"Open the door, Anise!" he bellowed from outside of the room. "I will not do this all goddamn day! Open the fucking door!"

"No!" she screamed out, holding her children close to her. "Please, leave us alone! Please!"

There was no one around. No one to help her and her children escape the wrath that he had. She only knew it was a matter of time before he located her. But she scolded herself for becoming too comfortable here. For becoming too secure out in the middle of nowhere. She should have known better. She should have been more careful. And she should have kept moving on.

"""""

Two Years Ago...

He grabbed her arm violently, yanking her back to where he was.

"Look at me, damn it," he said, those blue eyes nearly making her feel sorry enough. "We can't keep doing this, Anise."

"I know and that's why I'm leaving." She pulled her arm away from him and continued to pack her items.

"You can't just leave either."

"And why not?"

"Because you're my wife!" he stated as he swiftly moved closer to her. "You think you can just commit yourself to me, and then leave?"

"Oh, please, Randy!" she spat out. "Commit? What commitment? I have to answer the phone and hear one of your bimbos ask for you? Is that the kind of commitment you wanted from me?"

He lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This has to stop," he calmly said.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed, zipping close her bag. "Which is why I'll be gone."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, Randy." She slung the bag over her shoulder. "You should have thought about that before."

She disliked the fact that he followed her out of the bedroom they had shared these past few years, and down the staircase into the foyer. But she didn't say anything. It's not like he'd ever listened to her anyway. She'd lost count of the many times they'd done this. Right as her foot was sticking out of the door, and she could smell the fresh air that waited for her, he reeled her back in.

"How am I supposed to see my kids?" he asked.

And hook.

"Randy," she said, turning around to him.

"I barely get to see them anyway. You always send them over to Steph's or your mom's. Why can't they be here with us while I'm home? I'm not away enough as it is?"

"Because they don't need to see us fighting and arguing all the time. The fuck kind of question is that? You can see them at headquarters – "

"How do you expect me to fix anything if I can never do what I need to do?"

She could feel the line get tighter. He was reeling her in. She started hating herself for constantly giving into him long before they even had their twins. No matter what he ever did to her, she always forgave him and was instantly right back into his arms. Then he'd choke her again... He'd hit her again... The cycle never seemed to end.

But tonight was enough. If he wanted to argue, fine. She'd let him. But she wouldn't let him stop her from walking out this time.

"There's nothing to fix, Randy," she quietly said. She watched his hand move toward her shoulder as he attempted to grab her bag.

"Here, let me set that down for you." The smooth, rumbling voice of his never failed to set her on fire. "Just come with me, we can talk it out – "

She snapped his hand away from her. "No," she plainly said. "No, I don't want to talk. I want to leave. The kids will see you when you come to the headquarters." Brushing her hair away from her face, she tilted her chin up at him. "I don't want to do this anymore, Randy. I'm tired of it."

"So am I," he shot back quickly. "You think I enjoy doing this? You think I like bickering with you from sun up to sun down? This goes on every single day we're around each other, Anise."

"And don't you think it's time to end it?"

He came in so close to her that she could feel his warm breath send jolts of electricity down her spine. "You are my wife. I asked you to marry me because I wanted to spend my life with you."

And sinker. She didn't know what it was. What it was about him that made her knees give out... That made her legs feel like they'd collapse at any moment. Randy Orton was a very special man indeed, with some incredible talents, and it made her agree to come back every time.

Their lips almost touched, almost gave into the heat between them... But she pulled away, waving her hand in the air. She swore at the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"I can't," she choked out. "I can't do it anymore." A heavy sob escaped her lips before she spoke again. "I'm so tired. I just can't."

For whatever reason, Randy didn't stop her as she turned from him, twisting the door knob to the front door, and left. He just stood there, long after she was gone. And she was gone. She just left...

"""""

"So, what now?" Shawn asked. He was sitting on the railing to the steps of the porch. "Dad, we can't just let her go back to him. And she can't go to mom's. That's the first place he'll look."

"You sure she didn't tell him?"

Shawn raised a hand up. "That's what she told me. That she packed a bag and left. I hope she didn't say anything to him, because I'd hate to shoot the motherfucker."

"You know you're talking about murdering the father to your niece and nephew, right?" Anise's voice came from behind where they were. He looked behind him, a grin on his face.

"He may be the father, but he put his hands on you, and that just don't sit right with me," Shawn replied. Anise pulled the hoodie she wore to, crossing her arms, and stepped out to where Jeff stood in front of her brother.

"Oh, that's just big brother talk, Anise," Shawn's uncle, Matt, said as he waved his hand towards her. "You know someone's gotta save the younger ones."

She smiled at his humor, grateful for him making a tense comment somewhat relaxed. Leaning against the railing next to Shawn, she laid her head against his arm, and he gladly placed his arm around her shoulders, offering her some warmth.

"Speaking of siblings, where are all the little ones?" Matt asked, noticing that neither his nephew nor Anise had any of their children.

"Mine are with mom," Anise said first.

"Cristine's gone to the store," Shawn then replied. "Took Astrid with her."

Jeff stubbed out the cigarette he was smoking. "I must be the only one here with no babies," he grinned.

"Only one old enough," retorted Matt.

"Says the old man!" Jeff exclaimed. After the laughter dwindled down, Jeff focused his attention on Anise. When she arrived, she looked utterly exhausted. There were no words to explain exactly how rundown she appeared. As if she had been running. Away from what, Jeff really didn't know. The only other person who could really answer that for any of them would have been Orton himself, but at this point, none of them spoke to him anymore.

They'd simply grown apart, and for the only fact that one of theirs was even involved with him, did they ever really hear his name. Shawn though... Jeff had never seen him so angered. Never seen his son so completely wrapped up in wanting to destroy someone. Hell, if Cristine and Anise hadn't been here to stop him, he most likely would have gone after the man. Jeff knew that Shawn wanted to break down and go insane, but he didn't for Anise. She was the only thing that really kept him sane sometimes.

"How you been, Anise?" Jeff asked casually.

She lightly shrugged. "Doing okay, I guess. Glad that everyone around here does the same old thing."

Jeff nodded in agreement. "Always been. Gunner and Gianna going to come down too?"

"Think I will pick them up and bring them down for a bit," she answered as they all turned and looked at beaming headlights. The car pulled up and stopped, and Cristine opened the driver's side door. Within a minute, Anise heard her tiny niece.

"Aunt Nisey!"

"Why, hey there, girlie," Anise said, holding out her arms, inviting the little girl for a hug. "How's my sweet honey?"

"Good," she simply answered. "You gonna stay the night?"

"Honey, I'll be staying a few nights," she said, tapping the girl's nose.

"Can we have a sleepover?"

"We sure can. Can I invite your cousins over?"

"Yes, ma'am." Astrid ran over to her mother, continuing to talk on. "I love my cousins!"

Anise smiled at the little girl. So much like her father, it wasn't even funny. A moment later, her eyes drifted up to Cristine, who was guiding her daughter into the house while signaling for Anise.

"Come on!" she said from across the patio. "We got some talkin' to do!"

"Night, guys," she said, pushing herself off the railing and heading towards the door.

"Night, Anise," both Matt and Jeff called out as she disappeared back into the house.

A/N and Disclaimer: This is the third (and probably final) story installment from my other two stories Caught In Between and Her Time To Live. I guess I should also add this note while I'm at it: This story has explicit and graphic scenes of violence and abuse. I know for me, on a personal level, I can relate to some of these scenes. I am in no way glorifying domestic violence, and I am in no way claiming that Randy Orton is really like this. I don't know the man. I have no idea what he's like. This is purely fictional, although some examples may be pulled from my own personal experience.

That being said, given the fair warning, anyone who reads past this chapter knows that the story may go into details that aren't so pleasant.