A/N: A HUGE loads of thanks to; GreyLionDiva, Tenshi no Koneko, Kyahbell, Christina89, Souless666 and my newest reviewer (welcome!) -lifestyle-practise- for reviewing the last chapter! You guys rocks!

Remember, whoever posts my 100th review on this story, will get a one-shot!

So, on with the show!

"How's he doing?"

"Well...it's hard to tell."

"Is he alive?"

"Yeah, and apparently chicken salad doesn't taste as good the second time."

"Okay, ew. Ted, keep that to yourself in future." Randy wrinkled his nose in disgust and then hung up the phone. He was sat in the lobby of the hotel. Part of him wanted to just go up to his room and fall asleep, but the rest of him was determined to wait until Tahni came back. He'd gone straight to her room, but she hadn't been there. He'd then gone in search of Matt, but apparently he hadn't come back yet either.

He drummed his fingers on his legs, looking around at nothing in particular. A few minutes later he saw Matt come through the door and then stand back to hold it open for Tahni. Matt was minus his sweater, which was now on Tahni and it drowned her. Randy observed that she looked kind of cute, the sweater hung down to her thighs and she had the sleeves rolled back a few times, making her hands look tiny as they poked out of the end. Randy watched silently, feeling an unfamiliar dart of animosity as he saw Matt put his arm over Tahni's shoulders and draw her into his side almost protectively. In response, Tahni simply smiled up at him.

Matt's presence was inconvenient, but it seemed unavoidable. Randy shook his head and slowly rose to his feet. He shoved his hands into his pockets and approached them cautiously. When he came into their view, he instantly saw Matt's face harden angrily, but Tahni just looked at him with something close to indifference, which made him feel far more uncomfortable than the death glare Hardy was sending his way. He coughed awkwardly, "Um, Cauldwell...can we talk"?

"I've got nothing to say to you."

"Okay, then can I talk?"

"Shoot."

"In private."

"Actually, I'm kinda busy."

"This will only take a minute."

"She said she's busy, Orton." Matt growled at him and he opened his mouth to retort, but Tahni shook her head at him, "It's fine. I'll see you upstairs." Matt seemed unhappy about it, but he nodded and wandered off, making sure to glare at Randy as he passed. The latter didn't notice, he was looking at Tahni, who folded her arms and tilted her head with a kind of polite interest, "What do you want, Randy?"

"I just...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being a jerk."

"You're always a jerk."

"Not on purpose."

"Oh...must just be your natural personality then."

"Tahni...you're not making this easy."

"I know."

"You could at least accept my apology."

"Okay."

"I mean- wait, what?" Randy frowned at Tahni, who smiled politely at him in that same coolly disinterested way as she had before, as if she really couldn't care less. She shrugged, pushing a few strands of short, messy hair from her face, "I said; 'okay'. You're forgiven."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"So, we can start over?"

"No."

"What? Why not?"

Tahni sighed and shook her head, looking at him with a slight frown, but she spoke in a perfectly even, reasonable tone, "There's a line that I draw and past that line, I don't get involved. That line, was about two hours ago. I'll work with you, but besides that, I'll keep out of your way."

"What if I don't want that?"

"It doesn't matter. I want it, so that's how it's gonna be."

"Well how come you get to decide and I don't?"

"Because I drew the line...and you crossed it." She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in and then nodded. "Goodnight, Randy." Without another word she walked away from him, leaving him dumbfounded and frozen to the spot. Now, nobody takes rejection very well. Some people throw tantrums, kick and scream, some withdraw into themselves and try to hide from it, some pretend it never happened and try to block it from their memory, but some –Randy being one of those- see it almost like a challenge. Tahni had moved the goalposts; she had taken herself out of the running and out of his reach. This was something that Randy could not allow. It had taken him until now to even realise he actually liked the stupid woman and he was not about to just disappear into the background.

"La la la, I'm not listening!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"I'm having a torrid affair with Mark."

"I knew it!"

"See? You are listening!"

"Dammit! Glen, that's cheating!" Tahni scowled at her friend as she pulled on her boots. Tonight was the first time that Tahni was actually going to be involved in a match. She was taking part in an inter-gender tag match with Randy against Ted and Mickie James. She was a little nervous, but generally in a good mood. Glen smirked and her and folded his arms, leaning on the wall. "You can't ignore him when he's your tag partner."

"I'm not ignoring him."

"You haven't argued with him in a week."

"And that means I'm ignoring him?"

"Yes."

"How'd you figure that one out?"

"Cauldwell, you argue with everyone!"

"I do not."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Whatever."

"Ha! I win!"

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't. I am not arguing with you anymore!" Tahni stuck her tongue out at him and stood up, shaking her legs a little so that her pants fell into place over her boots. When she was done she looked at Glen with an almost expectant expression on her face and her hands on her hips. Glen lifted his eyebrows at her, "What?" This earned him a eyeroll.

"You have to get out."

"Why?"

"Because I need to change my top and I don't want you having a heart attack."

"I think I can handle it."

"Get out!" Tahni hit him with the shoebox that had previously contained her boots and he ducked out, laughing. Glen wasn't fooled by her performance, he knew that it was taking more effort than she'd admit to ignore Randy, even if she claimed she wasn't ignoring him and in fairness, she wasn't blanking him completely. She talked to him as she would any colleague. She went over lines with him, filmed vignettes and they worked seamlessly together in the ring, but other than that, she seemed determined to pretend that he didn't exist. Now, Glen was all for this. He was perfectly happy for Randy to no longer be a part of her life, but he couldn't ignore the things that no-one else saw.

Every time Randy walked into a room, Tahni winced. She would sigh heavily when she thought no-one was paying attention and spent hours just staring vacantly into space. Staring into space was quite normal for Tahni, but not like this. Normally you could tell when she was daydreaming, she'd get a kind of happy, glazed look in her eyes, but now there was a kind of dullness to it, like she was thinking of something depressing. She played her part well and anyone who didn't spend as much time with her as Glen did would not be able to tell the difference in her behaviour.

"Okay, I'm done." Glen snapped out of his thoughts as Tahni emerged from the locker room. His locker room, which she routinely kicked him out of because she didn't really get along with most of the other women. They found her odd and difficult to relate to, not because they were unpleasant people, just because Tahni didn't seem to really fit in anywhere and there wasn't much common ground between them. She got along well with Mickie and Barbie and could even be found at times chatting away in French to Maryse, but other than that she was a bit of an oddball amongst the woman.

"Alright, well since your match is up next I'm gonna go see Mark."

"Okay. Don't eat any babies."

"Why would I eat babies?"

"Cody said that Mark eats babies."

"Mark doesn't eat babies."

"Uh-huh. Sure. I believe you."

"He doesn't."

"Of course not."

"He doesn't. He prefers young, pixie-like women with short, spiky hair." Glen smirked and Tahni squeaked in alarm, made her excuses and ran off to the curtain. Randy was already there, he looked up as she approached, "Hey."

Tahni nodded in response, waiting as the trainer checked her brace on her right leg and adjusted it slightly. She didn't look at Randy until he spoke again, "Are you nervous?"

"Not really."

"That's good. Just remember to stay loose."

"I will. Thanks."

"And don't try anything too high risk. Don't wanna risk injury in your first match."

"Uh-huh." Randy got the impression that she wasn't really listening to him and scowled, "And if things go really wrong, I'll cut my leg off and let you beat Mickie to death with it."

"Okay. Thanks." Tahni rolled her pant leg down as the trainer moved away. Her ring-attire was quite close to her normal clothes, but made specifically to be more manoeuvrable. She was wearing dark blue pants that resembled jeans, but fit much more closely and moved a lot more and a rainbow coloured tank top, which was cut to expose a little of her stomach, but none of her cleavage. She'd been very specific when working with the wardrobe department that she didn't want to look like she could work a corner in her ring clothes. The fans knew her as a normal person and she wanted to look like a normal person.

Randy's music hit and he looked over at her, but she was still not paying attention to him. He shook his head and headed out. Tahni followed behind, painting an anxious expression onto her face. As they both climbed to the apron, Randy took hold of her arm and appeared for all intents and purposes to be uttering words of encouragement to her. Over the noise, Tahni couldn't hear what he was actually saying, so she just nodded along.

DiBiase with the tag, which means Orton, has to step out and let Tahni get her first taster in this match.

Now remember, Matt; Mickie James is a fierce competitor and an excellent wrestler. We've never seen any wrestling from Tahni, so you gotta think that Mickie has the advantage.

I definitely agree with that and speaking of which, Mickie James with a hard clothesline.

How nervous must Tahni be, coming into this with no match experience?

I'd say very. It's showing as well. Tahni taken down to the mat again, James is not giving her any breathing room in this.

But what a minute; Tahni popped right back up to her feet and threw Mickie right into the corner.

What's she doing now?

I don't know. Wow! That looked like a cross between a suplex and an arm drag.

Whatever it was, it was very effective.

Mickie James is reeling as she stumbles to her feet only to fall right into the hands of a german suplex and Tahni now with a front face-lock on Mickie James.

That face-lock looks well applied and Tahni now wrapping her legs around Mickie as well in what almost looks like a grapevine.

It's been a long time since we've seen anyone use that kind of move out here.

Oh, Mickie got the ropes and the hold will be broken.

Tahni, testing the five-count there, very surprising behaviour from the young woman.

Now dragging James to her feet by her hair, twisting her around so that they're back-to-back. Oh and a neckbreaker!

Seems that Tahni has been taking lessons from Orton.

What's this?

Orton and Tahni just looking at one another. Tahni dragging Mickie to her feet again, eye contact unbroken between the two.

There's some kind of silent communication going on here.

Tahni slapping Mickie back into reality and Mickie looks furious.

Mickie turning to try and get the tag, but Tahni dragging her back again.

There's that look again. What is going on here?

Oh my god!

RKO! Tahni hit the RKO on Mickie James!

Here's the cover!

One...two...three!

Tahni wins this match!

Mickie and Ted disappeared up the ramp, leaving Tahni and Randy to celebrate in the ring. Randy raised Tahni's hand as she grinned out at the crowd and then, without a moment's warning, his mouth suddenly descended on hers in a heart-stopping kiss. Tahni felt as is fireworks had just exploded in her head and for all that she knew she should be shoving him away and beating the crap out of him, she wasn't. She was kissing him back, her arms around his neck.

They broke apart and the world rushed back. Tahni's eyes darkened, but she kept the smile on her face for the sake of the cameras and allowed Randy to lead her backstage. She wheeled around to face him. He opened his mouth to speak, but was halted by a stinging slap across the face. Stars burst behind his eyes and by the time his vision had cleared, she was gone. He felt a dart of frustration, then caught sight of Glen, stood a few feet away, smirking at him, "Nice try." The other man chuckled in dark amusement and then jogged off to find Tahni.