Chapter Eight: One Day

"If I could change the currents of our lives, make the river flow when it's run dry, to be a prodigal of Father time, then I'd see you tonight. If I could find the years have went away, destroying all the cruelty of fate. I must believe that love will find a way tonight. Lonely, finds me. But one day, you will come. And I'll wait for love's sake." - Trading Yesterday

He apologized.

Though Taylor Swift was trying to convince someone they belonged with her over the radio, and Kelly was keeping up an endless stream of chatter throughout the drive, Haley couldn't pay attention to any of it.

"So I told Evan that I wanted to wait you know? I mean, my relationship with Phil ended in a disaster, and it would have been so much worse had we been living together." Kelly either chose to ignore the fact that her friend and travelmate wasn't listening to her, or she was completely oblivious to it. "I don't want to rush what we have, because it's going to great right now, you know? We have all the time in the world to move in together and whatnot."

"Hmm…" Haley murmured a non-committal response that seemed to satisfy her friend enough to continue explaining her only relationship woe.

She could have been talking about a hostile alien takeover for all Haley knew.

Randy Orton had apologized, for everything. And it had been weighing heavily on Haley's thoughts for the past week. So much so that she hadn't been able to concentrate on much else.

Even before Randy had gone off the rails, apologies had been something he avoided at all costs. Admitting he had been wrong was something he struggled with and therefore, he usually refused to acknowledge his errors in judgment. Haley could count on one hand the amount of times she had ever heard the word sorry come out of his mouth. And usually when he did say it, he always found a way to manipulate it into not being entirely his fault.

This last time, however, was more serious than any other apology she had ever heard him utter. He had taken full responsibility for his actions, shown actual remorse for what he had done, and had been completely sincere.

It flabberghasted her because it was so entirely out of character, even for the old Randy who had once been her best friend.

"So anyway," Kelly braked at the red light and used the rearview mirror for a quick hair check. "We sorted it all out and are good again. That's what I love about Evan, we can always talk everything out and not worry about it turning into some big nasty fight like it always did with Phil."

"Randy Orton apologized to me." No one was more surprised than Haley when the words left her mouth.

"WHAT?!" Kelly made a strangled gasp of surprise before jamming the mute button on the rental car's stereo system. "Shut the front door! When?"

"Last week." Haley admitted, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "At the studio when we were all there to shoot the January promos."

"And you're just telling me this now?" Kelly gaped at her friend incredulously. "Haley!"

"I needed to process it." Haley's voice turned a bit defensive. "It took me by surprise okay? It's not like Randy is the type of guy who says I'm sorry all the time. I don't even know why it matters. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't make what he did to me okay?"

Knowing this particular subject was one to approach with caution, Kelly gently asked, "Did he say it did?"

"No. That's the thing, he told me I didn't owe him anything. I didn't have to forgive him, or even believe him. He just wanted to me to hear it, so I'd know he at least said the actual apology." Haley shook her head.

"That sounds pretty grown up of him actually." Kelly commented, turning her eyes back to the road. Haley would need to spew this out on her own, no matter how much she wanted to probe for details.

"It doesn't matter!" Haley repeated, her expression twisting into a frown. "What he did was beyond redemption. No amount of apologies is going to change the fact that he put me in the hospital. There's no excuses, none. He's a monster and I hate him."

While some might mistake her blonde hair and bubbly personality for stupidity, Kelly was no fool. She had seen the way Haley and Randy were before it had all gone to shit. Randy had adored her friend, practically worshipped the ground she walked on. And Haley had seen beyond the arrogance, beyond the playboy, to the man beneath the surface, the one worth saving.

"No Haley," Kelly her a very grave look. "You don't. You and I both know there was once a good man underneath that cold viper shell he wears. A man you loved very much. And the reason this apology is sticking with you, is because maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that man is coming back."

"Even if it that were true." Haley's eyes filmed over with tears. "It doesn't change what he did."

"No." Kelly agreed. "Not now it doesn't. But maybe one day, it will."


John Morrison was feeling a bit like a stalker as he casually loitered through the hallways of the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. A guy who looked like he did, didn't normally need to resort to these kind of tactics in order to get a girl's attention. But Haley Mariano wasn't just any girl and he couldn't win her over the way he had won over many other flames in the past.

For starters, Haley was far from ready to have a new man in her life. And, he had already promised his good friend Evan Bourne he wouldn't try to pressure her into a relationship. He would have to be her friend first and then see if she'd consider him as something more when she was over Dave Batista.

He couldn't say exactly when his interest in her began. He hadn't given her much of a passing thought when she first debuted. Sure, she was pretty, but then so were all the other Divas. He was surprised when she seemed to have Randy Orton of all people wrapped around her finger, then Dave Batista shortly after him. Triple H had basically adopted her, but even then he hadn't really considered her.

He supposed it started back around the Royal Rumble of this past year. She had gone through hell. Randy Orton had physically and mentally done everything he could think of to break her. And though she had cracked a couple times, she hadn't broken. She had repaired herself and fought back, when lesser men would have broken in her place.

That kind of fighting spirit had caught his attention. And when he had taken a closer look, he could see that she was beautiful, not in an obvious way like Kelly Kelly perhaps, but she had this subtle wholesome, girl next door beauty about her. She also seemed intelligent, and though Triple H had trained her, he could see she had natural talent in the ring, and she had a big heart, as proven by the loyal people who surrounded her.

What guy wouldn't be interested in a girl like that?

"Idiots like Dave Batista." John muttered to himself. "How he passed her up for Layla, I'll never know."

"You talking to yourself?" Evan Bourne appeared beside his friend cellphone in hand and a knowing grin on his face. "Kel, just texted me, they're here."

"Jesus! You're like the pop-up book from hell or something." John jumped a little startled at his sudden appearance. "It's bad enough I'm doing this girly wait around thing, why don't you just completely emasculate me while you're at it?"

Evan chuckled. "Come on now, a girl like Haley's worth a little emasculation, don't you think?"

"Let's just do this." John didn't bother giving him an answer. "And don't get all gooey with your girl and make us uncomfortable."

"You're nervous." Now Evan fully laughed. "John Morrison, so-called Shaman of Sexay is nervous."

"Shut it you little twerp."

"Evan!" The door leading into the arena from the parking lot opened and Kelly stepped inside first, hauling her two cases of luggage. There was a bright smile on her face as her eyes fell on her boyfriend.

"Hey Baby." Evan paid John no more attention and crossed to her. "Let me help you with all that? You bring a lot of shoes again?"

"I wasn't sure if I was wrestling or not tonight." Kelly giggled. "Needed to make sure I have an appearance worthy outfit too!"

The door opened again and this time it was Haley who stepped inside, pulling only one case with her. A soft indulgent smile crossed her face as she spotted Evan and Kelly in front of her, then she looked beyond them and saw John.

He swallowed nervously and stepped forward. "Hey, want a hand with that?" He gestured to her suitcase.

Her eyes widened, looking startled. "Oh, um...sure I guess." She delicately passed him the handle. "Thanks."

"No problem." He tugged her suitcase to his side and smiled at her. "Welcome back to Raw, by the way."

"Thanks." She shrugged. "Kind of good to be back. Sorry you lost at Survivor Series."

"There's always the next Pay-per-view." He glanced over at Evan and Kelly. "Want to leave the two lovebirds in peace?"

This time she laughed. "Sure. I need to get my hands on a match card I guess anyway."

"Oh um," He felt his face heat just slightly. "Actually, you have a match tonight. Fifth match on the card. With me."

She blinked in surprise. "With you?"

"Maryse and Miz." He explained hastily. "I guess they thought you'd make a good opponent for her."

"And you're not worried I'm going to suck out there?" She eyed him cautiously as they walked around Evan and Kelly to head towards the locker rooms.

"No." He shook his head. "I can handle Miz and I've seen you wrestle, so I know you can handle Maryse. I also know you've been having a rough go of it lately, so if you're not at one hundred percent, well, I can't fault you for it."

"Thanks John." She said softly. "I'll try to keep my head firmly in the match tonight."

He grinned down at her. "You don't have anything to prove to me, Haley."


Randy Orton paused upon seeing Haley walking with John Morrison of all people, when he stepped out of his locker room. John was grinning at her in a moony sort of way and Haley was looking back up at him with a cautious, but friendly enough expression on his face.

He had known better than to expect anything from his apology last week. But she couldn't be thinking o moving on so quickly, could she? And with Morrison?

"Man, she wastes little time doesn't she?" Cody commented sourly when he spotted what Randy was looking at. "There's no shortage of men for Haley Mariano. They had names for women like that."

"Don't say it." Randy snapped warningly. "I'm not in the mood to hear that kind of shit."

"Morrison's a flash in the pan anyway." Ted Dibiase added, looking bored. "Maybe she'll tank his career the same way she's tanking her own."

"She sucks right now." Cody agreed with his partner. "And I'm guessing now in more ways than one!"

While Ted chuckled at Cody's crude joke, Randy's hands curled into white knuckled fists and he briefly imagined plowing them into his so-called friend's face, before he soothed out the anger. Getting into a fight would solve nothing, and would only put rift in their Legacy stable, which was the last thing he needed.

"We need to go." Randy ordered gruffly. "We're opening the show and we needed to nip Kofi Kingston's rise right in the bud."

"Why don't we just put him on the shelf and get it over with?" Cody asked. "I mean, it got Batista out of our back in the Spring."

"Because I can beat Kofi on merit." Randy glared at his protege. "Now quit your bitching and get moving!"

"Wow." Cody whistled lowly to Ted. "Someone's in a mood. Must be his time of the month or something."

Ted frowned, looking back to where Haley had stopped and was talking to John Morrison outside the Diva's locker room. Then he glanced back at Randy departing back and sighed.

Great, Legacy was finally heading in the right direction and it looked like drama with Haley was going to throw another wrench in their plans. Why couldn't Randy just let go of that girl already? They needed to focus on the TLC pay-per-view that was coming up, not get involved in that mess all over again.

Ted wasn't going to let Haley get to Randy this time. Nope, not again. He'd find a way to keep them as separate as possible, one way or another. And one day, Randy was going to forget that girl ever existed.

A/N: Well it seems Randy's apology has had an effect after all. It's got Haley all baffled and confused. Meanwhile, John Morrison's beginning to make his move. And Ted's thoughts are going to pull the thread that begins to unravel Legacy, lol the dummy.