A/N: Sorry I never got to thank each one of y'all individually so THANKYOU for this and the one shot I posted; Jealousy. Kisses.

Anywho, Update Time!

I own nada...just the plot

Randy put on his jacket and grabbed his car keys from the table, quickly walking to the door and nearly bumped into Sheamus who had blocked his exit. "For godssake Shea! I'm beginning to feel a little offended by your incessant stalking."

"Well forgive me for caring." Sheamus replied shrugging. "I wouldn't have to stalk you if you told me what's going on with you."

Randy exhaled loudly. "For the tenth time, nothing is going on with me. Why are you so doubtful of me lately?"

"Because you've been acting weird Randy, that's why. What's even worse is that you don't talk to me anymore."

"How am I not talking to you when I've already told you I'm working on a case? It's a sensitive one that you don't need to get involved in." Randy lied, looking at anything else but his friend.

"Exactly! I don't need to get involved. Is that why you can't even look at me?" Sheamus asked. "You used to involve me in everything you did before. What changed? Unless you're doing something you're ashamed of or something you're not supposed to be doing. Are you making illegal deals, Randy?"

"No, of course not!" Randy shouted in frustration. "How can you even think that?"

"What else am I supposed to think?" Sheamus replied, his voice matching Randy's. "You've been so peculiar lately, not forgetting the weekend disappearances without so much as a phonecall. I'm just voicing my concern as your best friend. And just so you know, friends don't shut other friends out."

"Don't start with the guilt trip, Shea. I already told you that John and I decided to be making an effort see each other on a weekly basis and that's where I've been disappearing to, you know that." Randy stated.

"Yeah,I do know that, and I understand you wanting to make time for each other, but other peculiar habits you've picked up recently are not the least bit appealing."

"Well, I'm a grown ass man and I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else. Now please step aside so I can leave."

"No." Sheamus refused. Randy narrowed his eyes and inhaled deeply, beginning to get a bit aggrieved. "You don't wanna do this with me right now, Shea. I'll punch you in the gut if you don't get your ass out of the way."

Sheamus stood his ground. "I said no, Randy. You can punch me wherever you want but it won't change the fact that something is up and you don't wanna tell me because you probably think I'll think less of you but guess what, I don't care."

"Shea please, we've been arguing a lot lately. I hate it and I don't wanna do it anymore." Randy pleaded, knowing he would never raise his hand on his best friend.

"And whose fault is that?" Sheamus asked pointedly. "You're my best friend Randy, and I love you. If you're about to do something stupid I wanna know about it."

"Why? So you can sit me down and pinpoint the reasons why I took the oath to serve and to protect?" Randy replied, throwing his hands up angrily as he went back into the house and threw his car keys on the table.

Sheamus followed him inside,closing the door behind him. "No, Randy. So that I can help you do it."

Randy turned around sharply. "What?"

Sheamus shrugged and smiled. "I may not like whatever it is you're about to do, but you know that I'll always have your back, Randy."

Randy suddenly felt ashamed of treating Sheamus the way he had been, and flopped heavily on the couch and covered his face. He sighed before looking at Sheamus who had sat at one corner of the couch watching silently as his friend battled with his inner self.

"I'm about to do something stupid Shea, and I don't wanna involve you in case I get caught."

Sheamus smiled. "I'm already involved Randy, so stop stalling and come out with it."

"Okay. I wanna go to the Cena ranch and take care of John's horse." Randy confessed and Sheamus gasped. "What? Are you crazy?"

Randy shrugged and sighed. "Maybe. But I'm gonna do it, and before you start on one of your endless tirades, no, John didn't put me up to it."

"Then who did?" Sheamus asked sternly, a frown marring his features. "Because you didn't come up with such an idea all by yourself, Randy. Someone must have pushed you to do it."

"I wasn't pushed by anybody." Randy snapped, then calmed down. "His friend and I were talking sometime back and he kinda mentioned something about it to me."

"Oh, and you thought it would be a great way to prove your love for John?" Sheamus retorted bluntly. "What did John say about it? I bet he's egging you on so you can do his dirty work for him!"

"What? You're crazy!" Randy replied harshly. "John doesn't even know I'm doing this! I'm doing it because I love him and because his whole future depends on it. I want that future to be with me, Shea. That means I'll make that happen by absolutely any means necessary."

"Even if it means putting your career at risk?"

"Yes Sheamus,even if I'm risking my career. That's why I'm giving you a chance to back out right now because I'm gonna do it with or without you." Randy replied determinedly.

"Okay then, let's do it." Sheamus said and smiled, and Randy breathed a sigh of relief. "So, you got a plan?"

Randy nodded and began taking Sheamus through his entire plan.

Weeks later...

Ted Dibiase knocked on the door once and stuck his head inside sheriff Orton's office. "Big J is here to see you sir, and he looks pissed."

Everybody in the department knew about Randy and John, and whereas many thought the sheriff was crazy to date someone they all thought was self righteous and so full of it, he seemed really happy and that's all they wanted, because a happy sheriff was a happy and easy work environment.

"Shit." Randy cursed under his breath, inhaled deeply and straightened his uniform. "Alright, send him in."

John Cena Sr stepped into Randy's office and Randy stood up and extended his arm to him. "Mr Cena, it's good to see you. Please have a seat."

John Cena Sr sat on the guest chair across Randy's and studied the younger man as he took his seat and shuffled some papers. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"Someone shot one of my horses with a poisonous dart last night, sheriff." John Snr recounted easily.

"What?" Randy exclaimed, surprise registered on his face. "That's terrible. Any idea who'd wanna hurt your horse Mr Cena? And how did you know it was a dart and that it was poisoned?"

"The culprit left it on the horse,that's how I know. I also know that a simple dart can't put such a horse down sheriff, and the only person I can think of that would have enough motive to kill it is my son John." John Sr accused plainly, and a frown marred Randy's face.

"But your son is in Florida Mr Cena, and I think I'd have known if he had come back to town."

"Oh, he has come back to town several times, and I hear you've been seen with him several times too, sheriff." John's father replied.

Randy's breath caught in his throat, and his mouth went temporarily dry, but he refused to let John Sr see that. He in fact, indignantly held the older man's scowl. "Well okay, he has come to see me a few times, but that doesn't make him a suspect. He's actually never set foot in your ranch during his visits to me."

"That may be sheriff," John Sr replied in indignation. "but it still doesn't mean that he didn't kill it, or get help from someone he's in close contact with, like you perhaps."

"Are you accusing me of putting down one of your animals Mr Cena?" Randy asked with a smirk, his heart beginning to beat faster than normal.

"Hardly, sheriff." John Sr negated. "But you love him, don't you? And I'm sure by now you know his past. My son has hated that horse since it was small and his felony record speaks for itself so, you can see how easily he'd have done something like this."

Randy wanted to spit on John Cena Sr's face. He instead swallowed his bile and forced himself to be cordial. "It's not a felony Mr Cena, it's a misdemeanor. And how do you reckon whoever did this crossed that vast land to the stables unnoticed?"

The older man shrugged. "I don't know, maybe a golf cart or something. You're the cop, you tell me."

"Did you hear or see anything unusual at anytime during the night?" Randy asked as he took notes.

"No, and it's very funny because I'm a very light sleeper."

Randy discreetly rolled his eyes and took the dart from John Sr, promising to give him the results once he got it analyzed at the lab, and also to do a further investigation on the matter. By the time John's father left the department, he felt pretty confident that the sheriff would have a suspect in custody in no time.

Sheamus walked in and looked at Randy for a quiet moment, then both men burst out laughing.

~~
A long while later, when Randy was in the privacy of his house, he picked his phone and dialed the familiar number, trying to contain his own excitement as he shared the new piece of info with the man he loved.

It was a long time before John could control his emotions enough to ask for details. Randy ended the call a little later, knowing that this was not the time for one of their lengthy conversations, and strode towards the bathroom, a contented smile on his face.

He kissed John's picture on his phone, like he always did before going to sleep, his eyes lingering on that slightly pale beautiful face and whispered, "I did it for love my, darling."

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