Chapter 36

"From St. Louis Missouri, weighing in at 245 pounds, he is one half of the World Tag Team Champions, Randy Orton!"

Randy sighed, closing his eyes as his music hit. He waited for the right chord, stepped out onto the ramp to a mixture of boos and cheers. AS he always did he stopped just far enough for his pyros and posed, the sparklers raining down behind him. He tilted his head back with a smirk and made his way down the ramp, his championship belt over his shoulder.

"And from Los Angeles California weighing in at 219 pounds, Johnny Nitro," Lillian announced as Randy paced in front of her, glaring at the TitanTron as Nitro's music hit.

Nitro strode haughtily out onto the ramp with Melina at his side. Randy waited for her to move around the ring, making sure Nitro was within clear shot before running across the ring and baseball sliding, hitting Nitro square in the chest. Randy instantly went on the offensive, throwing Nitro into the steel steps, making Melina scream. He glared at her before throwing her boyfriend back into the ring.

"Get up you son of a bitch!" Randy yelled angrily, the adrenaline coursing through him.

Nitro stumbled to his feet, clutching his shoulder from the impact of the steps. Rand grabbed his hand, wrenching it behind his back. He grinned when Nitro yelled out in pain as he worked the injured shoulder, hoping to hurt it so much Nitro could not wrestle.

"What do you say, Nitro?" Randy growled. "Want to give up?"

"No!" Nitro shook his head and Randy wrenched his shoulder again.

Melina let out a deafening scream from the side of the ring and Randy glanced at the ramp. He smiled at the sight of a woman streaking down the to ring, the crowd going crazy as A.J. crashed into Melina, forcing her to fall over. Randy returned to working on Nitro, throwing him across the ring and drop kicking him perfectly.

Outside the ring A.J. had tackled Melina to the ground, punching every inch of her she could reach. She had come prepared with a black wrist cuff, adorned with metal studs on the knuckles. She persisted in punching Melina's face until her lip was busted open from the blows, her screams making A.J. smile.

"Come on ,Melina, you want to hit me so bad ,take your best shot!" A.J. yelled angrily, smacking Melina across the face. "Come on!"

Melina reared back, aiming to smack A.J. pack but was hit in the stomach with a powerful spear. A.J. stood over Melina, her chest heaving from moving so quickly. She flipped up the ring apron, producing Triple H's sledgehammer. She pressed the cold metal under Melina's chin and grinned.

"You want to torture me so much enough to kill my own child. I'm going to make your life a living hell!" A.J. practically screamed, pressing the sledgehammer harder under Melina's chin, making her choke.

Before A.J. could do anymore damage, however, the bell rang, indicating the end of the match. She turned to see Johnny Nitro laid out in the middle of the ring, letting her know that Randy won. He slid out of the ring quickly, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her away from a still gagging Melina. At the sudden movement A.J. dropped the sledgehammer in surprise as Randy carried her back up the ramp.

"No, let me go! Let me beat her!" she struggled; kicking her feet as Randy easily carried her backstage.

He placed her back on her feet when they were behind the curtain and she spun around, her turquoise eyes wild. "Why did you do that? I had her!"

"You were choking her A.J.!" Randy bellowed. "Do you want to get me fired?"

The anger on Randy's face frightened her and she stepped away, "I'm sorry, I just got carried away."

Randy softened at her innocence and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "I shouldn't have yelled. I know what's haunting you and I understand. But I can't let you choke the life out of one of my colleagues, even if I hate her."

A.J. smiled and nodded, pulling away from Randy, her hands resting on his bare chest, "I just haven't been myself lately. I hate this, Rand. I just want to be happy again."

"I know, honey, I know," Randy sighed, leading her to his locker room.

Jessie was the only one waiting for them when they returned, her curly hair hiding her face. A.J. sat down on the bench next to her resting her hand gently on the girl's shoulder.

"What's up, Jessie?" she asked quietly.

"You almost killed her, A.J.," she whispered, looking up at her sister. "That wasn't you."

A.J. frowned and let out a long sigh. She opened her mouth to reply but could not find the words. The hurt she was feeling was unexplainable. The constant realization that something was growing inside her and was no longer apart of her was constantly eating at the back of her brain. The depression was always there, physical pain as well as mental. All she wanted was for it to end.

Jessie seemed to read the look on her face and understood, sitting up and hugging her sister tightly. A.J. winced for a moment when Jessie touched her stomach but shrugged it off. She had become sensitive about hands around her middle since she's been attacked. Randy watched the little exchange with a small smile. He knew Jessie only wanted her sister to be happy, and their bond grew stronger every time they were together.

A.J. looked up at him over her sister and haled her arm out to him, waving him toward her. He chuckled and let her pull him into a hug. Their moment was cut short with the sound of footsteps in the doorway and Randy turned to see John standing in the doorway, a boyish grin across his face.

"What?" Jessie asked, pulling away from Randy and A.J.

"Nothing," he smiled, stifling a snort of laughter.

"John Felix Anthony Cena, come here," Jessie ordered, grinning when he flinched at his full name.

He slowly entered the room and Randy took Jessie's vacated seat and knelt down in front of the younger girl, "Yes?"

"You just wanted a hug too," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

John chuckled and stood up, wrapping his arms around Jessie's middle so he was holding her. She wrapped her legs around his waist to stay balanced and turned to Randy and A.J.

"Look I can see so much from up here! Like the top of Randy's head!" Jessie laughed, reaching out and patting Randy's head. "I never see the top of Randy's head!"

The group laughed and John set Jessie back on her feet. The two sat down with Randy and A.J., Jessie flicking on the monitor to watch the broadcast. Jeff was in the ring fighting against Umaga for what seemed like the hundredth time. A.J. got to her feet, not wanting to watch another beating and wandered from the locker room. Randy instantly jumped to his feet and followed her, his nerves still uneasy about her being alone.

"You shouldn't wander alone," he smiled, placing his hands on her hips as she walked.

"I forgot," she shrugged, resting her head on his chest. Actually, I didn't I just wanted to get you alone."

She felt Randy's chest move as he chuckled and pulled him into an empty room, closing the door behind her. They happened to be in an empty broom closet, the only thing in there being a crate with a few mops in the corner. Randy took a seat on the crate, pulling A.J. toward him so she was standing between his knees.

"What did you want me alone for?" he asked with interest as she took a seat on his knee.

"I just wanted to talk," she muttered quietly. "I just need someone to talk to who will listen to me, even if it's just mindless rambling."

"Well, you found the right person," Randy smiled, pushing s strand of silky ebony hair from her face. "You know I'll be here for you."

A.J. smiled and closed her eyes at the feel of Randy's touch on her face. She leaned into his hand as he rested it on her cheek and opened her eyes again.

"You know I haven't been feeling the same lately," she began and Randy nodded. "I've been angry and upset at everything with out reason and I've been in pain without moving, you know this."

Randy nodded again, not knowing where she was going with this.

"Well, it's not your fault, Rand, it's not Jessie's and it's not John's or Laura's or Jeff's. Hell, I don't even know whose it is sometimes. My mind's not right, and I just want it to go away. I can't go on being miserable. I hate it. I lived half my life miserable and then I find happiness and I'm miserable again. Everything I do seems to go downhill. I just don't want it to happen anymore. I want it all to go away. I want Masters and Edge to pay for what they did to me and I want Melina for myself."

"You're not a Diva, though," Randy pointed out.

"I don't care. I want her for myself. No interruptions, no rules. I want to get my revenge on her skank little self and I want to feel better when I'm done."

"But wasn't that what tonight was for? You to get revenge on Melina?"

A.J. shook her head vigorously, "But you interrupted me! I had no intention of killing her, Randy. Trust me, that would have been to fast. No, I want to torture her as long as I can and when I'm done I want her to feel as miserable as I do now."

Randy nodded, seeing the seriousness in his girlfriend's eyes. The pure determination and anger was visible on her face and it slightly made him nervous. He kept silent, waiting for A.J. to say more. When she didn't he looked straight into her turquoise eyes.

"Is this really what you want?" he asked slowly.

"Yes."