Summary: Dr. Alexandra Avery ran away from a dark and glamorous past to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. Upon landing a job with the WWE, she meets the intensely troubled Randy Orton. Together, can they finally feel safe and wanted? (Rated M for later chapters - by later I mean soon)

Disclaimer: Yada yada yada I don't own anybody.

A/N: Thanks alana2awesome for the review. Read, enjoy and review!

Heels clicking on the concrete as Doctor Alexandra Avery walked towards the backstage exit. Her eyes were so focused because of the rush of fearlessness that had gone through her body just moments ago. She had the courage to tell Randy Orton off in a way that didn't involve words. All she had to do was pop his shoulder back in in a way that would guarantee the most pain. A small smile escaped her lips at the mental image of his face when she uttered his name. Sitting on the examination table, he was holding onto his sore shoulder and staring dumbstruck at the young doctor.

She pulled out the iPhone from her coat pocket and dialed the number of a local cab.

"Hi, can I have a cab pick me up at the Springfield Arena - backstage parking lot. The name's Alex Avery."

Alex sighed to clear her mind of the eventful first day at work. From the meeting with Vince in Connecticut to her road trip with John and Matt –

"Doctor Avery," said a voice from behind.

Speak of the devil. She turned around to face John Cena and Matthew Korklan, who looked like they were fresh out of the gym shower and ready to head to the hotel.

"Hey, guys."

"We couldn't help but overhear you calling for a cab," said Matt, "Don't think that you're getting away from us that easy."

"I didn't want to be a bother-"

John and Matt turned to look at each other with disbelieving expressions. "Alex, Alex, Alex… you're coming with us. We'll drop you off to the hotel, and to the event tomorrow, and if you even need a ride home – we'll do that too."

"Speaking of which, where you from?" asked Matt.

"I've lived in New York for seven years but I grew up in LA."

"City girl, eh?" said John.

"Yup, I don't know how to live otherwise. I went to camp one summer and couldn't stand all the bugs. Granted I was eleven and a major brat, it totally ruined the wilderness for me."

The two wrestlers laughed at her honesty. From the way she was always dressed like she belonged at a Barney's shop window, the last place anyone would find Alex was on a farm.

"Well, you are going to love traveling with us. We see the craziest shit everyday," said Matt.

Alex and the two wrestlers walked to their rental as they talked about all the strange sights they would see while they were on the road. Apparently, the further away you were from civilization, the more America upped its crazy factor. John told her stories about the hundreds of signs they would see for the 'world's largest rubber band ball'. Matt would tell her about the travelling circuses all over the Mid West. Alex couldn't help but feel horrified and at the same time excited about the literal road ahead. Sure, there would be people like Orton and Maryse who would make her job a little more difficult, but going on tour with the WWE was like an ode to Kerouac and the great American adventure – something she never really experienced growing up.

The next day, Alex woke up at 6AM to shower and check out of her hotel room. She met the boys an hour later for breakfast before they drove to the next location. The house show was taking place in a mid-sized arena in New Hampshire. The ride, like the others, was full of John's corny jokes and Matt's locker room gossip. Alex was becoming more comfortable in this routine; often, she would mock John's jokes or accuse Matt of being the WWE's own Perez Hilton. It was all in good fun though.

The laid back atmosphere at a house show meant John and Matt had more time to hang out with Alex and introduce her to the non-backstage crew of the WWE. On her first day, she met the medical team, and most of the production crew. Today, she was meeting the men and women who were drawing in hundreds and thousands of fans almost every night.

At the beginning, Alex was a little nervous meeting the wrestlers because of her lack of WWE knowledge. She managed to quickly ease herself into the situation and carry conversations with people she would have probably never spoken to had she not worked in the same company. Speaking to the wrestlers she was introduced to was a pleasant surprise. Even if they didn't have a lot in common right off the bat, she noticed how most of them were friendly and easy-going – much like John and Matt.

She was in a casual conversation with Adam Copeland and Phil Brooks when she noticed their attention turn to catering's entrance. Alex turned around to look at the man who quickly captivated the room's attention.

"Whoa, was that just me or did something creepy happen when Orton walked in?" asked Alex, turning her head back to the two wrestlers.

"No one expected him to be here, that's all," said Phil.

Adam, spoke up, "He comes to house shows mid-way through or never at all. He's gotten into a lot of trouble for it but right now, Vince can't afford to suspend him any longer. He's a top draw."

The doctor watched as Adam shrugged his shoulders and Phil scratched the back of his head. Certainly, Orton was not a popular guy backstage. And if he was, it was due to notoriety and not exactly from being well-liked. Alex excused herself from the conversation and walked towards the snacks table.

He was eating from a handful of m&m's while looking through the display of other sweet treats. She stood a foot away from him, but he didn't notice her. She cleared her throat. He finally turned to meet her breathtaking blue-green eyes.

"Hi," she said more nervously than she would have liked. She hadn't forgotten about him telling her to 'do her job.' She wanted to come up to him to assert her fearlessness just as she did the previous night, but that intent was thrown out the window when she looked into his soft blue eyes.

He smiled – the last thing she expected. "Hey, Doc!"

He said it loud enough that the people sitting nearby turned to look at them. She exchanged a confused glance with John who was chatting with Maria a few tables away. As soon as she turned her attention back to him, a heavy arm wrapped itself around her shoulder.

"Doc, thanks a lot for fixing my shoulder," Randy whispered into her ear.

Immediately, Alex' eyebrows shot up and lips parted in surprise. She took an involuntary whiff of the man who had his arm around her and she knew exactly what this man was on. It boggled her mind that everyone else in the room had no idea. She took his arm and led him outside, but not before John stopped them.

"I need to check on his shoulder. He's been having some pain," lied Alex before John could say anything.

Reluctantly, John nodded his head and stepped aside to let the two pass.

When they arrived at the empty medical room, Alex pushed Randy inside and closed the door behind her. She shook her head, not really knowing what to do or say, or why she even cared in the first place. She looked at him – he was sitting on the table with a new handful of m&m's while the other hand picked out all the brown ones and threw them across the room.

"What the hell were you thinking going into work high as a fucking kite?" Alex asked, trying to keep her voice as inaudible as possible.

"Dunno what you're talking about, Doc. I'm not high," Randy grinned, proving even further that he had gotten his hands on a fat bowl of grass.

"I'm not stupid, Randy Orton. I can tell when someone's smoked a shitload of weed."

Randy grinned, his eyes creasing into a squint. He took her wrist and pulled her in between his legs, "Shhh…" he whispered, "they can hear you."

Alex retreated from the uncomfortable position only to be pulled back by Randy. "Please don't tell, Doc. It'll be our little secret, ok?"

This was the part where Alex would put the cocky wrestler in his place, the part where she would tell him off and threaten to tell management about his drug use. She was very well aware of their Wellness Program and the strict one-strike drug policy. If she really was as fearless and audacious as she wanted to portray herself to be, Randy Orton would be unemployed by tomorrow. But that's not what happened.

She looked into his blue eyes, glazed over from the high, his mouth forming an innocent, sweet smile, his free hand gently holding onto her wrists. She bit her bottom lip and sighed softly, "Ok."

Alex pulled herself away from his grip and watched his smile turn wider. He shoved the remaining candies into his mouth and chewed them with gusto. "But before you go out there tonight and show your face to your colleagues, we need to get you off this high. There's a shower in there," she pointed to the door at the end of the room, "take a cold shower and when you get back, I'll have a cup of coffee for you."

"Yes, Doc," he giggled, stepping off the examination table. As he made his way to the shower room, he pulled his Viper shirt over his head and began to unbuckle his belt. A pink flush rose to her cheeks when he peeled off his jeans and set them on the doorway to the bathroom. He was only in a pair of boxer briefs when he stepped in and closed the door behind him. Alex faintly smacked herself on the head to concentrate on the task at hand. She didn't need the image of Randy's sexy backside distracting her.

With coffee in hand, Alex returned to the medical room to find that it was in the same condition she had left it. Randy's clothes pooled on the floor and across the table, there was a small collection of cracked, brown m&m's. She set the large cup of black coffee on a counter and sat on a large leather couch to wait for Randy's cold, sobering shower to end.

Alex should have probably kept her hands in her head much longer because she wasn't sure if her hormones could take the image of a nearly naked Randy Orton. He caught enough to see her jaw drop on the floor before she recomposed herself and feigned disgust.

"Put a shirt on, Orton."

He smirked, "I thought you were enjoying the show."

"As if," she rolled her eyes in a move that would even put Alicia Silverstone in Clueless to shame.

He walked towards her with his hands on his hips, wrapped in a dangerously loose white towel. He licked his lips as he towered over the woman. Alex stood up and met his gaze. She could feel from the heat between them that Randy didn't listen when she told him specifically to take a cold shower. She could feel the heat forming between them.

His fingers grazed lightly against her exposed arm, his mind going a hundred miles a minute on what he could do to this gorgeous woman standing before him. In that moment, he forgot about their first meeting, when she caused him more physical pain than was warranted. At this point, he just wanted to feel her touch – even if it meant causing him pain. He watched as her eyes broke away from his and her head looked down to watch his fingers. Randy lifted her chin. He needed to see her face, her clear eyes, her luscious lips.

The ring from her cell phone broke their thoughts and Alex pulled away. She reached into her purse and sighed at the name on the caller ID. Before she could decide whether to take it or not, Randy had disappeared into the bathroom with his clothes in tow.

"Hi," she greeted quietly.

"Hey baby," the pet name made her cringe.

"What do you want, Justin?"

"Why so angry? I just wanted to see how you've been. How's the new job?"

Alex bit her lip, "I'm well. The job's different but I'm adjusting quickly."

"That's good to hear. I've been trying to call you, baby, but –"

"I wasn't answering," she cut him off, "I'm sorry, but we're over, Jus. You can't just keep calling me and expect me to cave and come back to you."

"Alex, we were together for three years. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

She tried to control her tears from coming through. After all, it was only a month ago when she caught the so-called love of her life cheating on him with a medical intern. "It did mean something to me – until you broke that trust and slept with that whore."

"Alex…"

"No!" she cried, "I'm done with you, Justin. Please get over that."

"Are you really over me?"

Her silence meant hesitation. To Alex, it made her question if her resolution to leave him was true. For Justin, her silence meant hope.

"I'm done, Justin. Please stop calling me."

With that, she ended the call and turned around to see the perplexed expression on the third-generation wrestler's face. She didn't want to talk about her past relationship. And who was he to be concerned? It wasn't like they were friends. They just happened to play a part in a compromising situation – nothing more. Alex reached for the coffee and handed it to Randy. He took a swig from the cup and grimaced.

"You call that coffee?"

"It's the only thing they had at catering."

"I'm going to drive to a Starbucks. Want to come with?"

Randy and Alex walked towards the backstage exit. On the way, Randy asked her how she knew how to cure a high which prompted Alex to tell him a little about her sense of adventure in high school. They exchanged high school stories and laughed along the way. Unbeknownst to them, Matt was standing a few feet from the door getting a good view of the pair leaving the arena.

Alex reached over Randy to hand her credit card to the Starbucks barista. They had gone through the drive-thru and Randy insisted on paying. Alex was having none of it because she only thought it was fair for her to pay since he was the one driving. Randy licked his lips when he noticed her sweater hike up to reveal the tan skin on her lower back. When the barista returned her card, Alex sank back down on her seat. He handed her the Caramel Macchiatto and took the Venti black coffee for himself before he generously tipped the cute barista.

"You tipped more than our drinks cost," Alex pointed out, sipping the sweet drink.

Randy shrugged, "Without her, you wouldn't have bent over and given me a nice view of your ass."

"Ugh!" she smacked him lightly on his shoulder, knowing it was the one prone to injury, "you are such a pig."

"Ouch!" He pretended to be in pain. "You're going to pay for that, Alex."

Whenever people would say her name – whether it was Alex, Alexandra, Doc, or Avery – it never really captured her attention the way it did when Randy's deep, lustful voice spoke her name. She looked at him, eyes focused on the road. His profile was absolute perfection. The planes on his face, the high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, plump lips, strong jaw – he was like a real-life Adonis.

"You can stop staring now."

Alex snapped her head back to the road as blood boiled to her cheeks, making them a deep pink of embarrassment.

They stopped at a red light and he turned to her, "You're not too bad to look at either."

His words only caused her cheeks to flush further, but a smirk played on her lips. She knew how to play this game. "But I was only staring at you because I was wondering how it was humanly possible to have someone as ugly as you survive in this planet."

He playfully narrowed his eyes at the beautiful brunette, "Take it back."

"But it's the truth," she crooned.

"Take it back or I'm not stepping on the gas."

Just then the light turned green and the car was at a standstill. The drivers behind them honked their cars in frustration. Others tried to drive around and past them, but not before showing them a middle finger or two. "Randy! Go! Step on the gas!"

"Nope, not until you tell me the real truth."

Alex just wanted to get out of this mortifying situation where drivers were honking at them and pulling down their windows to yell at them.

"Fine," she cried out, "you have an incredible body, the most mesmerizing eyes, and I love it when you say my name!"

With that, he stepped on the gas and a breath of relief and shame escaped Alex' lips. Relief because they were finally moving and shame because she had just revealed her thoughts on Randy. They were turning into the parking lot of the arena when Randy broke the silence, "so you love it when I say your name?" he stressed the word 'love'.

Alex bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "No."

"Bullshit."

"Ok, so what? I think your voice is really deep and sexy. So fucking what? You're still an asshole," she stuck her tongue out.

Randy parked the car before he held onto his chest, "Ouch. Your words are doing wonders for my self-esteem."

"You've already got too much of that," she huffed even though it was clear that Randy was only joking to get a reaction out of her.

Randy shook his head as he smiled, "Alex, are you still mad about last night?"

"Randy, I –"

"Look, I'm sorry I said those things. I was pissed off because I couldn't afford to be on the injured list any more. I've been on the sidelines too many times to think of it as paid vacation. I'm sorry, Alex. I know I can be an asshole most times, but I don't want to be one when I'm with you."

Alex inhaled deeply. She wasn't expecting that apology or sincerity from Randy, but part of her squealed inside to hear him say it. "I forgive you. I'm sorry too for popping that shoulder in a little roughly."

"A little?" joked Randy, "No, but seriously, I deserved it. So what do you say, Alex Avery – friends?"

Alex sat alone at the medical room. It was two hours after the show and a stream of superstars came in looking to see if they could get their shoulders, knees and wrists checked out. It was amazing to her that these men and women were constantly getting hurt only to get back into the ring the next day. She sent the other medics home early because they were getting a three day break until the next house show. She wanted all of them to catch their red-eye flights to wherever it was in the country they called home.

"Doc,"

Alex turned to smile at John Cena, "I texted you that you and Matty can go ahead. I had a lot of patients tonight."

"I heard," there was a serious tone to his voice and his eyes were cold but at the same time concerned, "I also heard you and Randy Orton left the arena this afternoon."

Alex nodded, not really knowing what John was getting at.

"So you did leave with him?"

"Yeah, only to get coffee. He hated the one catering provided and I did too so he offered to drive us to Starbucks to get some drinks."

"How's his shoulder?"

Alex bit her lip. She never checked on his shoulder. It was only a lie to confront Randy about smoking marijuana before attending an event. "It's better. It's a little rough on the joints but if he keeps up with the exercise I told him, the fluid should return and make it easier to mobilize."

"Oh,"

"John, what's wrong?" Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No,"

John walked to the door and Alex followed behind closely. She linked her arms around his and leaned on his shoulder. She knew John had something to say but decided against pressing on the issue. She didn't want to upset him. He was her first real friend in the business, and that meant a lot to her. John smiled, reassured that Alex was different from all the other women who had been involved with Orton. She was a lot stronger, a lot smarter, a lot more resilient. She would be able to take care of herself and when the time came, she'd be able to pick herself back up. John knew girls never liked being told who they could and couldn't see. Telling them it was a bad idea always ended up with them following through and falling for Orton's charm. He decided to let things take its course between the two. Besides, he wasn't even sure if there was anything going on between them. It was too soon for him to get involved.

"Promise me you'll be careful around him, Doc."

Please, please, please R&R