Okay, I have to say that I've never been more proud of my boys in a long time! The way they came to John's aid on Raw! Even Edge and Sheamus! Even though Sheamus had his own reasons… Like my best friend said, it was like "I can pick on my family, but you can't".. That sweet jar of mayo.. And Randy came out, I was screaming and hollering! And I was just plain proud of my Raw boys… it was a GREAT Raw…

Chapter 24- Fight Club

Randy

I followed behind Lora as we headed into another hotel. We were once again back in North Carolina for tomorrow's Raw. The sun was setting behind the clouds behind the tall buildings, throwing rays of light into Lora's hair, bringing out the deeper shades of red. I resisted the urge to take a handful, and run my fingers through the locks. I watched as John opened the door for Lora, and I reached around her, grabbed the metal frame, allowing her access to the lobby. I noticed that both John and Lora were immediately attentive to the guests spanning the room. And I knew why. Casie was going to meet us here. It was the end of her bed-rest week, and she was going back on the road with us. I could see the excitement in both John and Lora's eyes. They missed Casie with a passion, and needed her back. And I had to admit, I missed her witty humor she could shoot off at me. The soft squeal that I heard from Lora told me she had spotted Casie, and sure enough, I turned my head and found the tall brunette.

And I tried not to gape at her. It had only been a week ago that we had been at her house, how could I forget? But when we were there, she had looked bad. The chemo they had her on weakened her, and she couldn't eat much, and her clothes were extremely loose. And not to mention her skin, taut and pale against her bones. But looking at Casie now, you could hardly tell that anything had been wrong with her. There were still the tell-tale signs of her diesease about her, but they were meager. Her face was flush with excitement, red staining her cheeks, and not nearly as pale as the last time I had seen her. And Casie had to have gained some of her weight back, because her clothes were snug in all the right places. She looked healthy. My eyes automatically looked to John, who hadn't managed to look away from Casie yet. He obviously had noted the changes as well. Lora engulfed Casie into a hug, brown hair mingling with red.

"Oh, my Lord!" Lora exclaimed, still clinging to Casie, "I've missed you! And you look so good!" Lora pulled away from Casie, holding her at arms length, examining her closely.

"I've missed you too! And thank you, I feel much better," Casie said, as John came up from behind her, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist, pulled her to his chest. I smirked at him, arching an eyebrow at his actions.

Seeing his hands around Casie's body made my own ache for the feel of Lora under my touch. I reached out, slipping my hands in the snug backpockets of her jeans. Slowly, I pulled her backwards, not to trip her up and make her fall. I heard her soft noise of surprise, and she looked over her shoulder slightly, throwing me a smirk. Sighing, I rested my head on her shoulder, breathing in her perfume. We waited off to the side as Casie and john left to the front desk to book their room. I was lost in thought when Lora turned her head slightly towards mine.

"How's your arm feeling?"

I pulled my right hand out of her pocket and wrapped it tight around her waist, so she was snug against my chest. I moved my lips to her ear. "It's just fine."

She sighed and pulled away from me. I looked down at her in confusion, wondering what I had said to make her react this way. Lora forced her green eyes my way, and I saw sad and disappointment shining out of them. "I guess that means you don't need me to take care of you anymore, then?"

I realized what she meant in an instant. She was asking, not only if my arm was still bothering me, but if it was still necessary for her stay with me. And I had told her, in so many words, no. I could have kicked myself. I just assumed that, after all we had gone through, we had reached that point. But I hadn't made myself clear to Lora. She didn't know that when I thought about sleeping in a bed without her in it, sounded miserable. That sleeping in a bed where I couldn't roll over and pull her into my arms made my stomach clench painfully.

"Oh, you meant this arm," I pulled a face and held my right arm with my left. "Oh, it hurts so bad. I'm still going to need you for a long time."

Lora raised her eyebrow at me, smiling softly. "Randy Orton, you liar."

I dropped my charade immediately, because in a different time, I had promised her I would never lie to her again. I ran my fingers through her hair, brushing it from her eyes. I stared into the green depths, willing her to see what I was feeling. I placed my other hand on the small of her back and pulled her lightly to me. I took a deep breath, savoring her presence.

"You caught me," I began, lowering my voice, making sure no one else in the lobby could hear me. "I just don't want to go back to sleeping alone. Please, don't make me sleep alone anymore?" I know I sounded selfish, but I didn't care at the moment. "I want you in my bed Lora. Please?"

I saw the flame fire up in her eyes at my words. Something that heated my skin; to see her reaction to me was a complete turn on. She let go of a heavy breath, and I felt her hand slip into mine. Then she began to drag me towards the front desk. We waited patiently as the couple ahead of us checked in and walked away for their room. Lora stepped ahead of me before I had the chance and spoke up.

"One room with a Queen Size bed on WWE bill please?" I did notice that her voice shook slightly as she spoke. I bit back my smirk and traced my fingers up and down her spine.

oo

The next morning I woke up to an annoying buzzing sound. It was way too early for anyone to be calling, as I glared angrily through half-closed lids at the bright green glowing lights of the clock on the side table. I looked next to the clock and saw that Lora's phone was lit up and moving slightly with each buzz. I groaned and nudged Lora softly.

"Lora," I called out, "get your phone." She moaned senselessly at me, obviously not caring at all for the caller on the phone. I laughed lightly, reaching over her to grab up her phone. "Hello?" I said as I flipped it open. Nothing. Not one word, just silence. "Hello?" I persisted, getting more irritated with each passing second. Still nothing. I shut the phone with a twist of my wrist and dropped it back on the table. I lay back on the bed, grumbling as I settled into the sheets again.

"Who was it?" Lora mumbled, her words slurring together in her sleep. She rolled over, laying her head on my chest, her arm draped over my stomach. My eyes gazed over the contours of her face from this angle. The sun was just beginning to rise and it peeked between the curtains, falling on her features, outlining them. I ran my fingertips over her cheekbones softly.

"I don't know. No one ever said anything." I tried wrapping my arms around her, but her body tensed and she sat up swiftly. I knew immediately that I had lost my few precious moments with her before our hectic day began. Lora turned her back to me, reaching out for her phone. I pushed myself up on the wooden headboard and watched as she examined her cell. "What's wrong?"

She jumped slightly when I ran my fingers across her exposed waist. "Oh, nothing. It was a wrong number." I had the impression she wasn't being completely truthful with me. I could tell something was wrong with her, that this "wrong number" wasn't an innocent mistake. But I knew when to not push her. I kept my mouth shut as she climbed out of bed, and announced that she was going to take a shower.

oo

I sat in my locker room, thumbing through the nights' script, getting ready for my interview spot about the pay-per-view and the NXT rookie attack from the previous Raw. I was to make my opinion known that, as much as my character wanted to approve the actions they had done last week; I couldn't, they were nothing but "punks" and needed to be put in their place. I heard the door open, and turned, thinking it was going to be the interviewer and the camera-crew; but I was pleasantly surprised. Lora walked through the door, wearing a green cotton dress and some silver sandels. I raised an eyebrow at her as she walked to me slowly, and softly wrapped her arms around me.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Do I have to have a reason?" she smiled coyly. I raised my eyebrow at her, and we both remembered the last time we were alone in my locker room together. That was definitely something to never forget. I picked a piece of her curly hair, letting it fall through my fingers. But before either could say anything else, movement came from behind the door, and the cameras arrived for my shoot.

And in an instant, Lora was missing from my arms. It made my head spin how fast she could move sometimes. It was almost funny how different she acted when we were around other people, and when it was just us. She wasn't much a fan of public display of affections. But, deep down, I loved that about her. I didn't want anyone else to know what she was capable. The selfish part of me wanted to be the only one to know that. The only one privileged to know. I watched her as she slinked to the opposite side of the room, and tried to make herself invisible on the couch. Which was a laughable attempt. The thought of her being invisible, to anyone, be it me or any man, was ludicrous. It was hard to concentrate on my role with her in the room. But when I heard a chant of "RKO" ring out through the arena, it sent chills down my spine and goosebumps spread across my arms. I still hadn't gotten used to being rooted and pulled for yet. No wonder John was nearly always in a good mood.

Finally, the cameras left my room, leaving Lora and I alone again. But I had to get ready for a confrontation with the rookies that would take place in the next half hour. John was scheduled to head out and give his thoughts on the matter, and the "so-called-banned" rookies would try another attack, but the Raw roster would come to his aid. And slowly, the three guys who would try to take away John's title this Sunday, Sheamus, Edge, and I, would come to stand our ground next to John. But in the opposite order, with me running out first. I sighed, wishing I had more time with Lora, and walked to my bag. As I pulled at the zipper, a thought occurred to me. A very sneaky, underhanded thought. I turned to Lora with a smirk.

"Want to do me a favor?"

"This should be good," Lora mused, crossing her arms over her chest. "What may that be?"

"You see, my shoulder is still a little stiff," I explained, reaching into the bag, closing my fingers around the plastic. "Do you mind?" I asked, pulling out the bottle of baby oil, shaking it lightly in her direction. Her eyes widen a fraction, and I saw the pink blush creep up her cheeks as her arms came undone slowly, coming to a rest by her sides. She licked her lips softly as she drew in her bottom lip, bitting down on it.

Gradually, she began to move across the room, inching closer to me. She stopped when there were only a couple of inches of empty space between us. She closed her eyes and sighed. I smirked at her when she took the bottle from my hands.

"You know I love you when I touch baby oil for you." I laughed softly at her cringe on the words "baby oil". I pulled my shirt up and over my head, dropping it on my bag. I felt her soft hands on my skin as she began to work the oil on. Her fingers left scorch marks in their wake, and I didn't even think she knew what she was doing.

"Hey, you started this, remember?" I pointed out, thinking back on a time that seemed so long ago now. So much had happened, to all of us.

"True," Lora agreed, amusement in her eyes as I met her gaze. I laughed softly at the smirk on her lips. She was definitely learning from me. But then she moved behind me, to spread the oil over my back and shoulders. My lids fluttered closed softly as she massaged my shoulders gently. "So, Casie tells me there's going to be a good ole' fashioned brawl tonight?"

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, which had taken a turn that did not include Lora and I being in this arena at the moment. I watched as Lora moved to bring a chair in front of me and proceeded to oil my leg. I could only nod and produce an indistinguishable grunt. Lora's soft laughter met my ear as she made me swap legs. I was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea or not. This had been meant for Lora, but somehow the tables were turned against me. And Lora knew it. I sighed in relief when she finally stood up, tossing the bottle to the floor, next to my bag, and grabbed a towel to clean her hands. She smiled at me, throwing the towel beside the oil. Then turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"Then, I'll be watching you," she said, and slipped from the room. God, that girl knew how to get things going, and just leave. I had to take a few moments to calm myself. There was no way I could go out like this, I was in no condition. Five minutes later, I shook my head hard, forcefully clearing my thoughts, and headed to the waiting stage. I heard John's music on my walk, and I knew that he was starting his segment. There were several other stars already there, waiting on their cues. I saw Adam and Matt, and made my way in their direction. But before I had taken five steps, I heard my name being called out.

"Mr. Orton!" I turned around to see the man that worked in Lora's department; her second, David. He came running up to me, his face red from his flustered state. I motioned for him to continue as soon as he caught his breath. "Have you seen Lora?"

I knitted my brow in confusion. "Have you checked her titantron room? She just left my company; she should be back there now."

But David was waving me off. "No, she's not working in the titantron room tonight. She's deligated Raw to me tonight. Oh well, I guess I'll have to figure it out on my own. Thanks though."

And as I watched David walk off, with a part of me worried what the problem he needed Lora for, that he was going to take care of himself, I knew immediately where Lora was, but I wished that I didn't. I'll be watching you. She was at ringside. I looked around, and my eyes landed on a television with a live feed. Not caring who I knocked into as I made my way towards the TVs, I scanned the screen looking for my target. Sure enough, there she was, sitting with Casie, next to the time-keeper. Now, normally, I would love for her to be ringside to see me in action. But tonight was different. The rookies were in the arena. And their entrance was from the crowd, and one of those spots was right behind Lora. I didn't think they were going to beat anyone outside the ring this week, but I didn't like taking any chances after last week. Not with Lora.

"What's the matter?" Adam asked. I didn't even notice that he had come up from behind me. I turned from the screen, tearing my eyes away from the spot where Lora's face had been. I was trying not to lose it.

"Lora," I said, taking a deep breath to calm my beating heart, "is sitting ringside." I saw the recognition flash in Adam's eyes.

"Sounds like Lora," Adam said, watching the screen, "to pick the most inopportune time to go ringside."

I threw Adam a nasty look. "You are not helping."

"Sorry man," he said, throwing his hands up. "Look, Casie is out there too, so you know that John is going to have an eye on them. Not that he wouldn't anyway. And Matt'll be out there, and then it won't be long before you join them. When it's my turn, I'll watch the outside of the ring for you."

I thought about his words, his plan; it had merit. And I had to admit, I felt better about this situation. Nodding slowly, I met his eye, sending him a thank you that I knew I didn't have to say. I walked back over to the waiting stage and watched as Matt or Evan Bourne, William Regal, R-Truth and Santino Marella ran out on to the ramp and down to the ring. It was getting close to time. I heard to crowd start to get louder, and I knew that the battle had begun. I watched as Mark Henry ran to join his fellow Raw roster. It took all my patience to not run out right behind. I wanted to get to Lora immediately. I wanted to see her, and make sure that no one was paying her the least bit of attention. Or Casie for that matter. She was still recovering from cancer. She shouldn't even be at ringside.

Finally, when I felt like enough time had passed, I ran out to a loud crowd pop. It made my adrenaline flow through my veins. I didn't even have to make my legs move as I raced down the ramp; the yells from the crowd, the sight before me and knowing Lora was out there was enough to keep me moving. All seven NXT rookies were in the ring with, throwing punches with seven of our guys, including Hall of Famer, Jerry "the King" Lawler." My addition threw the balance off in our favor. I slid into the ring, and started to attack any rookie in my reach. The one that was trying to fend off R-Truth. But as I got in a few good shots, I looked up and saw that John was getting double teamed in the far corner of the ring. I shot to my feet and quickly ran to his aid. I wrapped one arm around the boys' neck and one around his stomach and yanked him off of John. John immediately was on the attack of the only rookie left coming at him. I swung the boy against the ropes, not even trying to make my punches look fake. They weren't. I couldn't stand these guys, at all. After I had had enough of him, I grabbed his neck, and a handful of his wrestler's trunks, spinning him around, and threw him through the second rope and out of the ring.

I caught a glimpse of green momentarily. Lora was sat next Casie, her hands clasped together in her lap. But in the single second that I stared into her face, I saw the sheer excitement that was clearly written on her features. All of this, all of us beating the day lights out of each other for entertainment, made her feel that rush exhilaration. And that made my heart only beat faster that I was a part of that feeling for her. I spun around, and found the next rookie, and threw him out of the ring. Now, knowing Stephen Farrelly was going to come out to Raw's side for help was one thing, but to actually see it was another. To see him in his character, Sheamus, state with that lead pipe, swiping at any rookie in his reach was a semi-proud moment. And the crowd's reaction to him was similar; Sheamus proved himself to the fans tonight, somewhat, by showing up for the Raw roster.

oo

After the busted main event, that was a tag team match with John and me against Edge and Sheamus, I led Lora back to my locker room. The lights in the arena had been shut off during our match, the only thing left going was the titantron, showing yet another NXT rookie attack; this time against our new general manager, Bret Hart. I had stood on the outside of the ring, watching in disdain as they had shoved him in the back of a limosine and the driver slammed the car against several others in the parking lot. I wouldn't have been so shocked, if I would have known about the attack before hand. But none of us knew about it. It must have been something Bret and Vince had kept tight-lipped to themselves. And as soon as Raw was called to a close, I hopped down off the side of the ring, and walked to Lora. I wasn't surprised that John was already there with Casie.

"And you're out here why?" I heard his voice say over the loud uproar of the crowd. They had not liked the ending of the show. "Last time I checked, you were supposed to be resting, not sitting ringside during a scheduled rumble."

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Casie retorted. "Nothing happened and everything's fine. And it felt good to be around my life again." I saw the hard look on John's face soften at her words. Casie wrapped her arms around his waist and John steered her back towards the ramp. I turned back towards Lora, and slowly, I held my hand out for her to take. She smiled softly, slipping her warm hand in my own, and we followed behind our friends. I heard her giggle lightly and she gripped my upper arm with her other hand.

"I'm sure it was written for you to come out tonight," Lora rushed, propping her head on my shoulder. I could tell that her excitement was still pumping through her. I loved being witness to this Lora. Seeing her like this let's me know what she was like when she was younger and she would watch her favorite wrestling icons on TV. "But I was so proud when you came running to help John. And I'm sure you heard the crowd, they were proud of you too."

I laughed softly at her, squeezing her hand lightly, "So, does this mean that I'm making my way to be one of your favorites?"

She stopped us at the door. I hadn't noticed that we had already reached my locker room. She ran her fingers down my chest, smiling up at me. "Have I not told you? You already are. Right up there with The Rock, Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Sting and the Undertaker."

I raised an eyebrow at her as she opened the door and walked into my locker room. I tried to mask the feelings that swirled around inside me. Because it was one thing for her to let me, break her barrier, and into her life. To let me love her, and love me in return. But she also respected and admired what I did in the ring, the thing I molded my life around. She held me high up on her shelf of favorites with some of the greats. She accepted, and wanted, every aspect of me and my life. No other woman that I had come close to had ever done both. It was one or the other. Either they wanted me and couldn't handle my work, or loved my work but couldn't handle me.

But as I watched Lora walking around the locker room, gathering my things into a small pile by my bag, I thought of how she always seemed to juggle both so well. She got overwhelmed at times, mainly when I was jackass, but she has never thrown in the towel on me. Lora turned on the spot, sensing my eyes on her, and smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but the door opened behind me and John and Casie came in; John was already changed out of his ring attire.

"Hey guys," John said, pausing in the middle of the room. And again, I just couldn't get over my shock at the change in Casie's appearance. I knew it raised everyone's spirits to see her looking so much better. "Since its Casie's first night back with us, and none of us got an ass whoopin', I thought that maybe we should have night out on the town. You know, to unwind?"

Lora burst into laughter, and I followed her shortly after. I didn't even have to think about it. I knew that I wanted to. The four of us hadn't had a night to ourselves since the bar in Alabama. I believed we deserved a few hours to relax. And by the look on Lora's face, she was in agreement with my thoughts.

oo

I grabbed Lora's hand, pulling her on the dance floor again for the third consecutive time. When we had arrived at "The Cave", we headed straight for the bar. The club was pretty much just like its namesake; it was hard to see, very little lighting, and hard to navigate. A cavernous dance floor was the center piece of the whole building, with everything else gravitating around it. As a particulaly bumping beat started blasting through the speakers, I spun Lora around, gratefully watching the green dress fly high about her thighs, before pulling her close against my body. Her bare arms wrapped around my shoulders tightly, pressing her body as close to me as she could. I didn't know where the alcohol affected her actions, or what was all her, but I did know that I was enjoying every minute of it. I let my hands run up and down the length of her back, feeling her react with a shiver. If it hadn't been for Lora forcefully turning my head to access my jaw with her lips, I wouldn't have seen John at the edge of the dance floor, trying to wave down my attention.

I pulled away from a disappointed Lora, and led her back to our friends. John was holding Casie by her waist and she had her head laid on his shoulder. From the dark dance floor, I hadn't noticed how extremely tired she looked. I eyed her with concern.

"She's just sleepy. Her excitement was just a little too much for her," John said, readjusting his grip on her. I assumed that he was probably holding most of her weight. "So, I think we're going to head back to the hotel. You guys going to be okay here?"

I nodded, and watched as John began to steer Casie from the club. I smiled softly as Casie lifted her head off of his shoulder a bit and waved lightly. I hated it for them, but their time would come where everything was going to be fine. They were out of the dark, and it would take time for everything to get back where it was.

"I've got to go to the restroom," Lora said, pulling me from the thoughts. I looked down at her shining eyes. I didn't like to think of the days where we had had dark times, but we had made it. "But will you go get me a drink? Please?"

I smirked at her softly and brushed my lips over hers. I watched her as she disappeared into the mass of people crowded into the room. I sighed and headed for the bar, ordering her favorite, pineapple and rum. Well, I assumed it was her favorite, she always ordered those. And I pulled up a stool and waited for her to return. And my thoughts returned to Lora. I couldn't believe how far we had come. Sometimes, I caught myself thinking it was all a dream, and I was going to wake up and she was still going to hate me. Or worse, be dating Swagger. I shivered at the thought.

I looked around the room, and then down at my watch. Five minutes had passed. Sometimes I was glad to be a guy; no long lines for the restroom. But, the longer I sat at the bar, the more anxious I got. My leg shook up and down on the wooden peg of the stool. After the ten minute mark, I went in pursuit. I sat the drink down on the bar with a ten dollar bill, and weaved through the crowd. A few people shot me ugly stares as I bumped into them, but I didn't care. I almost wanted them to say something to me. I found the Ladies' room when I rounded the corner to a hallway. There was no line at all. I spun in a stationary circle, scanning the faces, thinking that I might have missed her. But I knew I could spot her red hair anywhere. My eyes landed on a bouncer at the end of the long hall way, and I practically ran to him.

"Excuse me," I said, getting his attention, "have you seen a woman, about five foot six, with long dark red hair, wearing a green dress around here?"

The bouncer stratched his chin in thought, and I forced myself to remain calm and not grab him by his shoulders and shake his answer from him. "Oh, yeah. I have. She left through that exit," he said, pointing to a door to his immediate left, "with her boyfriend."

What? My head shot back up to the man. That wasn't right, not at all. Lora would not leave with any one. I stared at the man for a few moments more before darting through the door he had just mentioned. My heart was pounding hard in my chest, and my throat was so dry it ached painfully. And it was now that my brain decided to work, and I made my way between parked cars in the back alley.

Lora had acted weird this morning when she had gotten that wrong number phone call. And I wasn't stupid; I could tell that it had happened more than the one time. I knew she wasn't telling me everything. She was scared of something. Or someone. But it was now that I remembered the last time she had hid something from me. It had been about Erik. My blood boiled in my veins as I picked up speed, my eyes peeled for any kind of movement. I felt like an idiot. I should have made her tell me, that way I could have been there.

Movement ahead of me stilled my feet. I crouched down behind a car, and peaked at the scene. I saw two figures shadowed in the moonlight. One was a lot smaller in frame than the other. And was struggling against the other shadow. It was Lora. I was almost knocked to my knees by the force of anger that washed over me. As my eyes adjusted to the night, I saw that he had her gripped by the upper arms, dragging her across the parking lot. It took all my will power to stay hidden in my spot. Hearing her screams and whimpers in struggle tore my heart straight from my chest. I heard Erik's voice on the air, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I watched as he let go of her with one hand and spun around to face her. His arm arched back and came down with sickening thud, and Lora went limp in his arms.

And everything went black.

A/N

Omg! Sorry for the cliffhanger! I know you hate me! Lol but review a lot and I'll get to work on the next chappy!

Thanks for reviews Eisac Namhort, Duchan Mandic, Christina89, JoolR, Dreamin'BIG, AshleyBabe86, SuperStar89, Viper-Desi, KimmieCena, Xandman216, Thiala, Barnsley Gal 09, roknpstergrl, miamitravel, and southern. dreamz, southerncharm21, Cecilyyy, undermyumbrella, babyxbxgurl, hardycenagrl, Krista Hardy, xLou26 and littleone999