DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.

Dreams are unusual creations of the mind. They come at a time when you are completely vulnerable, totally unable to protect yourself. Deep in your brain, they begin. Sometimes they unfold like movies. If you're lucky, dreams are enjoyable. You might dream of a fantastic future. You might dream of loved ones who are gone. When you wake, you feel lighter than a cloud. Sometimes dreams are more like a freight train bearing down on you. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape. You can only stand back and pray to wake up. That was the kind of dream Katie was having.

It was another overcast day in a nowhere part of Texas. The sun played hide and seek with the clouds. Every once in a while the sun would peek out long enough to say hello before being pulled into the background. Katie looked up at the sky and frowned. She hated days like this. It was sweltering hot and it made her skin itch. Looking at the sky, she hoped Mama was right and rain was coming. The clouds seemed to be getting darker and darker. Hopefully, drops would soon pelt the Earth and put an end to the horrible drought. Maybe then Mama would stop complaining. All she ever did any more was complain. She complained that the weather was too hot, the sky was too cloudy. She complained that she was working too many shifts down at the diner. But most of all she complained about Katie.

Staring down at her bare feet, Katie watched an ant crawl alongside her toe. She sighed as she moved her foot away. She'd catch hell again if she got bit. Mama didn't like it when she got bit. Mama said she was allergic to ants. Whatever that meant. All she knew was that she didn't want Mama to have something else to complain about. Katie kicked at the dirt and sighed as she looked around. The trailer court was empty at this time of day. The other kids were in school. It would be a while longer before she could start school. Mama wanted to wait until she was sure they were going to stay before she said yes. That made Katie sad. She wanted to go to school and have fun like the other kids. She wanted to get up in the morning, put on clean clothes and get on the big yellow bus. But most of all, she wanted to learn.

At night, after she was supposed to be asleep, she'd sneak out of bed and sit in her closet. She'd pull out her tiny flashlight and pick up her favorite book. Although it was her only book, it was her favorite. It was a book of the alphabet. It was filled with colorful animals and letters. She'd sit on the floor of her closet for hours and slowly turn the pages. She'd trace the letters with a finger until she was sure she knew them. Then she'd turn off the light and climb into bed. She never told Mama about the book 'cause Mama would be mad. She didn't like Katie having things like that. Katie was only supposed to play with Ms. Dottie, a rag doll she'd had for as long as she could remember. Mama said that way she'd learn how to be a good Mama and be able to take care of babies.

Tugging at her dingy gray dress, Katie sighed. She didn't want to take care of babies. More than anything, she wanted to go to school and learn. She wanted to be a teacher. She liked to close her eyes and pretend she was already grown up and that she was a teacher. She could just imagine herself standing in front of a class and teaching them something, anything. She wanted to learn and she wanted to share her knowledge with everyone. Nobody believed her, except Ms. Aimee down at the diner. Ms. Aimee was a nice lady who always gave Katie a treat when Mama brought her in. She always said Katie could do whatever she wanted. She could be anything she wanted. Ms. Aimee smiled so sweetly when Katie told her about her dream to be a teacher. Why, she said she'd make a fine teacher. Ever since that day, Katie knew in her heart it was her destiny.

Shoving a hand through her long, unwashed hair, Katie sighed. She turned slowly and surveyed the silent trailer court. Their small single wide trailer sat at the back of the property. Mama liked it that way. They were off the main road so nobody would bother them. Looking back at the long driveway, Katie shook her head. Mama said nobody would bother them but somehow Mama's friends always found them. Katie turned slightly and looked at the beat up old Chevy parked a few feet away from their trailer. She had no idea who the man was. He'd come over a few times but Mama hadn't told her his name. Katie didn't know what was going on but every time the man showed up, Mama was wearing her best dress. As soon as she saw the truck coming up the drive, she'd tell Katie to go outside and not wander off.

That's how it usually went when one of Mama's friends came over. She'd be shoved aside until they left. And that suited Katie just fine. She didn't like the men. They were scary and some were mean. But worst of all, they smelled. They smelled like cigarettes and beer. Their small place would stink to high heaven after they left. The only good part about the visits was afterward, Mama seemed nicer. Sometimes Mama wouldn't yell for a day or so. That was always a good thing. Days when Mama didn't yell were few and far between.

Katie moved slowly across the dry, cracked ground and stood next to the trailer. She looked down in surprise as a fat raindrop fell. Instantly the ground soaked it up. A second or two later, another huge drop fell. This time, it fell on Katie's hand. She held up her hand and looked at it for a moment. The spot where the drop landed was now clean. Katie looked up at the sky in wonder. She didn't care that Mama hated the rain. She loved it. The rain made everything clean and fresh. Everything smelled better after a rain. What she didn't like were the streaks of lightening brightening up the sky.

Suddenly worried, Katie looked at the trailer again. She hoped Mama's friend didn't stay long. She was ready to go inside before it got bad. Once she was inside, she didn't care how much it rained. As if the man heard her thoughts, the trailer door flew open. The man appeared in the doorway for a moment. His shirt was slung over his shoulder and he was tugging up his pants. Katie winced as she heard Mama rushing through the trailer.

"You sorry son of a bitch! Get the hell out of here!" Mama sounded really mad as she appeared in the doorway.

Katie watched in horror as Mama shoved the man onto the rickety porch. He glared at Mama as he pulled on his shirt.

"You're fuckin' crazy, ya know that?"

Mama stepped out onto the porch, her dress half open and her hair a mess. She stood at the top of the stairs and watched as he walked to the truck and flung the door open. He reached inside and grabbed a handful of clothes and threw them into the dirt.

"Who are you callin' crazy? You could have told me you was married!"

Katie hid out of sight beside the trailer as the man climbed into the truck and started the engine.

"You're nothing but a dirty fuckin' whore, Avery." he yelled out of the window. Katie watched as the tail lights came on and the truck was slammed into gear. Before Katie could blink, the truck took off down the road, spraying rocks and dirt as it left.

Katie watched the truck until it almost disappeared from sight. She didn't need to look at Mama to know she was mad. She could tell Mama was very angry. Katie sighed as the rain drops became more frequent. It was only going to be a few more minutes before the sky opened up and the downpour began.

"Katie, get in here." Mama sounded really unhappy. This was the maddest Mama had been in a long time. Not wanting to make her even angrier, Katie slowly edged her way along the side of the trailer. She slowly climbed the stairs until she was standing on the porch. Hoping to get inside before Mama decided to take it out on her, Katie moved to the door.

However, she wasn't fast enough. Mama's hand fell on her shoulder. She slowly turned Katie to face her. "Did you see what just happened, Katie?"

Knowing better than to argue, Katie merely nodded. Avery sighed heavily as she looked down at her. Katie knew what that sigh meant. It meant "Why do you have to look so much like your Daddy?"

"Answer me, Katherine, did you see what happened?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Avery released the grip on her shoulder and took a step back. "I want you to remember what you saw, Katie. Remember it good, cause that's all men are good for. They take what they want and then leave you like trash."

Katie bit back a shudder as she looked into Avery's eyes. "Yes, Mama. I'll remember."

Avery stared at her daughter for a long moment before pushing her inside. She stood on the porch for a moment and watched the rain as it fell in earnest. She shook her head as she stepped inside with Katie.

Katie awoke with a start. She couldn't catch her breath. It felt as if an elephant were sitting directly over her heart. The horrible pain radiating through her chest was nothing compared to the realization that she was alive. Miraculously, she was alive! Sweet Heavens, she was alive!

Unable to move, Katie forced her eyes to open. They felt as if they were coated in a heavy layer of sand. Hoping to clear some of the haze, she blinked hard. After a minute, her vision began to clear slightly. Slowly her eyes moved around the room. Sighing in relief, she looked from the white ceiling, to the white walls and finally, the white floor. A flood of tears overwhelmed her. She was safe. Thank God, she was safe.

Turning her head slightly, she noticed she wasn't alone. Blinking hard, she brought Eve's worried face into focus. "Hey."

Katie's single word was so softly spoken, Eve though she imagined it. She dropped the box of tissues she held and quickly moved to the bed side. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked down at Katie.

"Hey, yourself." Eve leaned over the bedside rail and gently smoothed the hair away from Katie's face. She gently picked up her hand and held it. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

Katie nodded yes. She hurt like hell. There wasn't an inch of her body that didn't scream in protest. It was the best feeling in the world. As long as she hurt, she knew she was still alive. Eve squeezed her hand slightly before placing it back on the snow white blanket. Looking down at her, it was hard to believe she was alive. Truth be told it shouldn't be a surprise. Katie was a fighter, a survivor. Her life had been anything but easy. Yet somehow she always found a way through.

Katie sighed softly as she looked into Eve's tear filled eyes. Over the last three years, Eve had been her constant companion. Eve was always a source of support and inspiration. Throughout their friendship they'd shared a lot of great times. Katie was incredibly grateful to have her beside her now.

"What happened?" Katie asked as Eve tucked the blanket around her.

Worriedly, Eve met Katie's confused gaze, "You don't remember?"

Eyes narrowing slightly, Katie tried to remember anything of the last several hours. She vaguely remembered being wheeled into the emergency room. Everything before and after that was a blur. Her brow wrinkled in confusion as she lay back against the pillow.

"It's all black." Suddenly overwhelmed by fear, tears filled her eyes. She tried to push aside the drug-induced haze but it seemed impossible. The more she tried to sift through the half formed images, the more confused she became. As the confusion increased, so did the anxiety. As if she wasn't having a hard enough time breathing, she practically choked on fear.

Realizing Katie was becoming increasingly agitated, she smoothed a thumb over the back of her hand. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm going to get the nurse for you, okay?" Katie tried to calm herself enough to take a small breath. She nodded weakly as Eve stepped back. "I'll be right back."

Katie watched as Eve disappeared out of the room. She took a steadying breath as she forced her body to relax. She was alive. That was the important thing. She would worry about not remembering later. Right now, she had to focus on getting through the next hour. Anything more than that was a frightening proposition. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, Katie listened to the sounds around her. The beep of her heart monitor was steady. The oxygen monitor beeped almost in tune with her heart monitor. From somewhere off to the left she heard the soft sound that made her think of a vacuum. She couldn't precisely name what the noise was but she had a feeling it was coming from her room. Closing her eyes, Katie waited for Eve to return.

Eve nervously paced as Dr. Lowentritt entered Katie's I.C.U. Room. He asked Eve to step into the waiting room while Katie was examined. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she glanced at the time. It was shortly after 2 A.M. but she knew it wasn't too late to make the call. She was supposed to call as soon as Katie was awake. Punching in the number from memory, Eve impatiently waited for her call to be answered.

The phone picked up on the fourth ring. "What's wrong?"

Eve sighed in relief at the gruff voice coming through the line. "Katie's awake."

Randy Orton snapped to attention as the meaning of Eve's words sank in. Shoving the blankets out of the way, he quickly rose from bed. He flipped on the bedside lamp and grabbed his jeans from the floor. Tucking his phone into the crook of his shoulder, he quickly tugged on his pants and reached for his shirt. "I'm on my way." Randy shoved his wallet into his back pocket and slipped on his tennis shoes without bothering to pull on a pair of socks. "How is she?"

Eve took a deep breath as she tried to fight back the tears. "She's in a lot of pain. The doctor is examining her now."

Randy practically ran down the hall. Impatiently he punched the down button on the elevator. His foot tapped against the multi-colored carpet as he waited for the metal contraption to stop on his floor. Glancing at the light up indicator, Randy shook his head. Fuck waiting. He took the stairs.

"Did she say anything?" Randy asked as he quickly made his way down six flights of stairs. He was barely panting by the time he reached the ground floor. Digging the keys to the rental out of his pocket, he sprinted across the parking lot.

Eve's broken sigh came across the silent line. Randy knew she was trying desperately to keep it together. "She doesn't remember anything. God, Randy..." Eve's voice broke, "She said it's all black."

Randy muttered a curse under his breath as he backed out of the space and crossed the parking lot. He pulled onto the road without so much as pausing at the stop sign. "It's okay. I'll be there in ten minutes."

He heard Eve's relieved breath. "Hurry, Randy. I don't want to do this alone."

"You don't have to do anything, hon. Just stay calm until I get there." Randy swore vividly as he merged onto the interstate, "Has she asked about Mike?"

"No."

Randy sighed heavily in relief. This was good news. The less she knew about what happened, the better off she'd be. She'd find out soon enough. But right now she needed to focus on getting through the next few hours. Once he was sure she was out of the woods, he'd worry about giving her the news. "Good, let's keep it that way; at least until she asks."

Eve made a distressed sound, "Then what do we do?"

Randy gave a silent prayer of thanks as the blue sign indicating the hospital came into view. He swerved into the right lane. Thankfully, at this time of the morning, he was the only car on the road. He slowed down as he exited the interstate and turned onto the street that would take him to the hospital.

"When she asks, we tell her the truth; that the bastard is dead. Her nightmare is over."

Randy quickly ended the call and pulled into the first parking spot he came to. Shutting off the engine, he sat in the quiet darkness for a moment. He tried to calm his pounding heart as he looked up at the massive building before him. For the first time in a long time, he offered up a silent prayer of thanks. He wasn't a very religious man, but he'd done more praying in the last twelve hours than he had in a lifetime. For the first time in years, he didn't doubt God's existence. The fact that Katie was still alive was proof enough. He was just so damn grateful that God had listened to his prayers. Katie didn't deserve to die at the hands of a monster. She deserved a long, happy life. She deserved to have love and laughter and babies. As Randy stepped from the car and made a beeline to the main entrance, he swore by all that was holy, he'd do his honest best to make sure she got it.

Alec Reyes waited outside the entrance of I.C.U. for Dr. Lowentritt to emerge. He just had one question for the good doctor. How soon would he be able to interview the victim? If he were lucky, he'd be able to speak with her before sunrise. He glanced at Eve who was nearby, talking on her cell. Alec had no doubt she was calling Katie's family to give them the news. He hoped for Katie's sake, her family was on the way. A person needed their family close, especially a young woman like Katie. Eve quickly ended her call and came to stand close to them. Alec nodded in greeting as Eve crossed her arms over her chest. It was just after 2 A.M. and the woman didn't look like she was any worse for wear.

"Is Katie's family coming soon?" Andrea asked softly as she turned to look at Eve.

Eve's brows suddenly drew down over her eyes as she shook her head. "Katie doesn't have any family. Her Grandma died a couple of years ago."

Alec didn't know what to say. The woman was practically alone in the world and now she had to fight through sometime like this? God, life was a bitch. He straightened slightly as Dr. Lowentritt finally came into the room. Dr. Chance Lowentritt moved with a grace that shouldn't have been possible with his size. The man was just over six feet tall and just as wide. He was powerfully built. However, his manner was quite the opposite of his appearance. He came to a stop just outside the double doors that lead into the unit. Shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his lab coat, he studied the three of them.

"Katie has a lot going on right now. There's good news and bad news." the doctor began. "The good news is, the stab wound is not showing signs of infection. The bad news is, her heart rate is a little lower than I'd like and her blood pressure has increased. Her lung is still in bad shape and it's not draining as much as we need it to. Combine that with the amount of pain she's in, I think it's a safe bet that she'll be with us at least a few days."

Eve pressed a shaking had to her lips. She didn't know what to say. She looked at the doctor as she waited for him to continue.

"Her chances are better than 50/50 but I'm still worried about her lung. If we can't get the lung to re-inflate, Katie will go into Congestive Heart Failure. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if she is strong enough to survive surgery right now. So I've decide to put her into a medically induced coma."

A sob escaped Eve as the weight of Dr. Lowentritt's words sank in. She prayed Randy arrived before Katie was completely out of it again.

"How soon can we talk to her, Doctor?" Alec asked. Damn. This was not the news he wanted. He hoped they would be able to at least get a few questions answered. The longer they had to wait to talk to her, the worse off they were. Their golden window of 48 hours was quickly dwindling away.

Dr. Lowentritt sighed heavily as he looked at his watch. "Detective, I think it is in the best interest of my patient if she not be interrogated right now."

Alec bit back a curse as he looked at the doctor. This was probably the worst thing that could happen. But it wasn't the first time a roadblock had been thrown his way. They would have to move forward while they waited for Katie to stabilize. His attention was drawn from the doctor as they were joined by someone. Alec glanced over his shoulder to see Randy Orton standing slightly behind him.

Dr. Lowentritt nodded to Randy before turning back to Eve, "The medications have already been administered, she'll be alert for a few more minutes. If you'd like to see her, I'll speak with the nurses."

Randy nodded in response, "I want to see her."

The doctor adjusted his stethoscope around his neck. "I hope you understand that letting Katie rest is for the best. The next twelve hours are going to be critical. If she's not showing any improvement by noon, I'll have to take her back into surgery."

"Do what you think is best for her." Randy said softly. Wrapping an arm around Eve, he pulled her gently against him. He hugged her for a moment before dropping his arm. However, Eve stayed close by.

Dr. Lowentritt nodded and turned back to the double doors. He passed his I.D. card through the scanner and the doors opened with a swoosh.

"Follow me."

Eve looked up at Randy and nodded. As much as she wanted to be with Katie, she knew seeing Randy would be good for her. It was no secret to anyone that Randy had deep feelings for her. Everyone knew Katie owned a special part of the Viper that no one else could ever touch. But for some reason, Katie refused to admit she felt the same. Maybe now that Mike was out of the way, she'd let herself see that she was meant to be with Randy. Turning back to the waiting room, Eve sat in the first available chair. She watched the double doors swing close. Detective Reyes and Investigator Brooks looked at each other for a long moment. Alec moved to Eve and pulled a rumpled handkerchief from his pocket. He handed it to her without a word.

"If you need anything, please call." Alec said softly before turning on his heel. Andrea followed close behind him as he strode toward the elevators.

The scent of disinfectant was not as strong as Randy thought it would be. He stood beside the nurses' station as Dr. Lowentritt spoke with the charge nurse. Surveying his surroundings, Randy anxiously shifted from foot to foot. He scanned each of the cubicles, trying to discern which one was Katie's. Through the reinforced Plexiglas he couldn't see anything more than an array of machines. His eyes moved around the large circular space again. This time his eyes settled on the room labeled number 8. Instinct told him that was Katie's room. Impatiently he waited for the doctor to sign off on yet another form. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned to Randy.

"We've added the medicines to induce the coma into her I.V. She may not be able to respond verbally but she'll know you're there. Talk to her, touch her; let her know she has a reason to keep fighting."

Randy swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. "You're sure she'll know?"

Dr. Lowentritt nodded as he put his pen back in his pocket. He pushed away from the nurse's desk and crossed the room. Randy wasn't surprised that he moved to stand in front of door number 8. He opened the door slightly and allowed Randy to move closer.

"She's more aware than I'd like her to be but probably in the next ten minutes she'll be fast asleep."

"How long can I stay?" Randy asked softly.

Glancing at his watch, Dr. Lowentritt motioned to the nurses' station. "Mary will have to escort you out in twenty minutes."

Randy nodded in understanding as the doctor turned and crossed the room. Bracing himself for the worst, Randy forced himself to take a calming breath. The scent of sickness was there. It was so faint as to be almost untraceable. But it was definitely there. Squaring his shoulders, Randy fully opened the door. The room was dark except for a small overhead light. The milky light gave the room an eerie glow. His gaze locked on the small form in the center of the bed. His heart froze in his chest as he slowly moved closer. She looked so small as she lay there, covered in mountains of blankets. His eyes moved slowly over her, taking in her sunken cheeks and incredibly pale lips. An oxygen line was clipped to her nose. Pausing beside the bed, Randy found he was holding his breath as he counted each of hers. When he was sure the rhythm was steady, he took a deep breath. Looking up, he took in Katie's vital signs. Her heart rate was much lower than it should be and her blood pressure was too high. Sighing softly he forced himself to look at Katie again. He forced his feet to close the short distance to her bed. Leaning over the waist high rail, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Her eyes fluttered slightly as she fought to open them.

"Eve?"

Randy felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. Of course she wouldn't ask for him. She had no idea he was there. "No, honey, it's me, Randy." he said softly.

Her head turned slightly toward the sound of his voice. She made a soft mewling sound as she struggled to open her eyes. "Why are you here?"

Although he was leaning over her, he could barely make out her words. "I came to see my favorite girl."

Randy's gray eyes locked on her face. He thought he saw the merest trace of a smile. He knew what she was thinking even if she couldn't say the words. Her response would be the same as it always was, I'm not your favorite girl. Instead, she sighed deeply. The heart monitor beeped loudly as her pulse increased slightly. Sensing her distress, Randy uncovered her hand and laced his fingers through hers. He stroked his thumb across the back of her hand as he looked down at her.

White hot rage consumed him. Damn him to hell but he was glad the bastard was dead. If it wasn't for him, Katie wouldn't be lying here. She'd be whole and healthy. She'd be laughing and joking like she always was. If it wasn't for that sorry excuse of a man, Katie wouldn't be experiencing the worst agony of her life. Randy's head dropped against his bicep as he fought to control his anger. He forced himself to shut all thoughts of Michael Mizanin out. He didn't deserve so much as another nano-second of their time. The only thing that mattered was making Katie whole again. Randy continued holding Katie's hand. It killed him to watch each painful breath she took.

"So sleepy." Katie whispered.

Randy smiled slightly as he reached up with his free hand to brush back a lock of silky black hair. He would give anything to see her clear, gray eyes smiling back at him. He lightly traced his fingertips along the curves of her oval shaped face. His touch was incredibly gentle as his thumb swept over her full bottom lip.

"It's okay, hon. The doctor says you need to sleep for a while. When you wake up, you'll be better."

Randy hated the way his voice broke. He tried to be strong for Katie's sake but seeing her like this was killing him. He wanted to stay with her. He wanted to stand guard and make sure nothing else happened. She'd already suffered enough. But he knew that wasn't going to work. Katie needed him to keep his strength up. She needed him to be strong enough to take care of her when the time came. And when the time came, he would. Randy continued watching Katie and counting each breath she took. He lost track of time as he stood by her bed and watched her slip deeper into the coma. He prayed she found at least a small measure of peace. She, more than most people, deserved it. She'd suffered so much in her relatively short life. He just prayed she'd recover and be able to finally live the life she was destined to.

Twenty minutes slipped by all too quickly. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Mary appeared at Katie's bedside. She efficiently checked Katie over and motioned that it was time for him to leave. Leaning over her one last time, Randy pressed his lips to hers. He pulled away slightly and looked at her face. For the first time in as long as he could remember, she looked peaceful. He knew she was finally getting the rest she needed. It took all of his willpower to follow Mary from the room. As she quietly closed the door behind them, Randy took one last look at Katie through the Plexiglas window. He studied her for a moment, committing every detail to memory. His feet felt like lead as he tried to put one in front of the other. After what seemed like a journey of miles, instead of several yards, Randy found himself in the waiting room again.

Eve came to him and wrapped him in a comforting hug. Weakly, Randy returned the embrace. He knew he should take comfort in the fact that Katie was in one of the best hospitals in the world. Dr. Lowentritt was an amazing surgeon and would do what he could for Katie. He just hated the fact that he couldn't do more to help her. He hated himself for not being there to protect her when she needed him most. As Randy stepped away from Eve, he felt the sting of tears. He blinked hard and shoved his fists into his pockets. He'd made the mistake of letting Katie fight her own battles. But now he knew better. He wouldn't make that mistake again. He didn't care anymore; he was going to do whatever was necessary to keep her safe.