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.

Randy silently led the way up to the fourth floor. Every few feet he glanced at Erin. She hadn't said a single word the entire time. She moved along like a zombie, her eyes locked on the floor in front of her. He was beginning to worry that she was in shock. Her eyes had that same glassy look he'd seen before. Shaking his head to clear the negative thoughts, Randy pulled his room key from his pocket. He quickly glanced at Erin before opening the door. He allowed her to precede him into the room. Nattie moved to enter but stopped as Randy gently captured her hand. He turned his back to Erin and looked Nattie in the eye.

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes?"

Nattie swallowed hard as she glanced in the room. Erin had collapsed onto the foot of the bed. She looked so small and helpless sitting there. Every nerve cell in her body screamed at her to do something. Anything to help her friend was better than the nagging feeling creeping along her spine.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Nattie kept her voice low. The last thing she wanted was for Erin to endure more than she already had.

Randy took a deep breath as he continued looking Nattie in the eyes. Now was not the time to be a hard ass. He could bully Nattie until she gave in and walked away. But that was not the best way to handle the situation. Instead he swallowed what was left of his pride.

"Nattie, please. I promise nothing will happen."

Surprised, Nattie stared up at Randy. It wasn't very often the man kept a civil tongue in his head. It was an even rarer occurrence that he said the word please. For so long Nattie believed the word didn't exist in his vocabulary. As she looked into his eyes she saw nothing but honest emotion. For the first time since they'd met, Nattie had the chance to see the real RKO. Not the Viper, not the Legend Killer, but the God-honest Randy Orton. It was a sight she'd never forget.

Nodding slightly Nattie glanced back at Erin, "I'll be back in an hour."

Randy nodded in thanks as he watched Nattie stride up the hall. He waited in the doorway until the elevator doors shut before slowly closing the door. Randy turned to look at Erin. Just looking at her made his chest ache. There were very few things in his life that hurt and this was one of them. Seeing Erin so upset was like a knife in his gut. Crossing the room Randy pulled the chair from desk. He placed it at the foot of the bed then collapsed heavily. He stretched his long legs in front of him as he studied Erin.

"Talk to me."

Erin startled at Randy's voice. He was so close that she could catch the faint scent of his aftershave. She looked up at him. What was she supposed to say? What did he want to hear?

"Go ahead and say it."

"Say what?" Randy cocked his head to the side as he studied her.

"That you were right."

Randy sighed heavily as he crossed his arms over his chest. She did have a point. He'd seen this coming from the start. He'd openly disagreed with the way things were handled. He had been right. But now was not the time to gloat. For the first time in his life he wished he'd been wrong.

"Come on, Erin, that's not helping."

Surprised Erin looked at her friend. She expected to see the glint of self righteousness in his eyes. She expected his trademark smirk. Instead she saw something she'd never seen before. Sympathy, real honest to God sympathy. That was the one thing she'd never expected from him. Not in a million years.

"I'm sorry."

Randy leaned forward in his chair and took Erin's hand in his. He watched as his thumb stroked over the back of her hand. He couldn't stop himself from touching her. It was a small gesture but it made him feel connected to her.

"Believe it or not, I'm still your friend."

Erin sucked in a breath at his words. Of all the things Randy had been, he'd always been a damn good friend. He'd been there for her through the good times and bad. He'd encouraged and supported her when she needed it. He was also the one to bust her ass when she screwed up. He was her moral ground when she lost her way in the world. Once again he was proving just how much she needed him in her life.

"I choked, Ran."

Randy bit back a sharp retort. When push finally came to shove, she had indeed choked. She hadn't been able to stand up to the pressure. But it sure as hell wasn't the first time. And it probably wasn't going to be the last either.

"It could have gone better."

"How did this happen?" Erin shook her head slowly. For the life of her she just couldn't understand why. The perfect opportunity had practically been laid at her feet and she choked big time. She could only curse herself for being ten kinds of foolish.

"Want to know what I really think?" Randy asked as he leaned closer. He stopped just before their heads touched.

Erin laughed bitterly as she flicked a glance at him, "Be my guest."

"It's not too late. You can still make this right."

Erin stared at Randy as if he had sprouted another head. Of all the things she thought he would say, this was not on the list. "How?"

"Do you really want to be with Stephen?" Although Randy knew the answer, he still wanted to hear her say it.

Erin looked at him but didn't answer.

"Answer the question."

Suddenly Erin couldn't meet his gaze. He was staring at her as if he could see all the way into her soul. He always had a way of making her feel so vulnerable, so exposed. No matter how long she lived she'd never get used to it.

"Yes. I think I do."

"Do you think or do you know?" Randy asked gently. He knew what the answer was going to be. Some part of him still held on to the hope that she wanted him. He didn't allow himself to dwell on the past very often. Times like now he couldn't help it. Just for a moment he let himself hope that she would say Stephen was just a passing fancy. He wanted to hear her say that she wanted him back.

Erin was quiet for a long minute as she considered the question. Randy was always a stickler for putting a name on everything. Each area of life had to be properly labeled. Everything was a black or white situation; there were no shades of gray. Closing her eyes Erin tried to focus. If she answered one way Randy would read too much into it. If she answered another way he would see something entirely different. No matter what she did she had the feeling she was going to be wrong. So she might as well tell him the truth.

"I want to be with Stephen."

Randy thought he was prepared to hear the words leaving her lips. However once he did, he felt the Earth tilt slightly. It was the end of their relationship all over again. No matter what he told himself, he'd always held onto the hope that they would find a way to be together again. Now, as he looked at her, he knew that hope was dying its final death. No longer would he let himself believe that there was a chance. That knowledge didn't change the way he felt. Deep down he still loved her. He always would. She was the first girl that had ever wiggled her way into his heart. Hell, who was he kidding? Erin was his first love. That was not something he would ever really walk away from.

"Then you have to do the right thing. Talk to your brother. Tell him what's going on. He's not going to be happy but that's his problem. You have to stand your ground, Erin."

Erin let his words sink in. He was absolutely right. There really was only one possible option. She had to grasp the situation and turn it to her advantage. John was already pissed off so what did she have to lose?

"You're right. I have to tell him everything."

Randy smiled slightly. She was breaking his heart and she didn't even know it. He wanted her to be happy no matter what. If Stephen made her happy then he would do the right thing. He would step aside and let her go after what she wanted. He had no right to stand in her way. His feelings would be his own to deal with. He would paste a smile on his face and keep it there as long as necessary.

"That's my girl."

Erin smiled as she looked up at Randy again. He was staring at her with the oddest expression in his eyes. He was staring at her as if he was afraid he would forget what she looked like. His blue eyes traveled slowly over her face until the settled on her lips. Nervously Erin licked her suddenly parched lips. She didn't want to let herself think about what she knew was about to happen.

Randy fully believed that life was to be lived without regrets. He would never have this chance again. As soon as Erin walked out that door, their relationship was dead. Their passion would never be kindled again. He would hate himself if he let this last chance pass him by. Leaning forward Randy linked his fingers through Erin's. He stared at her for a long moment. Before he let good sense stop him he closed the distance between them. Her lips were as soft as he remembered. With a small sigh he traced the seam of her lips. She was incredibly delicious, a temptation he'd never been able to resist. He groaned low in his throat as he deepened the kiss. He taste the depths of her, committing the taste of her once again to memory.

Erin sat frozen in place. Never in a million years had she expected Randy to kiss her. God, she'd forgotten how talented the man was. All it took was one kiss and she was breathless. She was so caught in the moment that she didn't realize she was returning his kiss. Her tongue tangled with his. She groaned low in the back of her throat as Randy's hand threaded through her hair to hold her in place. The kiss lasted longer than either of them should have allowed. After what seemed like an eternity Randy pulled away. His breath was coming in soft pants, his blue eyes shone with a passionate light. The depth of the desire reflected in those dark blue orbs made her breath catch in her throat.

"I'm not going to apologize." Randy said softly. No way in hell would he ever regret kissing her one last time.

Erin shook her head numbly as she looked at Randy. She knew by the firm set of his jaw that he didn't regret a second of it. Randy had always lived by the motto Carpe Diem. He fully intended to get the end of his life and be able to say that he regretted nothing. With that thought in mind he looked into Erin's eyes.

"I love you, Erin. I always have. I always will. If being with Stephen makes you happy then so be it." Randy said softly. "I swear that if he ever hurts you, I will kill him."

***A/N - Please review***