Not even the trio entering the hotel eased Brett. He was just so... out of it.

When Briley comes over to him, he latches on the man, moping on his shoulder. "Easy there. It's alright. It's alright." Briley's words aren't helpful enough to stop him from crying but he's worked over enough to look up at the rest of the group.

"I wanna go home, Dolph..." he mentions after the hoodie is accepted. Warmth. Wasn't he just in need of that? Yes, thank goodness. Long night wasn't close to describing it.

He turned to Pierce who hasn't stopped holding his hand and shakes his head. "Listen to Dolph when he says you aren't ready for this. He's right." That would probably be the last thing he'd say tonight. For once he wanted nothing more then to shut up.

In the waiting room, Ted just paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. He was sure everyone thought him crazy but forget them. He needed to know Cody was fine.

"He's fine. He's fine. He's okay. He's okay." They keep repeating but he just yells at them in objection. He needed to see Cody. "When can I see him?" The question is never answered as some more medics run in and out of the operating room.

Cody probably hated him. He probably wanted him dead. He probably was cursing his name right now- calling him everything that he really was. How could he be anything but mad? Ted was the reason everything was happening to him and it was just getting to the point that he loathed himself. If Cody didn't need him right now he'd kill himself.

:::

Dolph quirks his eyebrow at Brett, guiding him to the elevator and letting Briley mush the buttons. He keeps an arm around Brett protectively, leaning on him in a casual-friends way so he didn't get the wrong idea.

"Home? Kid, I don't even know where the hell you're from. Will you settle for our room?" he nudges him and offers some laughter, trying to keep the tension away and playfully shoving his brother into the back of the elevator, "Alright! Stop touching the buttons now, we'll get there in a minute…" Of course, within a few painfully slow moments, he too was jamming the button.

Finally out and feeling claustrophobic in there, he guides the two to his room, of course with a few shots of walking in the wrong direction, back the right way, the wrong way again, and finally the right way until he found the correct number. He waves Briley off, not wanting to hear the comments about his lack of proper math skills when it didn't come to mixing peroxide and developer for his hair.

In the room, he gathers a few of his bags up in the bathroom. "I'll be out in a few… have to change, and … whatever," he shrugs, "Personal stuff, but um… Uh, well. Zack's pretty fun, so you guys can watch TV, play some video games, or whatever." He instructs Zack to pull out the roll away cot from the couch for Briley to sleep on tonight, and to stop standing around playing with his hair.

Dolph was already a nagging wife figure, and yet he'd rejected Zack's proposals …four times.

Within a few hours, Cody is thoroughly examined - not a single person coming to the conclusion of what had happened to him; under the anesthetics or not, Rhodes would never tell what had happened - he cared too much for Randy to expose him for what he was.

He's lucky that none of his internal organs had been ruptured by those sharp teeth; just the massive amount of blood loss and the chunk of flesh and muscle that left little to work with, along with a few minor complications that everyone had panicked about. Although he still undergoes a strict laparotomy so that they could be sure. He's sewn up and wheeled to recovery when nothing could be determined, although the nurses would start up rumors in record time.

After a series of monitors and check lists, a nurse comes out to greet Ted with typical over enthusiasm.

"Hi! Mr. DiBiase?" Her voice is painfully cherry, the busty brunette looks over her clipboard quickly and hurries Ted along to the room, "He should be waking up soon! You can go see him if you'd like!" She was just the kind of girl that Randy thought was cute to sign autographs for.

:::

Eyeing the girl from his panic, Ted realizes that she actually was a nurse giving some type of confirmation he could go visit Cody. Meaning he was fine. Well enough to visit anyway. Not even giving her time to escort him anywhere, he rushed to the room- mistaking three or four other ones before making it.

There. On the bed. More or less peacefully, Cody was lying down. And finally he let out a sigh of exhaustion and relief. Luckily he was thinking enough not to collapse on the bed like he wanted. Instead he lied in the chair that was always close by.

She said he'd be waking up soon so he'd just wait. Finding it a little...cliche...to grab Cody's hand, he settled on laying his head on the edge of the bed, the younger man's fingertips close to his hair. If he was sleep when Cody rose, he hoped the man would wake him.

Right now, he was just so tired.

'Yeah', he thought, 'I guess i'll stay in your home.' Brett just didn't feel like speaking until he gets a nudge from Briley as they lay on the pullout couch.

He looked over and Briley hands him a remote. "Get your head out of whatever and play with me." It wasn't a demand just a way to get him to cheer up. "And Zack really thinks he can beat you! Imagine that!" Peirce's laugh is just bringing up his spirit a bit and he shakily grabs the remote.

"I guess I'll play." Brett pulls the hood up on Dolph's hoodie. He hadn't taken it off. It was comforting, you know. Maybe because he was a big brother; a scapegoat Ted.

"Good! Now give me a smile," Briley playfully grabbed Brett's face and rubbed their noses together, which did in fact cause the shorter man to reluctantly smile. Hopefully he'd get lost in the game while he waited for Ted's call.

:::

Dolph comes storming out of the bathroom the second Zack really has his head in the game, winning, in fact. Dolph grabs his controller and tosses it across onto the other bed; his hands on his hips… he doesn't even acknowledge how much of a woman he is being.

"Your stupid tanning - drugstore! Tanning lotion ruined my brush!" He shoves it in Zack's face before pulling it back, tossing it to Briley and Brett. "Can you guys believe this?!" He sits beside them and casts a dirty look at Zack. "All of my stuff gets ruined. First, his hairspray explodes… all over - drugstore hairspray, mind you. And now this! - Oh god," he picks it up from Briley's hands and drags him to the sink to wash it off. "Look, now we got it all over the place," he thoughtlessly tosses Briley back to Brett; making sure they were both clean and fake-tan free.

"This guy makes my life. So. Difficult…"

Zack just looks proud of himself, for whatever reason. It was funny when Dolph got upset… especially in the tiny, soft, fleece pajama shorts he had on now. He was just.. Cute. He almost wants to propose for the fifth time when he sneaks up behind him and wraps his arms around him.

"You like a challenge, you know you do." Zack laughs and sits between the two while Dolph cleans in a frenzy, complete with his plastic gloves, overreacting to everything in the bathroom.

He looks back - making some comment that had Dolph slamming the door shut, his laugh undisguised behind it.

"You know, you guys shouldn't date anyone… This is too much," he shakes his head then realizes that Briley was sitting there, too. "…Oh," he shrugs Briley off quickly and turns to the little DiBiase, "What's going on with you, huh? Don't look so upset. We're all pretty fun here. Well.. Except for Briley, he's just a stick in the mud. - Don't you have another book to write, or something? - Total stick in the mud, Brett."

Randy slips into Cody's hospital room; his eyes still glazes over from the strong amount of sedatives going through his veins still. He leans against the corner, arms folded across his chest; just barely keeping his eyes open at all. He was probably ready to collapse again as well. His trainer never screwed around with sedating the viper… This was one of those rare times he was up and walking within a few hours; sometimes it had taken days to fully recover.

His eyes scan the room from various monitors. The heart rate monitor slowly working on his sensitive nerves. He's uncertain how Ted would react, but with him fast asleep he's feeling pretty content standing in the corner.

Randy is succumbing to unconsciousness again when Cody's voice mingles along in his pointy ears, he can just about open his eyes while Cody is quietly whispering for his father. He walks over silently, approaching slow and not wanting to startle Rhodes when he wakes up. To Randy's relief, Cody's shock is brief, and he accepts the Viper's apology a little too quickly for his liking. Randy rolls his eyes and sighs, planting a kiss on his lips before draping his jacket over Ted's sleeping form and leaving to the waiting room with his trainer.

:::

With Dolph freaking out, how could Brett stay down? Their whole little family thing was just sweet. "I wish you had have told me not to date a little sooner." Maybe then he wouldn't have got so close to Randy. Not that they were dating because they weren't. Or something like that...

"I am not a stick in the mud! You're just a drama queen,"Briley retorts and rolls his eyes. "I'm ordering ice cream to cheer my little buddy up." Proudly the man strolled to the phone.

Brett felt like he could confide in Dolph. He was so friendly. "I just feel like I make everything so bad and I don't ever mean too... It's not my fault..." He leaned on to the shoulder and sighed. "You guys are fun and all but I'm worried about Teddy. Do you think he's okay?"

Only briefly does Ted open his eyes when he hears footsteps. He looked up a little to see who it was coming closer, a doctor maybe? He couldn't tell with his eyes still trying to focus.

Once they have focused and it clicks on who the intruder was, he's on his feet again, ready to follow Randy. He wasn't sure what he'd do... bite Randy back maybe? Rushing on his feet, he caught up to Randy and spun him around. "What were you doing in there? You've got some nerve even coming here." Ted was shaking and words left him with how tired be was. "He wanted to see you so you better have atleast apologized."

He isn't sure whether his words come out as he falls into a chair. Exhaustion was a real pain in the butt. Was this Randy's jacket? When did he get that?

:::

Randy looks Ted up and down after practically toppling over on top of him. Maybe it just hadn't sunk in to either of them just how heavily tranquilized he was.

Just because it was an automatic reaction, he glances him up and down again for enjoyment this time; rather than trying to get a feel for what was coming at him next. There's a large bruise forming over his face from earlier, something he's probably unaware of besides the feeling of painful pressure seeping across his blackening pores. It hurt, he just didn't know why.

He steadies himself with the precision of a drunk, the wall becoming his support.

"I did apologize… sleeping beauty; and… he apologized… well, to.. you," he shrugs his shoulders and makes himself dizzy by the slight motion and grips the wall harder; his knuckles whitening. "I.. got a.. pretty nice kiss, and… I should… expect one… from.. you after you… realize… I.. fixed your… ….relationship," he lets the wall go and stammers on his feet while Ted walks away, letting his trainer come collect his failing body and dump him into one of the chairs; he really wasn't getting paid well enough to handle all of this.

Zack isn't even embarrassed when he confides in Brett that he's proposed to Dolph once. Briley corrects him.

"Okay twice."

"…No."

"…Three times."

"Getting there."

"..Alright! I proposed four times…" he mumbles.

He pulls a face and turns back to the television and Brett, "Consider yourself warned a little too late. Just don't go proposing to people you love, I guess…" he sighs before going back to his optimistic view, "I'll get 'em one day… I'll just finally march up to him and be like, "Dolph, marry me!" and, broski, he'll be all over it."

Dolph opens the bathroom door again and blinks… looking between Brett and Briley, "That'll be five times I've said no - this being the least romantic."

The bleach blonde plops down next to Brett, watching Briley and chuckling, "You're supposed to be watching your weight, stick in the mud, or you won't look like me."

"Like, who doesn't want to look like that? Totally sexy, bro." Zack drools.

Dolph rolls his eyes and looks back to Brett.

"Don't think about everything too much, kid. See, if you make things so bad, we wouldn't want you around."

"You'd kill our whole vibe, bro."

Dolph rolls his eyes, "I'm giving some expert advice over here, Proposal King. Keep it shut," he smiles back at Brett, "If you realize how dumb the idiots you're hanging out with are, you'll see why things are so bad. None of those idiots can get along with each other! They're, you know, not like my big idiot over here. Just find someone that makes you happy. This jerk here, well, he pisses me off, and he's annoying, and not as good looking as me, but… we make it work, you know?"

Zack isn't sure how to comment, so he doesn't; he just looks back at Briley and refers to him as a stick in the mud again before he moves his messenger bag of books and what not onto the floor and relaxing on the bed.

"I could put some ice cream in my protein shake…"

Dolph rolls his eyes, "You can call Ted when he's off the phone, if you want? Or don't? Sometimes if you walk away from something for a while, it'll come back a bit better, or easier. You'll see. - Like that time I had to wait an extra day for the new Britney CD, you know? I waited and they put out a special edition. Sometimes you need patience."

:::

Everything about their little threesome is just so humorous. Silly. Just what Brett needed and in minutes hes back to normal more or less; letting out his smile at Zack's numerous proposal objections. "So I gotta wait till the timings right to propose, got it."

"Watch my wieght? Excuse me, but my butt isn't fat in pink trunks, thank you. And just for that comment I'm getting double on the icecream. Oh yeah, this is happening!" Briley wasn't even paying attention to the way the woman has picked up the phone and was asking what he needed. "Oh sorry! Sorry..." he laughed awkwardly and placed his order.

Well putting it like that, Brett realized, did make things much better. They were crazy, not dumb, but crazy. And inspired by Dolphs little ra-ra speech the idea that he could try again with Randy, plants itself back in the determination part of his brain. Maybe he could forgive the lying and rejection. Randy did say he actually liked him. He was a sucker, you know.

He looked to the now idle phone and just laid down. "I can be patient. I'll call him in the morning."

"Woo! Out of your funk already!" Briley jumped on the layout next to Brett. "Way to go, Dolphy."

"Well thank you for apologizing..." the thanks was hollow- intentionally hollow. From his chair, Ted can't stop how red and flustered he was. Why was it always that Randy was always right. Always right like Cody. Ugh.

He did fix the relationship. Cody actually clung to him... for dear life... but he didn't attack him. His relationship was fixed but at what expense? Well hopefully it would recover in time with Cody's recovery. "I guess you're right," he grumbled.

He needed to get back to Cody who he remembered was awake when he left. He'd pass out in the room chair again but there was a need to atleast make it back to the room. With the best of his ability, he rose to his feet and almost fell in Randy's lap, sleepily laying his lips on Randy's. "Thank you," he whispered before heading back to Cody's side.

:::

Even though he wasn't physically able to, Ted was mentally doing backflips for the fact Cody was actually letting him on the bed- anywhere near him. The offer is graciously accepted for one reason or another and he didn't waste time snuggling the other man, burrying his face in the crook of the other's neck. Nice and close.

Okay, he really needed to learn boundaries and take baby steps when it came to romancing Cody. But that was just so hard! "I'll take care of everything for Randy in the morning. You just worry about getting better."

While Cody is talking, Ted can't help softly kissing Cody's neck. Nothing lustful or sensual, but peppered and understanding. Just to stop from being misconstrued, he stops and settles back for inhaling the man's scent. "You've said it twice now and it keeps sounding better each time," he laughed. "I love you too."

"But I haven't done anything! Aww..." Brett wished he could stop blushing but the idea always did this to him. And then the thought of kids- something Ted told him Randy desperately wanted. Imagine him. Pregnant with Randy's babies and married. Every southern bells' fantasy.

Briley points to Zack while he's yelling, "Well that's hypocrisy! You participate in these activities and you have no ring. I say it's only fair that you atone by marrying Zack right away!"

He winked to Ryder and gave him the thumbs up. "See, I got your back. Sixth times the charm."

Pierce liked how deeply enthralled Brett looked in his brothers words. He'd be paying enough attention for both of them because heaven knows he wasn't. He was too worried on how they made the sprinkles just the right size. "Abstinence. Right right." He grumbled before thinking back. "So I guess you're not perfection, huh? I don't recall you being abstinent."

Getting Dolph riled up was his favorite pass time.

"Anyway, Continue about the birds and squirrels or whatever."

:::

"neither of you should be doing anything!" Dolph is vocally exhausted, "Brett, do whatever you want with that vile monster but stop giving my brother all of these ideas!"

Dolph honestly didn't know he could be so very protective of his younger sibling, maybe it was just the ew factor in the innocent young guy getting interested in his fellow co-workers that was bothersome.

Zack blushes. He would love to be married to Ziggler so very badly. He wanted that more than he wanted to have television time or an actual real natch that he wasn't going to walk into knowing that he had already lost. Maybe Ziggler was like those matches... He wonders if his Ziggler will ever become a Ryder. His dad seemed so into Ziggler, too...

"I do not do any "activities"! Not ever!" Dolph was a bad liar. "I am as pure as the snow!" maybe his white blonde hair was, at least... But that was all.

"tell that to those pregnancy tests that came back failed a few times."

Dolph gasps. "First! They ended up negative! Second! It was immaculate conception," oh, as if that would have worked...

Cody smiles nervously, not sure what it was that he was doing at all. He's certain that Ted still doesn't understand him. He does his best not to even think about it anymore. He bets that Ted is happier than he is at least; that was okay, Cody figures.

Cody does enjoy the affection however, and right now he really does need it. The nuzzling is the best feeling in the world right now - and everything almost seems right. He still feels as if Ted crossed the line between business and love; and isn't sure how to handle it when he knows he loves him back. He wasn't afraid of being hurt like Randy was, and can't figure out a reason when he even tries to open his mouth and make one.

He looks up at Randy, leaning over Ted before sinking back down. He shudders, " Doesn't that creep you out?" he asks quietly, " He looks dead."

Randy indeed looks way past dead, as If road kill well into the stage of rotting and decay, only his scent was still a strong sexy one that could make anyone throw inhibitions out the window. His only sign of life is the occasional noticeable rise and fall of his chest.

Cody ignores his kisses, just letting Ted go for it. He's not in the mood for sex, as he figured Ted so immediately is; Cody is never about having make-up sex. He tries to think in a more romantic way and just sort of smiles. Maybe Ted was just trying to be nice... He sighs and just maintains a smile before sinking into the sheets.

He protectively observes Randy, sitting back up just to do so and ignoring the pain that shot through his side, he really wasn't concerned with himself anymore. He finally lays back down, assured Ted would handle it.

"It's not your fault, you know..."

He closes his eyes and tries to ignore everything that's happened. He's still uncomfortable in a way, but having Ted still feels close to right. He figures he just has to stop looking at their relationship from the wrong standpoint and accept it for what it really became. Now they were truly like their parents, but this time they were together; and he wasn't getting handfuls of cash from Flair for wearing nothing but cowboy boots.

:::

"It doesn't creep me out so much as worry me." He laughed halfheartedly. "He does kind of look dead. Like a zombie. But that's one good-looking zombie."

He wouldn't sleep very well with Cody continually moving. It was obvious he was worried about Randy so Ted finally rolled off the bed and grabbed his phone. "You seem worried about this so I'll call his trainer now." Yawning, he was especially not in the mood for a real conversation. Immediately as the phone picks up he gives the orders and just as soon hangs up. "Said he'll be right over," most if not all of his strength goes into flashing Cody a warm grin and once again he's retreating to the bed.

Before he can even cuddle up again, he's stopped by the statement. "Not my fault?" Great. Why did he have to bring that up? His conscious couldn't sleep now. "It is my fault. I brought Brett here and things just got out of hand. I wasn't thinking." Dejectedly, he sat up with his feet off the resting place.

"And here I am trying to lay up under you when I'm the one that got you put in here." Cody was probably going to be mad when he saw it that way too. "I should probably just stay in the chair."

Contrary to popular belief, Briley thought Dolph would actually make a great wife, for Zack anyway. It was like they had this weird connection. Cosmic or something. He saw it on some show once in the hair salon...he vaguely remembers... Sorta. It didn't matter.

So he's back on to tormenting Dolph. "Now what if, let's say, Brett and I were doing these 'activities'...together?" Briley suggestively raised his eyebrows and grabbed Brett, locking his arms around his waist. "It wouldn't be like we'd be messing around with some weirdo. He's got a good family. Real cute. Would it be so wrong then?"

"What if we had -quote on quote- immaculate conception?" Pulling Brett closer for effect, he whispered. "If wouldn't be like you could do anything about it. Right?"

Not that he was interested in his little buddy but Dolph's concern was getting amusing.

:::

Dolph narrows his eyes and stands next to Zack, maybe just incase he decided to run and smack the two of them the Long Islander could hold him back from literally knocking sense into them.

"No one is doing "activities" with anyone!"

"You guys need to stop calling it an activity," Zack rolls his eyes, "It's more like a hobby."

"It is NOT a hobby. I don't even like it - that's right. It's not enjoyable to do, so no one should be doing it. Zack doesn't like it either! That's why we don't have any "activities" happening!"

Zack blinks… was he just referred to as being bad in bed?

"No one likes "activities" no one in the history of the universe has ever liked it."

Maybe it was okay that Dolph was just using this as a reasoning.

"It's just something you have to do."

Zack tries to nod along….

"Once you two get married you can have "activities." Dolph grabs the two of them, separating everyone. He throws Brett onto the couch, Briley in a separate bed, and Zack into the other bed.

"Now. We're all going to go get changed in shifts like orphanage children. I'll go first."

Zack rubs his temples as he carries his bag into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack just to make sure no one was carrying on the conversation about "activities." He calls out from the bathroom just to change the topic…

"Any of you guys like Hello Kitty?" A definite game changer, since he knew both boys did.

He changes into some fleece leopard short shorts, complete with matching slippers and his hair in a pony tail bobby pinned, applying chapstick as he saunters - and corrects himself to walking proper back to bed.

Briley is next, followed by Zack and then Brett.

"Now. Everyone is going to go to sleep, and dream about Ninja Turtles and Ponies, got it? Good. Now everyone go to sleep. Separately!" He shoves Zack to the other side of the bed before escorting him to the lounge chair and throwing a pillow the comforter at him. "Also nobody ever sleeps together in the same bed, ever. No one does that. That only happens on like, TV."

Zack mumbles incoherently and tries to get some sleep when Dolph shuts the light off, every now and then making sure everyone is staying in their designated spaces.

Cody is settled by Ted taking care of Randy; it just makes him happy. He's not sure why, but maybe it was because how much Randy always watched over him too; made sure he was protected and happy - and right now he was. He yanks Ted back over to him and snuggles.

"God, I really do love you, I guess," he laughs awkwardly. It was getting a little easier to admit it - kind of, he's not sure still. It's… different. It's relieving in a way. "Randy's right, maybe we could be perfect," he laughs softly and snuggles up on him.

He shakes his head and pulls Ted down, "I mean, it's our parent's fault that this happened…" he looks between the two of them, "My gorgeous dad.." he purrs at the mere thought of the man, "And, you know, your dad," he just shrugs at that one. "It's like a curse… If we ever got married to other people and had kids, they'd end up the same way… I guess Randy got off easy not meeting Piper's kids, huh?" he snickers.

Cody quirks his eye brow and looks up at Ted sitting a little bit, "Ted, what do you mean you got me put here?" he shakes his head, "Jeeze… I was the one always begging him to you know," he just gives him a look, "I thought he'd… I don't know, it sounded dangerous and sexy for some reason. I guess I'm lucky he didn't give in and completely devour every last bite of me…" He still finds this funny.

And Randy still looks deceased.

Cody smacks Ted lightly and lays down. Hopefully he'd just be quiet.

"Can we just go to sleep?"

He decides to just stop talking now and actually fall asleep.

:::21:::