached out ever so slowly to grasp it gently between my fingers so I could lift it up to get a closer look.

"He engraved it with a date," Ted commented. "It's… August twenty fourth of this year. Is that something special between you two?"

"I… I don't know," I said softly looking at the single word in beautiful scripture that followed the inscribed date – _fate_. It was in that moment that I knew exactly what Randy was referring to. I brought my hand up to my mouth, and felt the tears well up in my eyes. Anyone who ever said Randy wasn't creative, myself included, was just drastically proven wrong.

"What is it Micks?" Cody asked.

"August twenty fourth of this year…" I looked up at him and then over at Ted, "That was when the four of us were declared Legacy in the middle of the ring," I said in barely more than a whisper.

"Oh… wow," Ted said quietly, turning away from us and staring out in front of him.

"I feel bad for being surprised that Randy could come up with something like that," Cody admitted.

The tears finally flowed over and for the second time tonight I cried. Maybe it was cheesy in some ways, but I didn't care. This necklace was the single greatest present I had ever been given. It wasn't just about being declared Legacy, it was what I had gotten out of the storyline. Sure I had been friends with them before that night, but I don't know if we would have been as close as we are today if we hadn't been thrown into the storyline together. No one knew better than Randy how much he, Ted and Cody meant to me mainly because no one knew_ me_ better than he did. The necklace couldn't have been more true either. It was fate that the four of us came together, and maybe at the moment it wasn't working, but perhaps somewhere down the line it could work for us as _friends_.

I looked over at Ted, and once more at Cody and the answer I had been missing finally came to me so clearly. The reason Randy and I didn't work out all those years ago was because _this_ was meant to happen. Because the relationships between myself, Cody, Ted and Randy were still waiting to happen. Had Randy and I worked out back then, I was quite positive that things wouldn't have happened the same between the four of us. We bonded at first because it was only the three of us who truly understood the man that Randy became and in doing so it set us apart from the rest of the roster. It was that bond – that was created by the unconditional support and loyalty we bestowed upon one another – that was the foundation for our relationships with one another.

Randy wouldn't have been the cold-hearted Viper if we had worked things out in our relationship three years ago and perhaps we wouldn't have Ted and Cody in our lives as prominently as we do now. I don't care how lame or ridiculous it sounds, but that's how I was going to look at it because that would make every ounce of heartbreak and pain worth it as long as I go to call these three men my family. And even though things with Randy aren't desirable in the moment… hopefully sometime in the future that can change.

"What is it Mickie?" Ted brought me back to earth.

I smiled over at him, "It really _was_ fate," I responded, laughing through my tears.

"Of course it was," he said matter-of-factly, as if he had known this all along and didn't doubt it for a second.

"Even though it sounds very girly and I don't say girly things because I'm a _man_… even _I_ have to admit that this all feels like it was destined," Cody added.

And there it was… my belief in fate. I thought back to the conversation I had at Trish's get together with her and Melina about how I had lost faith in fate after everything that had happened. I guess in reality I had always believed that the four of us were destined to be friends, but the pain and heartbreak from my past and now my present had always sort of overshadowed the underlying belief.

It was never going to help to run away from my problems, and maybe Randy was right when he said we merely needed to try a little harder to be successful at a friendship. Why was I trying so hard to resist this chance he was giving me to have some sort of a relationship with him? What was the pain in the grand scheme of things as long as I had Ted and Cody by my side to help me through each day? At least I could still see Randy regularly and maybe it wouldn't be in the way I preferred but at least it would be better than never seeing him if I did decide to leave the business.

And the more important question: why the _hell_ did it take this beautiful gift from Randy in order for me to see that?

"Mickie?" Ted questioned. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking you're right Ted," I smiled at him.

He seemed confused, "About what? No one ever says that I'm right about something."

"I think that's an understatement," Cody remarked.

I chuckled, "That running away isn't going to solve anything."

"Does that mean you're not going to leave?" he asked excitedly.

"Not for now. But I'm going to take it day by day. I figure as long as you two are around, I think I'll be okay," I announced.

"Good for you Mickie," Cody said approvingly. "Besides I doubt you could stay away from us for very long anyway."

"You might be right about that," I responded. "Um… I don't mean to be rude or anything, but do you think you guys could give me some time alone?"

"Of course, I should probably go and give Eve her present. I'm sort of nervous about it."

"She'll love it," I said confidently. "What about you are you going to give Maryse hers too?"

"Sure am," Ted responded, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh gross, I hope that isn't all you are giving her," I replied.

"Why not? I thought it was pretty great!" he whined.

"Are we thinking about the same, _materialistic _Maryse?"

"I'll prove the both of you wrong," he said bitterly and stalked towards the door before turning around with a grin on his face, "Thanks for the presents you guys. They were awes– _brilliant_! Are you going to be okay Mickie?"

I nodded my head, "I'll be alright. Have fun." I closed my eyes as Ted kissed me softly on the top of my head.

"See ya Micks," Cody said, giving me one more quick hug before following Ted out of the room with his presents in his arms.

I placed the box that was still in my lap on the sofa beside me and brought my knees up to my chest so I could rest my chin on them. I played with the necklace in my fingers, reading it over and over again, going over in my head each memory I could remember having with my three boys.

I guess more than anything I was just tired of going back and forth on the subject of how to deal with my Randy situation. How could I make my decision if I didn't give either choice a chance? We had agreed to be friends about a week ago… I needed to give it more time than that or I was one day going to regret it. What the hell was with my emotions lately? I was all over the place and it was severely exhausting. I was still going to give Randy space. Try to keep our relationship as professional as possible, at least for the near future and then after that I would figure everything out. I knew that I wasn't ready to leave the business even if it didn't feel the same as it used to. Maybe if I figured it out, the passion that I was lacking these days would find its way back to me.

I placed the necklace around my neck and struggled to get it done up and just as I finished, my cell phone rang from the bedside table. I jumped to my feet to rush over to the table and smiled at the name on the caller ID.

"I thought I said _I_ would call _you_," I said the moment I had accepted the call.

"Are you under the impression I spend my life waiting for your phone call? I do have a sleep schedule to keep," Phil responded.

"Oh I'm sorry for throwing off your precious sleep schedule," I said dramatically

"That's okay I usually wouldn't go to bed for another three hours anyway," he teased. "How are you doing Mickie?"

"I'm alright," I said confidently, knowing that I was only being half honest.

"Mickie I still think you and Randy need to work things out. It's the only way either of you are going to be happy. I'm sorry to jump right into this considering how you're feeling right now, but if you wait too long it's going to be too late."

"Phil don't start with me on this. I've struggled immensely with my decisions lately and every time I finally come to a conclusion, someone always tells me it's the wrong one. I just wish everyone would let me think for myself for once," I complained.

I heard him sigh on the other end, "I love you Mickie, you know that and you also know how highly I think of you. You're a smart woman, but sometimes you don't know what's best for you because you're so worried about putting everyone else before you."

"God you sound like Ted," I grumbled.

"Well if we're both saying the same thing maybe there's a bit of truth behind it," he suggested.

"Phil I'm fine! Who's overanalyzing things now?" I attempted a joke. "Look I promised him I was stepping back and I'm going to keep that particular promise even if it makes me miserable."

"Mickie James you deserve to be happy too."

"I relinquished my happiness the minute I agreed to–" I was interrupted by a knocking on the door. "Hey Punk there's someone at the door, I'll have to call you back."

Ending the call I advanced towards the door, assuming it was Ted who had forgotten his key.

"Ted if I'm going to be sticking around you have to change this whole forgetting your key every time you leave the room thing– oh," It certainly hadn't been Ted on the other side of the door; in fact it was the last person I ever would have expected to be on the other side of the door.

"Laura?" I questioned.

"Close your mouth, it's hardly attractive. We need to talk," I could tell by her expression that this was the last place she wanted to be.

"About?" I crossed my arms. Not really wanting to listen to her bitch to me about staying away from Randy.

"Can I come in?" she asked rudely.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, but stepped aside none the less so as to allow her entry. Once she was in I gave the door a shove and then turned around to face her.

"I'm sorry about Randy being weird tonight, but everything is going to be–"

"You have to win him back," she said quickly.

"Huh? Who?"

"Randy! You have to fight to get him back."

_Wow did anyone expect that? I told you there would be a surprise this time around. I guess you'll have to review if you want to read more :) I realize parts in this chapter were a little cheesy, but it's my story and I just __**had**__ to write them! Call it a guilty pleasure. Thank you so so so much for all the reviews on the story so far. You all are more wonderful than you know and I'll never get tired of saying that. You've stuck by this story for the last several months and that means so much to me. As usual it would mean a lot to me if you'd take the time to review. I promise I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I believe it is ready to go._

_I honestly got a lot more positive reviews for the last chapter than I thought I would. I wasn't just saying that I didn't think it was great so you would tell me it was… I actually believe it wasn't. But it looks as if I'm doing something right :)_


	55. What is your destiny?

"_You have to fight to get him back."_

I was stunned into silence as her words echoed in my head. Was it possible that I had heard her wrong? Or was this some sort of sick joke? I surveyed her face and as far as I could tell she was dead serious, but beyond that I detected a hint of exhaustion and I knew instantly it wasn't from a lack of sleep. I recognized that look… you could find it on both mine and Randy's faces these days.

"…okay wait… what?" I shook my head in confusion. "Have you been drinki– are you drunk?"

"No genius, getting drunk and causing drama is more _your _style," she said, rolling her eyes in irritation.

I nodded my head reluctantly in agreement; given these last few months I guess she had a point.

"So what the hell are you talking about then?" I questioned, probably a little more aggressively than I should have. If this _was_ a game, I still couldn't work out what her end game would be.

"This is hard enough as it is… I don't want to deal with your attitude," she scowled.

"So _please_, enlighten me then."

She turned away, preventing me from seeing her face so I couldn't even attempt to read her expression to see where she was going with this. I don't remember the last time I had been this confused. Did she really want me to get Randy back? And if so, then why? Before I could answer this question for myself, she started speaking again.

"I know I said back then that you were just a game for him, and I think more than anything that's just what I _wanted_ to believe, that's why I was so nasty. Because he's the only guy I've ever _really_ loved and _you_ were the only competition I ever had when it comes to him."

I could just faintly hear her take a deep breath before she turned around to face me once again. The hurt and pain I witnessed in her eyes made me want to reach out to her. But she was a proud woman, and I could only imagine how much this was killing her to admit. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don't know if I could be as selfless as her in this situation.

"But I knew it the moment he finally brought you home for us to meet. I knew you were different than any of the other women he had dated before," she took another deep breath and I had a feeling she was just barely holding it together, "The way he _looked_ at you and the way he regarded you as if you were the single most important thing on this planet… god he _still _does and I've spent far too long ignoring it. He never looked at anyone else that way… not even me. So I guess you could say I was a little jealous–"

"A _little_? You attacked me…" I reminded her, trying to keep this conversation as light as possible.

"Are you gonna let me finish or not?" she snapped and sent me a disapproving glare before continuing, "I know how you feel about him and I know why you haven't actually set out to get him back. It's because you want his happiness and as much as I hate to say it, he's not happy with me. He's been trying so hard to make this work, for _my_ sake of course, but he's failing miserably. He's never going to be _truly_ happy with me, and like you, I want him to have the full thing… whether that's with me or not."

"What are you saying?" I whispered.

"Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. He loves you Mickie," she said, almost hesitantly as if she wished it weren't true. "Mickie you've been making him happy since 2004. Even before you guys started dating, every time he would come home he would _always_ have stories to tell about how great and wonderful you were. So you've had a rough three years… what's that in the grand scheme of things? You guys can make up for that!"

"No… _no_," I said a little more forcefully, turning away from her, my breathing becoming suddenly uneven. "He _knows_ how I feel Laura, and he chose you. It's not up to us to decide who he's going to be with. That's his decision and his alone."

"Yes, well it's my decision on whether or not I choose to stay with him," she said sharply.

I turned around to face her once more, confusion taking over, "What do you– Laura, you _love_ him," I said softly.

"Yeah I do… but is it fair for him to expect me to give myself to him when I won't get _all_ of him in return? He doesn't get to decide _my_ love life," she said stubbornly.

"Are you insane?" I had to stop myself from full out shouting. "I would _kill_ for him to have chosen me, and you're just going to throw that away because part of him will always love me?"

"If he were to choose you, he would be able to give all of himself to you without any reservations. There would be no issue with him still loving me because you are who he really wants. He doesn't love me in the same way that I love him. And _that_ is the difference between our situations Mickie!"

"You know I always knew you were crazy, but I never knew just how much until now! Go back to him Laura, appreciate what you have. You _know_ the love he's capable of… why are you so willing to give something like that up?" I almost pleaded, trying so hard to understand what was going on in her head. He chose her… it was a done deal and now she was ready to throw it away.

"Why are _you_?" she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. "Because you're afraid of the past? Oh boo hoo get over it!"

"You don't understand…" I said quietly, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze, "I'm the dark stain on his life. If he wanted me he would've chose me. But he chose you," I said, meeting her eyes once more.

"I _refuse_ to be the regret he wakes up to every morning!" she shrieked.

I was stunned into silence at her words, and the serious amount of pain behind them. I knew what she was giving up and I also knew she was never going to fully get over it. There was no getting over Randy Orton.

"Laura I–" I reached out to her but she took a step back.

"You're the _last_ person I want sympathy from Mickie," she scowled. "I'm doing this for him and him alone. I despise the treatment you have shown him these last few months, and I wish the situation was different," she took a deep breath, "But I do respect how much you care for him and that's the _only_ reason I even came here tonight." She paused once more and then took another step back, "I'm going back right now to tell him that it's over and that I have a flight back to Missouri in an hour and a half... I hope you make the right decision… for _his_ sake."

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a card key, "You might need this," she said softly and before another word could be spoken; she turned and exited my room, the only sound being the closing of the door before silence enveloped the room.

I slumped to the floor, confused and shaken at the conversation that had just taken place, as I literally felt the energy drain out of my body. This all felt so surreal, like I was in a dream. Part of me felt happy… that maybe Randy and I really did have a chance to be happy together. But mostly I felt terrified. If Randy wanted me, he would have chosen me in the first place. Instead all he's asked for is a friendship.

What the hell was I supposed to do?

Randy's POV

I had been pacing the room for the last twenty minutes since I had gotten back to an empty room, the curiosity of where Laura had disappeared to had been replaced with the events that had taken place earlier, and had already made an imprint into the carpet. I'd been racking my brain for the last hour going over ways that I could make this situation better. A decision needed to be made in order for things to work out for everyone involved, and I knew that decision rested solely on my shoulders. I had created this mess… I needed to fix it.

Before I could ponder any further, a knock sounded on the door and my attention was sidetracked once more as I strolled over to pull it open, surprised when I found Laura standing on the other side.

"Hey, where's your key?" I asked, stepping aside to allow her entry.

"I… I lost it," she responded.

"Oh… well we'll just ask for a new one. So I just wanted to apologize for earlier. It didn't mean anything I've just had a lot happening lately and–"

"Randy we need to talk," she interrupted; the expression on her face telling me it was going to be a serious matter.

"Okay," I chuckled lightly, pulling her into my arms, "What is it?"

She distanced herself from me and averted her gaze, "I'm going home tonight," she said quietly, still looking down at the floor.

"How come? We have a flight booked to take us home tomorrow afternoon," I reminded her.

"No Randy…" she took a deep breath, "I'm going home because I can't be in this relationship with you anymore."

I was caught off guard by her words; hell I could say I was shocked. I took a step back almost reflexively as if I was trying to shield myself from what I knew was coming.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not happy with me Randy," she said softly, her voice filled with a sadness that tugged at my heart.

"What are you talking about? Of course I am," I assured her, taking a step forward to comfort her but instead she took another step back.

"No… you aren't. There's a difference between pretending and the real thing. I appreciate you trying to slap on a smile and pretend everything is fine for my sake, but I can't endure it anymore. I see you when you think I'm not watching, and you're miserable Randy. I've known you my whole life and because of that I know that I'm right."

"I just need time," I explained, trying to convince her but deep down I knew I was merely trying to convince myself. I didn't need time, I needed a miracle.

She offered me a small, sad smile and placed her hand on my cheek, "You've had three years worth of time. You love her Randy, and no amount of time is _ever _going to change that."

"Laura I love you too," I stated, knowing it was the truth but knowing it didn't matter because she had already made up her mind.

"I know you do… but not in the same way. Not even close to the same way. Eight years ago I was sure that I was going to marry you. But we weren't really meant to be and we've been ignoring that for far too long. I'm not the one you are supposed to be with anymore and deep down you know that. You and I were only ever meant to be friends. You deserve to be truly happy Randy."

"Laura please, we can work through–"

"Randy!" she interrupted, "I deserve someone who is going to give me their whole heart. This," she grasped my hand and placed it on my chest over my heart, "may be yours, but it isn't yours to give anymore. It's belonged to Mickie since the moment you met her."

"Mickie and I are over!" I demanded, once again noting the fact that I still wasn't convinced of that statement, "Why are you doing this?"

She reciprocated with her own question, "Why are _you_ so afraid?"

I was surprised at my inability to come up with an answer.

"You'll work things out Randy, I promise," she whispered, reaching up to place a soft kiss on my lips.

She turned and headed across the room where her suitcase was already gathered and ready to go. Why hadn't I noticed that earlier? I guess I would've assumed she was getting ready to go home tomorrow with me as opposed to tonight… alone.

"Laura don't go…" I said quietly.

"I have to… for me and for you. Take care Randy… when you're ready, you know where to find me," she turned to head out the door but not before turning back to face me, "Stop being afraid of the past, just let go of it."

Her eyes lingered on mine for a few seconds longer until she turned once more and walked out on me just like that. I couldn't, despite having just witnessed it, believe what had just happened. The one person, that wasn't part of my family, I had been counting on my _entire_ life had just walked out on me, leaving me even more broken and alone than I already was. I sat down on the bed and placed my head in my hands. First Mickie says she wants nothing to do with me and now Laura is breaking up with me.

What the hell was going on with my life?

Mickie's POV

I took a deep breath and reached out to knock on the door, but withdrew my hand a second later and ran it through my hair instead. I made an attempt to walk away, but I knew I needed to do this.

It had only been an hour since Laura had left my hotel room and during that time I had gone back and forth in my mind on what the appropriate thing to do was. I didn't know if I was here because I was hoping he would finally choose me or if I merely wanted to make sure he was okay. I think it was a bit of both but mostly that unending hope that always seemed to get me into trouble. I wasn't sure if Laura had done what she said she would and if she was gone, but I guess there was only one way to find out.

I inhaled deeply once more and knocked on the door gently. After a few moments I still didn't hear any movements so I repeated the gesture once more. There was still silence so I fished the key Laura had left me out of my pocket and inserted it in the slot until the light flashed green. I turned the knob and pushed the door open ever so slowly, sticking my head in to peer around. The lights were off and the room was enveloped completely in darkness. I pushed the door open fully and stepped inside allowing it to close behind me.

"Randy?" I spoke softly but knew the action was wasted because other than me this room was unoccupied.

I thought there was a chance that maybe he had gone back with Laura but his belongings were still scattered throughout the room. I pulled my cell out of my pocket, dialled Randy's number and took a seat on the bed. It rang several times and I was just about to hang up when he finally answered.

"Hello?" he shouted.

I had to pull the phone away from my ear because the music playing in the background combined with his shouting was severely loud.

"Randy where are you?" I asked.

"What? Who is– Is this Mickie?" he slurred his words. So he's been drinking.

"Yes it's Mickie. Randy where are you?" I asked again.

"Mickie," he scoffed and the next moment the call had cut off.

I tried calling back again, but it just went to his voicemail. I continued sitting there for about fifteen minutes, trying to decide what my next move was. Finally, pocketing my phone once more I exited the room and headed towards the elevator. I had no clue where Randy was, but the loud music and his slurred speech alerted me to the fact that he was in a bar. I figured there was no harm in checking out the lounge downstairs. If he wasn't there I was going to go back to his room and wait for him to drag his drunken ass upstairs.

I was disappointed when there was no sign of him in the lounge, and knowing he could be anywhere in the city I wearily made the trek back upstairs and made myself comfortable in one of the chairs positioned around the table in the corner of his room, bringing my knees up to my chest. I responded to a text from Ted asking where I was. I replied telling him I was out and not to worry.

Two hours later my legs were starting to cramp, but I didn't dare move. It was all I could do to keep from running back to my room and hiding. My nerves were shot to hell and my entire body was shaking. I didn't know how, maybe it was the connection we had forged all those years ago, but somehow I just knew he was on his way back. Twenty minutes passed and sure enough I heard loud sounds drifting in from the hallway. I could definitely make out Randy's voice, but there was also some incessant and irritating giggling as well.

Finally it grew louder until it was directly outside the door. Who knows what Randy is going to do since he apparently decided to mend his "broken heart" with a random. It's been awhile since this has happened I'm sure and now I was more nervous than ever. Why had this seemed like such a good idea twenty minutes ago? Because now I was cursing myself for not waiting to do this until tomorrow. I ignored the irritation in my eyes that was from being as tired as I was and instead watched as the door was slowly pushed open before Randy ambled threw the door with not one but two women clinging to him.

I had to ignore the burning sensation of jealousy that seemed to seep to every area of my body as I watched these two women grope the man I love anywhere they could reach. I was frozen in anger, not being able to move and not one of them had even noticed my presence. The darker haired female reached up and engaged herself in a steamy make out session with him, and I had to ignore the feeling of queasiness that came over me.

They headed in the direction of the bed and still I couldn't find my voice. I felt incredibly uncomfortable, which given the circumstances wasn't exactly unusual, so I continued watching, my eyes glued to the back of Randy's head wondering how he could do this.

"Um is that your girlfriend?"

The question brought me back to reality and finally I realized the two women were staring directly at me, a questioning look on both their faces.

"What?" Randy questioned, following their gaze until his eyes rested on mine. "Mickie what are you… doing here?" he asked, disentangling the blonde females arms from around his neck so he could turn and face me fully.

I forced myself to stand up, folding my arms across my chest uncomfortably, "I… I came to check if you were okay," I said quietly.

"You came to check if I was _okay_?" he asked sceptically.

I nodded my head, "Randy how much have you had to drink?"

"What's it to _you_?" he snarled.

I flinched at the anger in his tone but kept my composure as best I could, "Because Laura broke up with you and the first thing you do is bring two random strangers back to your hotel room. I'm a little concerned."

"Oh _you're_ concerned? _Now_ you care about me?" he said angrily.

"Randy I've always cared about–"

"Mickie I'm an adult. What I do in my spare time, and who I choose to have sex with is my business and _not_ yours. I'm single now, so I can do this freely without judgement."

"Randy you're hurting; I understand that but don't do this. This isn't you," I pleaded.

"You don't know anything Mickie," he spat, "This was me before you came waltzing back into my life and to be honest I've rather missed it. So if you don't mind I'd like to get the show on the road."

I released a sigh of frustration, at a loss of what more I could say in front of these two women.

"Fine I'll go, but don't expect me to be willing to talk to you in the morning," I said bitterly and took a step forward to go but the blonde of the two women stepped forward.

"Wait a second, you're already here you may as well join us," she giggled as her friend nodded in agreement. "The more the merrier."

Wow I set out to help out a friend and I get asked to have a foursome. The holidays were certainly different this time around.

I caught Randy's gaze as he smirked down at me, "What do you say _Mickie_, are you up for it?" I could tell instantly he was mocking me even through his drunken haze.

I glowered at him, "Somehow I doubt you could live up the expectations of three women at once," I said coldly.

"Oh trust me I'm more than capable. This wouldn't be my first time," he responded casually, "After all you're the one who says I'm _amazingly_ gifted in that area."

I rolled my eyes, "And you're also irritatingly cocky," I released a sigh, "What about Laura, Randy?"

"What about her?" he scoffed, "She left me and what? You decided you would just come crawling back to me? Well it's not happening."

"So what do you say?" the blonde asked, apparently under the impression that I was _actually_ considering it.

I was about to tell her to take her suggestion and shove it when Randy spoke first, "Yeah right, Mickie's a boring, _good_ little girl," he mocked me as I felt the sting of his words as if he'd just slapped me, "Except of course when it comes to airing dirty laundry."

"Why thanks for that!" I said sarcastically, "Randy just come back to my room with me and you can talk to me and Ted."

"No," he retorted stubbornly, "Go away Mickie, I'm trying to salvage this night. And that's not going to be by _talking_ with you and Ted."

I felt the emotion growing inside me and more than anything I wanted to run back to my room and into Ted's arms, but I couldn't leave Randy this way. He may think he was hiding it, but I could witness the pain in his eyes.

"Randy I know you're upset. I know that Laura leaving must be hard on you but–"

"Do you know _why _she left me? It was because of _you_," he said in an accusatory tone, "She said that my heart," he scoffed, "belongs to you. Is that not the _stupidest_ thing you've ever heard?"

"Randy let's just–"

"But you know what? Relationships, who needs them?" he exclaimed, stopping to smirk down at both the women standing by his side.

"That's right baby, relationships just drag you down. All you need is a little time alone with the both of us and all your problems will go away," the dark haired female spoke, placing her hand on his chest and staring up into his eyes.

"I like the sound of that," he smirked down at her again before looking up at me, "You see Mickie the only thing relationships have ever done is cause pain and chaos in my life. Look at everything that's happened because I dated you."

I took a step back, stunned at the anger behind his words, "Randy you can't mean that. What we had… it was special. Why do you think things have brought us here? Randy your girlfriend just broke up with you because she knows it's supposed to be you and me… why are you fighting this?"

He took a few steps forward, "Mickie you said you came by to check if I was okay, if you really want to make sure of that you'd agree to the proposed foursome," he grinned down at me.

I rolled my eyes, "Not even in your wildest fantasy Randy. You're right, I am a good girl and I strongly believe in romance and making love… not sex with random strangers," I said angrily, giving him a shove.

"Well I'm not a stranger," he said, taking a step closer and pulling me into him before leaning down and pressing his lips against mine.

After a few seconds, I forced myself to pull away even though I wanted nothing more than to continue. I had missed his kiss more than I could possibly describe, but I had to remind myself we weren't alone.

"Randy we can't," I said quietly.

"Why not, I'm single again."

"Because of them," I said, gesturing over his shoulder.

"Oh come on don't be such a prude. You can't tell me you've never fantasized about another woman before," the blonde of the two said, "Just let us do all the work."

I rolled my eyes and gave Randy a push away from me, "It's not happening."

"Well would you just get_ out _then," the brunette said impatiently.

"Yeah really, you're just wasting our time," the blonde scoffed.

"How about you two shut up for five seconds," Randy ordered, "I brought you back here for one reason and one reason only, and it certainly wasn't to hear you speak. I think I endured enough of that tonight."

_Awkward_.

"All three of you are single handedly killing my buzz. Mickie if you aren't going to join just get the hell out. I've had enough of this for one evening. And if you're going to run back to your hotel room crying, how about you tell Ted and Cody to wait until tomorrow to give me a lecture."

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, "You're such a bastard," I rushed past all three of them and was half way out the door when I realized that I needed to stop running away. "No," I said forcefully, "I'm not going anywhere! I'm sick of running, and I'm sick of letting _you_ run away! We have three years of shit to deal with and I am _not_ going anywhere until we do!"

"Look we're just going to go," the brunette female said, "We didn't come here to get involved in this."

"No you don't have to go, she's going to go," Randy said, gesturing to me.

"Thanks it would be very much appreciated," I said, pulling the door open so they would get the hint.

The blonde looked up at Randy, "Sorry," she said quietly before turning and following after her friend, both sending me scowls as they passed by.

I closed the door behind them, "Well that wasn't so hard was it," I said sarcastically.

"What the fuck do you want Mickie? Every time I want to have some fun you're always right there ruining it like the jealous ex-girlfriend."

"Do you want me to admit it? Yes Randy I _am_ jealous! But more than that I'm disappointed in you," I exclaimed, "Laura left you _three_ hours ago and you resort back to your old ways?"

"What do you care? This entire situation is your fault!"

"Mine?" I shouted, "Maybe if you would just make up your damn mind already, we–"

"I _did_ make up my mind!" he shouted, "I. Chose. _Laura_! But you couldn't stand for that could you? Because you can't let go of the past!"

"Oh and_ you_ have? The _only_ reason you chose Laura is because you're _scared_ of the past! Because you were using her to shield you from having to confront our problems. You're a _coward_!" I shouted back at him.

"And you're a bitch," he sneered, trying to walk past me to leave the room.

I inhaled deeply, stung by his words but I knew I couldn't allow him to leave… not now. I placed my hands on his chest and positioned myself directly in front of him.

"Randy, it's me and you. We are in this together. You can't push me away. I need you and you need me!" I wiped away the tears that had fallen without my consent. "We've spent so long pretending we were okay without each other when we should have realized that no one else will be able to fill the void that we have in our lives when we aren't together."

He looked down at me as his eyes filled with hate, "Don't you get it? I don't want you!" he shouted. "I chose Laura alright, and she chose to break up with me. So that means if she hadn't, I would still be with her right now. What part of that don't you get? It's not me and you anymore," he snarled. "After nearly six years I'm finally done with this shit. I'm ready to move on with my life, focus on my career and _maybe_ meet someone who isn't Laura and isn't _you_. I'm ending this conversation!"

He tried to dodge around me, but I took a few steps back, continuing to block his only way out of the room.

"Randy no, you can't go, we can't leave it this way," I pleaded. "This can't be _it_ for us."

He put his head in his hands and turned away, "You want to hurt me some more?" he finally exploded, causing me to flinch once again. "It's the _only_ thing you've _ever_ been good at. That and manipulation! Well this is the end of it!"

I took a step back, the truth of his words cutting into me like a knife. Our history was filled with lies, manipulation and pain but I wasn't the only one at fault here.

"Yeah well maybe I've manipulated you, and caused you more pain than you ever deserved, but you caused me just as much! The way you manipulated me since the moment I came back to Raw! I've done things I regret… many things… but you aren't innocent either," I shouted back at him.

He shook his head in irritation and tried to shove past me once more but this time I gave him an aggressive shove to stop him.

"You promised Randy!" I screamed, "You promised in 2004 that you would fight for me and you didn't!" I shoved him aggressively once more, "You were too much of a coward! Maybe it's me who's being foolish. Maybe _I'm_ the one who needs to cut my ties with you! Why would_ I_ want to be with a man who goes back on his promises? I forgave you for lying to me for months Randy! The least you can do is extend me the same courtesy by giving us one more chance!"

He stared down at me for a few moments, the anger still heavily noticeable on his face until finally he opened his mouth to speak, "Get out of my way!" he snarled. I couldn't believe after _everything_, he _still_ wanted to run away.

I clung onto his arm with both my hands, trying my best to stop him from leaving. A moment later I collided roughly with the wall, the wind knocked out of me as I sunk to the floor, clutching the back of my head in pain, struggling to see clearly.

"Oh fuck, Mickie are you okay?" my vision started to straighten out and finally I looked into his eyes, no longer filled with anger but with worry.

I was shocked at what had just taken place, more surprised than even hurt. I couldn't believe he would do something like this… I guess I had taken this way too far. I should have just left when he asked instead of forcing him to understand.

He was squatting in front of me, but fell backwards into a sitting position, a look of shock on his face as he continued staring back and forth between his hands and me.

"Mickie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shove you that hard," he whispered, his face twisted in anguish at what he had done.

"No Randy don't… it was my fault…" he scrambled to his feet and headed for the door, "Randy! Randy please come back," but it was too late because he was gone a moment later.

I lay on the floor, and brought my knees up to my chest, not bothering to wipe away the tears anymore. How could this be the end? This couldn't be it. We can't have been put through everything we had over the last six years for this to be _it_. There was a reason Randy and I found each other again. I made a vow that I was going to find out why before everything around me went dark.

_**CFY**_

I had woken up in my own room the next day with Ted and Cody hovering around me. They informed me that Randy had explained everything to them and I found out the reason Ted's hand was red and swollen was because his fist had made contact with Randy's face. I knew he didn't deserve it and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he hadn't meant to shove me. That's not the type of man Randy Orton was, nor was he ever going to be that man. I was also told that he had caught an earlier flight back to St. Louis for the holidays.

Christmas day was alright. Imagine that, Christmas being just _alright_. And it was so nice to be able to spend time with all of my immediate family and relatives. We enjoyed good food, that I wasn't allowed to help cook for fear of "ruining" it, there was laughter and story exchanges. It was the type of Christmas you would remember forever, just like any other, but there was a damper on it the entire four days I was home. I couldn't stop thinking about Randy, about our last confrontation and how much I regretted trying to force him to understand. He had just been broken up with and that sort of thing takes time to heal. I didn't blame him for being angry, in the same situation I probably would have been too.

And now here I was back in a hotel room in Cleveland, Ohio on New Years Eve getting ready to attend Kelly and John's New Year's party in the suite on the top floor against my better judgement. I had insisted on staying in for the night with a bowl of popcorn and a movie, but Ted nor Kelly would take no for an answer. Of course they wouldn't see the big deal… everyone else had a significant other to share a kiss with to ring in the New Year. But I was going to be standing there alone, like a loser, watching all the other couples around me. I guess that was more preferable to having to share a kiss with someone else on the roster who was also going to be riding solo.

The dress I had chosen for tonight was a black boat neck dress with a scoop back and beaded designs along the top hem and bottom that ended mid thigh. I paired it with a pair of black, studded six inch Louboutin pumps.

"Hey James, you ready?" Ted asked as he stepped out of the bathroom.

"Ted I can't express _enough_ how much I don't want to go," I said, a hint of pleading to be detected.

"Mickie, I know. And I feel awful about basically forcing you to do this, but I will not let you ring in the new year alone," he said sincerely.

"Oh and I'm supposed to stand around when that clock strikes midnight and watch all the happy couples ring in the new year with a kiss?"

"I don't know Mickie... maybe Rand-"

I sighed angrily, "Ted, Randy doesn't want anything to do with me. He made that _very_ clear."

"He was angry Mickie... he's had time to think about-"

"Ted just stop!" I said through gritted teeth, throwing my hands up in frustration. "You may think you're trying to help, but all you are doing is adding salt to the wounds by giving me false hope."

"I don't mean to but I wish you and Randy would get over yourselves."

I was surprised at the harshness of his words and the anger reflex wanted to bite back so badly but my body was much too exhausted, despite not thinking that that was even possible.

"Whatever Ted, I don't have the strength or energy to argue," I said wearily.

"So don't argue, you know I'm right," he responded, folding his arms across his chest.

"You think I don't know that," I paused, thinking about how I just admitted to Ted being right, "Why do you think I'm in this situation?" I continued, raising my voice slightly, "He doesn't want me and he's made that _perfectly_ clear. I'm sick of being rejected over and over again. It's time to move on." I took a deep breath and turned away from him, focusing on nothing in particular, "Of course there is no moving on. But that doesn't matter," I faced him once more, "because this heartbreak and pain is proof that I'm alive. It's proof that the love between Randy and I is real, and that's fine with me."

"I can't believe you're not willing to–" he stopped talking because a knock sounded on the door, "Why does that _always_ happen?" he grumbled, "I'm assuming you'll want _me_ to get that?"

"No actually I will," I said sharply, crossing the room quickly to pull open the door, trying to distract myself otherwise I was afraid I might hit my roommate.

Maryse was standing on the other side of the door with a huge smile on her face, "Hey you two," she glanced over my shoulder, "You ready to ring in the New Year?"

"Oh yeah," I muttered, trying my best to keep the sarcasm out of my voice as I retreated back into the room.

"Oh Mickie you will have a fabulous time," she followed me into the room and closed the door behind her, "and you look sexy!"

"If only looks were everything," I muttered.

She grinned back at me before looking at Ted, "Hey handsome," she reached out and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Ugh it's _you_ who has been feeding his ego, I _really_ appreciate that by the way," I couldn't help the sarcasm seeping into my tone this time.

"Oh James you love it," he smirked at me. Oh and now he was back to his annoying self. I honestly don't know which one I prefer.

"Oh shut up Ted. I'm in a foul mood, are you happy?" when he continued smirking at me I snapped, "Oh let's go you moron. I can't believe you're dating him," I said to Maryse.

She smiled, "I wonder that myself."

Before Ted could protest, she stepped forward and grabbed my hand, "You look hot Mickie now let's go show ourselves off."

I poked my tongue out at Ted and linked my arm through hers and allowed her to pull me out the door and down to catch the elevator to the top floor that housed the suite that was the place of the party. By the time we arrived, the party was in full swing and Kelly and John were waiting to welcome us.

"Happy New Years babe!" Kelly exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"Right back at you. This place looks _great_ Kel."

She shrugged her shoulders lightly and smiled, "You know me, gotta go all out. Besides New Years is my favourite holiday!"

"Kelly you did a fantastic job!" Maryse exclaimed as I stepped aside to allow them a chance to converse.

I looked up at John and smiled as I walked into his open arms and wrapped mine around him in return, "Hey big guy, how's it going?"

"Big guy? That's Dave's nickname," he chuckled.

"Yes and I miss him! But he seems to be keeping his distance, so that great nickname is yours for the time being," I grinned, taking a step back.

He smiled back at me before his face turned serious, "How you doing Micks?"

"I'm... I'm holding it together... for now anyway," I responded truthfully.

"You're probably sick of hearing this, but everything will be okay."

"You're right... I_ am_ sick of hearing that," I said with a grin.

He chuckled and slung an arm around my shoulders, "Touché. Now let's get you a drink and ring the New Year in properly."

An hour and a half later, after a few conversations with several of the divas, I tracked down Ted who was standing in the corner of the living room, immersed in conversation with both John's.

"Hey boys hope you're behaving," I smiled and turned to Ted, "Have you seen Cody?"

"Nope, why am I not enough entertainment for you?"

"_Nope_," I mocked him, rolling my eyes in irritation. I guess I wasn't in the mood for Ted these days. I assumed it was because of my lack of tolerance and sudden outbursts of anger.

I turned and strolled away from him and purposely avoided making eye contact with anyone else so that I could avoid having to immerse myself in conversation with anyone. It's not that I had anything against any of the people here, except Ted for the moment, I just didn't really care about the New Year because I was going to be spending it feeling the same as I was now – heartbroken and lonely. So what exactly did I have to celebrate?

"Well you're looking mighty fine."

I whirled around to find Cody standing behind me with a smile on his face.

"Cody," I breathed out and pulled him in for a hug, "I've been looking for you," I smiled at Michelle and Layla who passed by, appearing to be a little tipsy.

"What's up?" he asked, leading me to an empty corner in the dining room.

"I'm ready to throttle Ted," I grumbled.

"Well that's nothing new. It was only two hours ago he wouldn't shut up about us taking him to Disney world. I had to promise him we would just to shut him up because I was ready to kill him."

"Ugh why would you promise him that? You _know_ he's going to hold us to it. Ted is embarrassing to walk down the street with, imagine taking him to Disney world," I cringed at the thought.

Cody appeared lost in thought, a horrified look crossed his face before he shook his head and turned his attention back on me, "So how are you feeling?"

"How do you think? It's taking all my will power not to finish off that bottle of vodka on the table over there, but then I remember it wouldn't take away any of the pain so it would be useless."

"I don't know what to say Mickie... nothing just seems right and everything that can be said _has_ been said. We're here for you, but I know that's not enough to fill the hole I know you have. Ted can be annoying, but he's right. You and Randy need to work this out. You two will never be happy without each other. Sometimes I wish that wasn't the case because sometimes I want to kill him for what he's done to you and he most _certainly_ doesn't deserve you, but that doesn't change the reality. He's miserable and you're miserable... I don't believe this is the end for you two."

"Cody..."

"It's the only thing that makes sense Mickie. Don't you see... we were _meant_ to be friends. Not the three of us Mickie... the _four_ of us. And in case you haven't noticed, it's not possible for you two to be 'just friends'. You two are meant to be... it's the only way all of us could truly be friends. You can't tell me you don't see that..."

"Of course I do. But maybe that's not–" I inhaled sharply because I locked eyes with the one man I wasn't expecting to see here tonight.

Cody placed a hand on my shoulder and offered me an encouraging smile before taking his exit as Randy slowly and hesitantly made his way towards me. I was fully aware of the fact that my body was shaking and my breathing had become uneven. I hadn't seen him for four days but beyond that I hadn't spoken a word to him since the night Laura had left.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," I whispered back, trying to ignore the wave of emotion that overcame me, looking into the blue eyes that always seemed to have control over me. The blue eyes that were a symbol of everything I longed for. Life with Randy, happiness, but more than that... a future where I could gaze into those blue eyes anytime I felt I needed to.

"How uh," he cleared his throat, "how are you?"

"Why are you here?"

He glanced around, apparently trying to make sure no one was eavesdropping, "I came to apologize about... what happened. It's the New Year Mickie; I don't want to start it off with what happened last week hanging over us. It _kills_ me every time I think about what I did to you..."

"Randy it was an accident. You were drunk–"

"That's no excuse Mickie. I was angry and–"

"I said stop. Randy I don't want an apology from you," I mumbled.

He looked down at the drink in his hand before focusing on me once more and taking a few steps to lessen the gap, "Happy New Year Mickie," he said quietly and leaned down to place a kiss on the top of my head.

I closed my eyes at the action, not caring about the tears that had fallen down my face. I knew with certainty... this was goodbye. A few seconds later he had turned away, headed in the direction of the door. I looked to my right where Ted and Cody were standing together, a look of sadness mixed with confusion stretched across their faces. But there was something more there, it was the symbol of my past and my future with them. I wasn't about to let that go. If they still had hope... that was enough for me.

I set my drink down on the counter, not caring that it slopped over the sides and rushed past all the familiar faces, apologizing quickly to those I made contact with.

"Excuse me, excuse me..." I squeezed between two people, not bothering to look who it was until an arm reached out to stop me.

My heart was beating a thousand times per second and all I could think about was my chance slipping away before my eyes. This was my last moment... I knew Randy was fully intending to move on and any chance I had now was very, very slim.

"Mickie how are you?" I looked up into the dark brown eyes of Kofi Kingston, "It's been awhile hey?"

"Yeah I'm sorry I have to–"

"We were actually just talking about you," he continued and looking up I found he was talking to John Morrison, "About that time in Providence when you sweet talked that bartender into giving everyone a few round! Now _that_ is skill."

I could just barely process what was happening as I looked up at both of them, their images slightly distorted as my heart continued pounding in my ears. I was surprised that neither of them could hear the pounding. I stumbled away, catching myself on the corner of a table near the door. I don't know what was wrong with me... a panic attack maybe? I wrenched open the door and stumbled into the hallway.

"Randy!" I gasped, clutching my chest because I was sure my heart was going to explode at any given moment, "Randy!" I placed my hand over my forehead and leaned against the wall, "Randy," I whispered again.

"Mickie!" the concern I heard along with footsteps rushing in my direction. A moment later a pair of familiar hands wrapped around me. "Mickie are you okay?"

I leaned into him still struggling to slow down my breathing.

"I... Randy, please don't leave me," I whispered, the tears much heavier this time around.

"Mickie..." he sighed, "…we can't keep doing this."

I inhaled deeply and took a step back, wiping the tears off my face and the hair out of my eyes.

"I love you Randy," I whispered. "God only knows why, but I do. I made the mistake of not standing by you back then and I won't make the same mistake again. You are the only man who's ever held my heart... and you've never given it back. Whether you want to admit it or not – and I don't expect you to because you are too fucking stubborn – we were meant to be together. We were meant to accept each others flaws and mistakes and work through our past problems that a lot of other people wouldn't be able to and we were made to make each other happy."

"I... Mickie please don't do this..."

I reached out and grabbed his hands, taking note of the pained look on his face and the moisture in his eyes, "I know how you feel about me... sometimes you wish I would just disappear, other times I merely frustrate you, but most of the time all you feel towards me is love of the greatest kind. I know that because it's a direct reflection of my own feelings." I reached up and used my hand to turn his head so I could look into his eyes, "We are supposed to drive each other crazy and argue over stupid things. But we are also meant to respect, support, appreciate and love each other unconditionally and we do Randy. What more could you ask for?"

I lifted his hand up and held it in both of mine, placing a soft kiss on the top of it before allowing my brown eyes to meet his blue eyes. I no longer felt scared or nervous; I knew I was in the right place at the right time.

"Greatness may be _your_ destiny Orton, but you're _my_ destiny."

Randy's POV

I turned away from her, overwhelmed at the emotion that had built up inside me over Mickie's words. I actually felt tears in my eyes but for once I didn't have the strength to care. I didn't know how to respond because I didn't know what it was that I really wanted. I turned around to face her once more, and looked into those beautiful, soft brown eyes that had always captivated me. In them I saw glimpses of the past, of how happy we were together. I narrowed my eyes in confusion, and continued staring because it wasn't only the past that I saw... Mickie and I _still_ made each other happy. Back when I was younger and before I had met Mickie... I had envisioned myself potentially settling down and having a family with only one other woman... Laura. But those visions seemed so weak in comparison to what it was that I truly wanted with Mickie. She was one of a kind, and there wasn't one other person on this planet that would ever, _ever_ compare to Mickie in my eyes.

How could I have ever given up this woman standing in front of me? I was the biggest fool for wasting these last three years. She's the only woman I'll ever be truly happy with and she's the only woman I'll ever want for the rest of my life.

I took a step forward, a look of doubt crossing her face, "You're wrong Mickie..."

Her face fell and a look of pain crossed her face. I cursed myself for making her feel doubt in all this.

"My destiny..." I looked into her eyes, knowing this was a long time coming, "...is you," I finished, knowing it sounded lame, but it was nothing short of the truth.

She exhaled deeply, the tears flowing down her face. She laughed weakly as she rushed forward and threw her arms around my neck as I grasped her tightly to my body.

It was going to be hard to get past everything that has taken place recently and in the past, and if it was anyone else I don't think it would be possible. But this was Mickie… and to me she is the epitome of _everything_ that I want. So as long as I got to sleep next to her every night and wake up to her every morning… I was more than willing to endure whatever hardship was going to be thrown our way next.

Mickie's POV

I cried, happy tears, into his shoulder. It only took me three years, but Randy Orton was mine once again. After several minutes he pulled away and wiped the tears off my face with his thumb. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I hope these are happy tears," he murmured, brushing the hair out of my face.

"Only you could call me a bitch one day and make me incredibly happy the next," I chuckled, wiping the remaining tears off my face.

"I'm sorry about that... about everything. Especially about taking so long... I'm such a damn fool."

"It only took us three years, but we finally made it," I said softly.

He looked down at me, "It's always been worth it Mickie."

"For me too... I'm just sorry about hurting you. Randy that's the–"

He placed a finger on my lips, "Us hurting each other is inevitable, the important thing is we learn how to get through it... together."

I smiled at his words, reminiscing on how I had used a similar bit of advice back at the family reunion of 2004. I looked up into his eyes... it all felt so surreal. After everything that had happened, could Randy Orton _really_ be mine again? Before I had the chance to contemplate further he lifted his arm up and glanced at his wrist watch.

"Just in time," he said with a smile.

"For what?" I asked, confused at his words.

"Happy New Year Mickie," he responded.

"You know, they say how you spend New Years is how you'll spend your year," I said with a smile.

"Good," he grinned down at me before swooping down and capturing my lips with his. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, smiling against his lips, trying to remember the last time I was _this_ happy. Oh yeah... four years ago when I had told Randy I was pregnant.

We were interrupted during our kiss by the opening of the hotel room door and the clapping and cheering of everyone inside. I turned to look and found all of our fellow superstars and divas smiling at us shouting things like 'finally' and 'it took them long enough' as those stuck in the back craned to get a better look.

I looked back up into Randy's eyes and we both grinned to each other, placing my head against his forehead.

"I guess this was a long time coming hey?" I asked.

"Mickie... that's an understatement," he responded, causing me to giggle once more before I placed my lips against his, my heart swelling with joy and happiness at this moment in my life.

"Excuse me! Coming through! I think we have more of a right to be watching this than all of you!" I heard a shout and looked back into the room to see Ted shoving his way through the crowd followed closely by Cody who was muttering apologies.

Ted and Cody, both with grins plastered on their faces, came strolling up to us and pulled us into a group hug.

"I told you I was right!" Ted shouted.

"God Ted this isn't even your moment! Do you have to ruin _everything_?" Cody complained.

"_Every_ moment is my moment. Besides I am responsible for this!" he looked up into Randy's eyes and the smile vanished instantly as he cleared his throat, "Sorry about the uh..." he rubbed the back of his head, "Punching you in the face thing..."

Randy smirked back at him, "Don't worry about it... I was thankful. It would've been less effective to punch myself."

"Oh well you're welcome then," Ted said smugly.

"Ted?" Randy questioned.

"Yeah man..."

"Don't let it happen again," Randy said warningly.

The blonde cleared his throat once more, "Right, of course. I wouldn't even dream of... Mickie has anyone told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he said in a high voice.

Randy looked down at me once more, "Of course I did," he said before pulling me into his arms once more.

"So… when are we going to Disney World?" Ted questioned.

_**CFY**_

**One year later...**

_Looking back at my friends and family seated on the chairs as well as Ted and Cody who were standing to my right and behind Randy, I knew with certainty that without their unconditional support they had extended over the years, I would not be here, standing in front of the only man I've ever truly been in love with about to say the only two words that mattered on a day like today._

"_I do," I said with the utmost confidence._

_I couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Randy was fully mine and I in turn was his... this was truly the happiest day of my life and I don't believe it could ever be topped. My happiness was dependent upon Randy's role in my life and taking into consideration the fact that we had just gotten married, I knew I was going to be happy the rest of my life. Of course it was going to be hard, and there were going to be difficulties, I wasn't __**that,**__ naive but I was ready to face whatever was to come as long as I had Randy by my side._

I didn't know it was possible to be _this_ happy. I mean sure I've had my fair share of moments, but none of those amounts to the feeling that has enveloped me as I watched my wedding reception take place around me… reminiscing on the wedding ceremony that had taken place several hours ago.

"I'm not going to lie..." I spoke out loud to Ted and Cody who had joined me in watching all of our guests dance and enjoy themselves. I smiled and sent a wave in the direction of my new husband who was sharing a dance with my mother. "...I had my doubts about us; low moments where I had no hope whatsoever that things would work out. Too much history and a lot of betrayal and manipulation, but I think somewhere deep, deep down I always knew we were strong enough to overcome the odds stacked against us."

"I never had a moments doubt Mickie. You and Randy were still able to be civil despite everything that happened; I always knew you were capable to get past everything to be together. You complete each other and as stupid as that sounds, it's the best way to describe the two of you."

"We bring out the best in one another. He may have his flaws, but I'm far from perfect. Without him I don't know who I am. That may sound clingy and pathetic but he and I are connected, intertwined to each other if you will. Our history ties us together; it's not something that can be discarded." I took a deep breath, "It's like he's a part of me you know?"

"And you just married him," Ted grasped my hand and offered me a smile, "Everything is the way it's supposed to be."

I shook my head before smiling, "I know, I do, I'm just... I'm so happy that it scares me." I looked back and forth between the two men who had stood by me through thick and thin... the two men who were responsible, along with a few select others, for getting me to where I was today.

"Why? Mickie, you and Randy found each other again," Cody reassured me.

I knew how silly I was acting, but I couldn't help the doubt that had managed to seep in on the happiest day of my life.

I released a small sigh, "At the beginning of 2006, after Randy had proposed to me the first time and then we found out about the baby, I knew _exactly_ what I wanted with my life – as important as wrestling is to me, starting a family with Randy was... god I wanted it so much... and then the whole thing with the pregnancy, it shattered my world. The amount of pain..." I breathed in, "...indescribable." It was much easier to talk about this part of my history considering what had happened and how we finally got our closure.

"And then I came back to Raw and despite the odds we managed to repair what I thought was a broken relationship. I fell in love with him again only to find out it was the wrong place, wrong time. You were both there; you know how I barely made it through that. Now... this is my wedding day and I just can't shake this feeling." I was only just realizing that my hands were quivering so I placed them on the table hoping to stop them.

Ted grasped my hand in his and forced me to look at him, "I'm not, good with intelligent words or comforting ones but Mickie I've seen the way you look at each other and I also saw the way he looked at you up on that altar. It was as if he was staring at his life Mickie, because that's what you are to him. It's what you are to each other. It puts the rest of us to shame with our feeble attempts at love," he finished with a small chuckle.

I wiped a tear that managed to escape, "God why must I be so negative? It's my wedding day," I cried out, laughing a bit.

"You wouldn't be you if you weren't. Don't worry, we love you regardless," Cody winked at me.

I smiled, "Seriously what would I do without you guys?"

"You would definitely be a lot more depressing, wouldn't she?" Ted questioned Cody.

"Definitely, and not as cool," Cody added with a grin.

"Hey my day remember?" I said. "Speaking of... I better go find Kelly and Melina."

"Oh so now we aren't good enough?" Ted faked insult.

"Well sure if you wanna help me pee," I said casually.

Cody and Ted both turned and exchanged looks before jumping to their feet, "We'll tell them you're looking for them," Ted said before they both scurried off.

I chuckled to myself and scanned the ballroom. It was filled with family, mine and Randy's, and friends from both the business and otherwise. Everyone seemed happy and enjoying themselves, but there was only one other person whose happiness mirrored my own. I locked eyes with him and felt my fear vanish almost instantly. It was as if he was telling me everything was _finally_ okay with one look. He motioned for me to come to him but I shook my head and pointed to the restroom. He nodded his head and turned back to continue the conversation he was engaged in with his father and my own.

I finally found my two girlfriends and after a hard, yet amusing, time in the bathroom, I found myself back in the main room surveying my wedding guests once more. I felt someone brush against me and turning to expect Randy, I found someone else instead.

"Laura," I said with surprise.

"Mickie..." she acknowledged me back.

"You're not going to attack me are you? If so I would like a bit of warning," I half-teased.

She chuckled with amusement, "I'm not _that_ bad."

"You're certainly full of surprises..." I muttered. There was silence for a moment, "As hard as it may be to believe I'm glad you came... for Randy. I know how much it means to him. So thank you."

"It's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to endure, but I was telling nothing but the truth when I told you I want his happiness. I know that's what you want too. I assume that's why you didn't tell me about the... affair," she turned to stare intently into my eyes.

"You know... about that?"

I closed my eyes and sighed as she pressed on, "I'm not stupid Mickie. I had a feeling something was going on... especially after I learned about the incorporation of you into Legacy."

"Laura... I want you to know, I _never_ knew that he was dating you at the time. Believe me when I say I wouldn't have allowed it to happen."

She stared at me, remaining silent for a few moments before responding, "I know. But why didn't you tell me? I mean I won't lie and say I would have ended things, but you didn't know that."

"I'm not manipulative... okay I _can_ be, but never did that even cross my mind. At that point I just wanted his pain to end."

"Even if that meant causing you pain the rest of your life?" she questioned.

"As masochistic as it sounds... yes. His happiness is more important to me than my own. I've made many selfish decisions when it pertains to him, but I didn't want to put him through anymore pain," I glanced across the room at Randy. "You know a girl once asked me how or why I thought I was good enough for him because she didn't think she was..." Laura sent me a questioning look, "We get some... different fans all over the world. Anyway the stupid thing is I didn't know what to say."

"Oh please why do they always put him on a pedestal? I will never understand."

"Not long after the girl asked I realized the exact same thing. He's very good looking and... well known but he's a normal guy... with major flaws. And yet he's everything I want."

"He sucks at cleaning and barely knows how to do laundry," she complained.

"Well I'm good at that but I couldn't cook if my life depended on it..." I chuckled.

"That hardly surprises me," she said rudely.

I rolled my eyes, "And I thought we were having a bonding moment."

"Oh please are you delusional?"

"Nice talk," I said sarcastically.

After another longer silence she spoke again, "You know Mickie, if I had to pick one person in this world apart from myself to be with him," she paused for a second and sighed, "obviously, given my appearance in your hotel room a year ago, it would be you. And not because I think you're better or that you even deserve him but because you know what it's like to love him, to be _in_ love with him. You can see past the arrogance and the wall he has built around his life and know how he is truly feeling deep down. Instead of turning him into some problem, like our natural female instinct, you stand by his side and accept who he is, unlike the women who are under the impression that they love him after spending a night with him. That's what it's like to truly love Randy Orton… and you understand that."

I didn't know it was possible for her to surprise me even more than she did that night a year ago, but low and behold here I was, at a loss for words. It was weird because that was what I was trying to get Ted to understand when he encouraged me to tell Laura about the affair more than a year ago. Those words, and the understanding between us, are what tied Laura and me together despite our obvious dislike for one another. It's weird how the one person you understand is also the one you don't want to.

"Of course that doesn't mean I like you," she said quickly.

"Oh! Of course not!" I said dramatically.

"Am I gonna have to separate you two?" the Viper spoke as he cautiously and dramatically approached us.

"Surprisingly no. Wait for it…" I paused for dramatic effect, "…we got along for a whole two minutes before she reminded me of how much she doesn't like me."

"I'm impressed," he said with a grin.

Laura took a step towards him, "Don't get used to it," she said, offering her own smirk.

She pulled him in for a hug, "I'm happy for you Randy, but I'm going to go now and I'm sure you understand why," she spoke softly, but just loud enough for me to hear. She turned to face me once she pulled away, "Don't screw this up Mickie.

"I won't," I promised before rushing forward to give her my own hug to which she was extremely surprised, "Too much?" I asked hesitantly.

"Just a bit," she said awkwardly before muttering a good bye and hurrying off.

"What… was that?" Randy questioned me.

"We understand each other," I said nonchalantly, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

"Oh really? Last I checked you hated each other," he reminded me.

"That doesn't mean we don't get each other… when it comes to you anyway." We started swaying to the music, "Are you sure you chose the right one?" I teased.

"I… I don't know," he turned to look at the entrance where Laura disappeared to, "I mean I thought so… but now–"

Was he… serious?

He sent me a smirk and kissed the top of my forehead, "Mickie, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

I could tell just by looking into his eyes, that he had meant every word.

I punched him in the arm, "It's not funny to joke about that! Especially on our wedding day."

"Sorry," he said with a grin before his expression turned serious, "I was always fooling myself by thinking I could live a life without you. You are my life Mickie James, there's no _living_ without you."

"I believe that's Mickie _Orton _now," I responded with a smile.

"I like that," he reached down and kissed my forehead once more.

"Awe look at the Viper being all sentimental, alert the media!"

"That's why I made sure no one was around," he winked. "If you tell anyone they won't believe you, you have no proof."

I shrugged my shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck, "That's okay, I feel special that I'm one of the very few people who can see past you're cold, hard exterior. Not very many people know just how sweet you can be. It makes the action that much more special."

"That's because you're special Mickie… the most amazing person I have ever met in my life."

"I love who you are Randy Orton, and I'm glad that you are still the same Viper. I loved who you were back in 2004… but who you are now makes more sense. You're cautious about letting just anyone in your life and those that you do allow, you look after and do everything you can to protect them. You're smarter because you've learned from your mistakes and your past. Others don't know the real you… but I do, and I wouldn't change a thing."

"Look who's talking. You're a strong woman Mickie. And even though you don't think so, you're selfless and you always put others before yourself. I may have fallen in love with a different Mickie James, but if it's possible, I love you even more than I did then. This Mickie that was forged over the last several years makes more sense for _me_."

"Hey I can't believe you cheap asses didn't spring for dessert that didn't taste like crap." Looking to our right we watched as Ted and Cody approached us.

"Sorry I tried keeping him away, but Ted's a resilient ass," Cody said with a grin.

"Ted you're so ungrateful. This is Mickie's big day, stop being such a dick," Randy responded, sending him an evil Viper glare.

"It's okay," I said, grasping Randy's hand in mine, "It wouldn't be normal if Ted wasn't saying something that made me want to punch him in the face. That's what makes him _my_ Ted," I stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.

"And that's why she's my best friend!" Ted said proudly.

"And Randy and I are thinking 'Thank God'," Cody responded as Randy nodded in agreement. "You can have him!"

I laughed, "Life would just _not_ be the same without you three!"

"Well I hope not seeing as how I'm your new husband," Randy responded.

"Now since it's your big day and all, I really need to ask you a very important question," Ted spoke up.

The three of us turned to face him, expecting something serious to come out of his mouth to match the expression on his face.

"You promised me Disney World… so when are you going to take me?"

Oh Ted… how he never seems to change.

I laughed along with the rest of them, glancing at each of their faces in turn. This was what I wanted for the rest of my life – my husband and my two best friends. And even though we were no longer Legacy in the storyline, we will always be the Legacy for the rest of our lives. Because that is the bond we forged a year and a half ago… a bond that I am a hundred percent certain will last until the end of time.

_Well there is the last and final chapter of Crazy for You. I honestly hope that you are not disappointed. I have literally been going crazy over the last month trying to come up with the appropriate ending, and I must have gone through a million ideas. This is the only one I truly liked. I want to apologize sincerely for taking so long to update, and leaving it on a cliff hanger like I did. I know what it's like to wait for a story to be updated! _

_I was going to post a picture of a wedding dress, but I would much rather you picture it however you want :)_

_I have been thinking of a sequel… but there are no guarantees so just stay tuned. It would be different and I'm inclined to write an adventure sequel, but who knows? _

_Also if any of you have been anticipating the Round Robin challenge that Claire O'Mack came up with, I want to apologize for the lack of the first chapter! I've been ridiculously busy but I promise to post the first chapter as soon as I complete it. I have been going over various ideas, and none of them just seem to be the right one._

_I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you who read this story, especially those of you who left a review. It means so much to me that there are others who enjoyed reading Crazy for You as much as I did writing it. I love this story, and I'm sad that I've finished it but I'm excited to move on to something else!_

_I hope I haven't forgotten to include anything in this author's note... seeing how it is the last. So just… thank you once again :) And I really, really hope you liked this chapter. Please tell me what you think!_


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Wrestling, Friendship, Romance