A/N: So, so sorry for the long delay! Common Core is a nightmare for us teachers and for our kids. Enough said.

Cody gulped as he looked around the circle of men, all 3 of them murmuring to each other and excluding him from their conversation. Not that he blamed them. He was thankful to still be sitting in one piece after everything he had confessed to the 3 men. The looks on their faces ranged from anger to disbelief to the look of being proven correct. He knew Randy and John thought he was lower than the lowest piece of scum on the earth at that moment but it was Ted's reaction he couldn't get out of his head. As he'd confessed all the dirty details, Ted had looked even more shocked and hurt than he'd had in the hotel room. There was no way for Cody to soften the blow for him and he knew it. With each word he spoke, another piece of Ted's heart broke off.

"Look at me,"

Cody quickly raised his eyes to meet Randy's cold ones. He found his gaze wavering, unable to hold the stare with the older man but too afraid to move his eyes away. There was nothing left for him in Randy's eyes and he knew it. The man who had once looked at him as a younger brother, friend and confidant, now looked at him with disgust and hate. It had been the way Randy had looked at him for some time now since their night together…except for the recent months. Those days now seemed to be over.

"Yes?"

Randy narrowed his eyes. "You confessed a lot of shit to us today. I actually want to thank you for that."

Cody's eyes widened. He glanced quickly at Ted and John, who stared at him with similar expressions of hate. "OK…"

"Since you gave us something, I'm gonna give you something." Randy smiled slowly. "A confession of my own,"

"OK," repeated Cody warily.

"There was no way I was ever going to go back to you. Even for one night," Randy's smile slowly faded. "I was playing my own game letting you think I would, though. It was just for fun. Just for my enjoyment. John and I spent many a night laughing about it, actually."

Cody felt a twinge of embarrassment and sadness at Randy's words but quickly pushed it away. He nodded and replied, "I should've known. I guess I deserve that."

"You deserve more than I could ever do to you," answered Randy angrily. "Because, I gotta hand it to you, my little game with you; my little experiment to get revenge on you, it's nothing compared to the one you and those 2 losers came up with. You took it to a whole other level, Cody. You should be proud."

Cody remained silent, knowing better than to try to defend himself once more and knowing better than to accept Randy's backhanded compliment.

"So, let me try to break this down. I was playing you by making you think John and I were having problems. You were playing me by trying to make me feel jealous with Ted and Ted was just supposed to be a casualty of all this when I finally ran into your arms because you were just gonna drop him. Am I right so far?"

Randy waited for Cody's nod before continuing. "Now, John, he was playing Dwayne the same way; by making him think he and I were having problems. How the hell was Dwayne playing John, though? And what the hell does Brock have to do with this? I mean, you would've gotten me and Dwayne would've gotten John but what did he stand to gain?"

"Dwayne just figured out you two were playing him. He said he came here one day and caught you guys on your way out with Ally. Something about the way you guys acted made him realize you were really happy and together so he watched you guys. Apparently he saw something that he felt proved him right," Cody shrugged.

Randy turned over to glance at John and saw the older man shake his head.

"The zoo," murmured John. He scoffed and threw his head back onto the sofa. "Motherfucker watched us that day?"

"He got so pissed off. He had really thought he was making progress but then…" Cody looked down at his shoes, unsure of how to confess the sins of his partners in crime. He'd had a difficult time confessing his own. Also, speaking the words of the men's plan out loud was becoming increasingly difficult with Ted's eyes staring a hole at him.

"He got so angry. He couldn't believe he was being played. He had always wanted John but after that day, he became even more obsessed. It was like he not only wanted John now; he wanted to make him suffer a lot too. It was like he hated himself for wanting John but he couldn't stop from doing so." Cody looked up at John and sighed. "He wanted to take Randy from you and do it in the worst possible way. He hadn't begun his part of the plan yet but it was already set."

"How? Tell me," replied Randy sternly.

Cody turned his eyes over to him and frowned. "Do you have any idea how much Brock hates you?"

Randy frowned. "What?"

"Brock wanted to be involved in this plan because he despises you two but more you, Randy." Cody shook his head. "He was going to get you hooked again. He was going to start giving you drugs so slowly that you wouldn't even realize it. Then, by the time you realized what happened, you'd be a junkie again. Dwayne knew that when you were using you and John had the most problems so he figured that was the best way to get John to come back to him."

"Fucking hell. These guys really thought of everything," murmured Ted. He looked over at Randy, who stood shocked in front of where Cody sat and felt immense sadness for his friend. He turned his eyes over to John, who had fury written all over his expression.

"And Brock agreed to this?" Randy asked. He didn't bother to wait for an answer before exploding in Cody's face. "Why? Why the fuck would he agree to do this to me? Again? What the hell could he have against me that's so bad?"

John quickly stood and grabbed Randy's arm, pulling him away from Cody before he could physically hurt him. "Easy, baby. We need him alive."

Randy yanked his hand out of John's grasp and began to pace around the room, his mind spinning now. Every single meal and drink he'd shared with Brock over the past few months was now on rotation in his head like a home movie. He couldn't help the fear that filled him when he thought he might have already ingested something.

"Randy, it hadn't started yet! Brock didn't give you anything, I swear. I also don't know what Brock has against you. I just know he wanted in on this. When Dwayne told him what he wanted him to do, he didn't even blink. He just agreed." said Cody softly from where he sat, shrunken back against the sofa cushions as John's figure loomed over his.

"Why the fuck should I believe you?" shot back Randy.

"You have no reason to but," Cody sighed. "If I haven't lied about everything else, I wouldn't lie about this."

Randy walked back over to where Cody sat, his movements slow and steady despite the fear that still wracked his body with the younger man's revelations. "What was he waiting for, then? Why hadn't he started sneaking me shit? He's had plenty of opportunity in the past few weeks."

Cody shrugged. "I don't know. I guess for the go ahead from Dwayne." He sighed and dared a glance back at Ted. "Dwayne has been a little busy with me the past couple of weeks. He knew I was having a hard time with my part of the plan with Ted. I think he knew I was really falling…"

"Don't fucking say it," cut off Ted from where he sat. The anger in his voice made it carry across the room to Cody and he felt himself shrink back even more. The only thing he wished for at that moment was for the chair to open up and swallow him.

"Teddy, please. I'm so sorry…"

"Enough with the fucking apologies! They don't mean shit. I don't wanna hear it. Tell us something we do wanna hear!" replied Ted dismissively.

"I don't know anything else. I don't know what else to say," Cody shook his head before lowering it.

"Then, let me say something," spoke up John. He walked around to where Cody sat and leaned forward, resting his arms on either side of the chair and effectively trapping Cody where he sat. "I think it's a given you know how we all feel about you. You know we think you're the lowest piece of shit to ever step foot on this planet. You know the only reason you're still sitting here is because you're useful to us. However, you're telling us you don't know any more so what should we do with you now?"

Cody looked up at John's normally smiling face, his eyes wide. "Let me help…there has to be another way I can…I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" John smirked down at him.

"John, I mean it! Let me help. I won't tell Dwayne and Brock anything so you guys can have the upper hand. I know you have to want revenge on them! I can help you get it!" pleaded Cody.

"Revenge?" John stood up but remained standing in front of Cody's chair. "These 2 assholes come back into our lives and decide to fuck with my life and those in it in the worst possible way…yeah; you could say I want revenge."

"I can help you get it," repeated Cody. He looked around the room and sighed. "I know what I've done. I didn't feel shame at the time I helped plan it but now I do. The plan came back to bite me in the ass. I'm being punished in the worst way now and I deserve it. I've lost what I just realized I want,"

Cody locked eyes with Ted but continued to address the whole room. "I screwed each and every one of you over and I don't expect anything from you. I don't expect you to believe me when I say I'm sorry. I am, though. I know I've hurt you all in unimaginable ways. I am just thankful that everything that was planned didn't actually happen. As I'm saying it, I can't believe I was a part of something so horrible…"

Ted rolled his eyes. "Oh, now you realize how horrible it is? Playing with marriages, drugs, people's emotions…it's just all in a day's work for you?"

"I'm sorry, Ted. I'll continue to say it a hundred times over. I hate what I did to Randy and John but I hate myself more for what I did to you. I always will," said Cody slowly. He couldn't think of a way to convey his true feelings to Ted more than he'd already done but knew he wouldn't stop trying.

"You hate yourself? Good!" Ted's voice rose and he held Cody's stare, forgetting the other 2 men in the room. "I hate myself too! How am I supposed to go home and look at my wife now, Cody? What the hell am I supposed to do when she kicks me to the curb and takes my kid? Am I supposed to use your 'I'm sorry' to bring them back?"

"You don't have to tell her anything, Teddy. I won't say a word! She won't ever know…." began Cody but Ted quickly cut him off. "I'll know, Cody! Do you actually think I can look at her and hide this from her? I'm not built that way, kid."

Cody's mouth opened to respond but he couldn't think of the words. He turned away from Ted's stare, now resigned to the fact he couldn't fix what he'd done in any way.

"But hell, I guess I deserve it, though. I chose to fuck around with you and mess up what I had with her so maybe I am just like you after all." Ted stood up and turned away. "I gotta get out of here. I can't stand looking at you anymore. You're just a reminder of what I've done and what I've lost."

Ted turned to walk away but Randy quickly went over to him and grabbed his arm. "No, Ted, don't go. Just stay here with us tonight and cool off. Kris already thinks you're gonna be gone all night."

"And do what, Ran? Nothing is gonna change what I've done. Kris will never forgive me." Ted shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. "I've lost everything, Randy. What am I gonna do? I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you."

Randy's heart broke for his friend and he quickly wrapped him into his arms. He led him into the kitchen, away from Cody's stare. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Teddy. I never wanted to be more wrong about someone and something as in this moment."

Ted remained buried in Randy's embrace even as they walked into the other room. "I can't ever go home, Ran. Kris is gonna know the minute she sees me. She's gonna leave me and take Tate…"

A gasp suddenly escaped Ted as he tried to contain the sobs threatening to escape him and he stopped speaking. Randy took the opportunity to lower him into a chair and knelt before him.

"Ted, stop. Just take a deep breath and try to calm down." Randy waited for Ted to collect himself as best he could and reached for his hands, squeezing them gently. "I know how much you regret this. I know how sorry you are you made this choice and I believe that even if Cody had been proven to be sincere, you would still regret going behind Kristen's back one day. However, what's done is done now Ted. There is a way out of it, though. I can't believe I'm saying this but…"

Randy shook his head, amazed at the words he was going to say. "Cody may be right. Kris doesn't ever have to know about what happened between you and Cody. We would keep your secret for you."

Ted smiled through his tears and shook his head. "No, Ran. I meant what I said. I couldn't look Kristen in the face with this secret. I couldn't live with myself. I'm already having a hard time doing that as it is." He lowered his gaze. "I can't believe I gave up all the years I've had with Kristen in the blink of an eye. I gave her and my son up for someone who was playing me! How did I do that? How did he get me to do that, Ran? Why did I fall for him?"

"Because you've always loved him, Ted. You fought to move past your feelings for him and you forced yourself to build a new life but it was always there deep down." Randy smiled, speaking gently in an effort to not upset Ted further. "Now, I'm not saying you don't love Kris and the life you've made with her but the love you had for Cody for so many years was always still there too. It's why you fell for him again; because those feelings for him never left you."

"Why can't I fucking shake him?" Ted groaned. "Even now, after all this shit, I can't help but…" He trailed off, mortified by his feelings and angry at himself.

"I know, Teddy. You can't tell your heart who to love and when to stop loving. The heart doesn't work that way. If it did, life would be a hell of a lot simpler." Randy gave Ted's hands one final squeeze and stood. "However, I think this time you know you have to let your brain override your heart."

Ted quickly nodded. "Oh, I know. No matter what, I'm done with Cody. In fact, all I want to see Cody do is suffer now. He deserves it, Ran."

"Yes, he does," agreed Randy sternly.

John watched the pair disappear into the kitchen before turning back to Cody. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the younger man and he sighed. "You've caused a lot of problems, kid. Maybe too many to come back from; too many to redeem yourself for."

"At least I'm trying, John. If it wasn't for me telling you everything I just did, you would still be in the dark. Randy would be one step closer to Brock and drugs and the end of your marriage would be only a sniff of white powder away." Cody attempted to meet John's glare and insert some strength into his voice. "Be thankful for that."

"Oh yes, Cody. I'm so thankful for you coming into my life and fucking with it, not once, but twice," responded John sarcastically. He quickly leaned over Cody's chair once more, the move so sudden it startled the younger man. "You know, you should be thankful I cherish my freedom because if I didn't, I would've gone to jail the first night you fucked Randy over. You know damn well what you did to him that night and you know damn well you deserved what I did to you when he told me. Hell, you deserved more than what I did to you. And I would've given you more if I could've."

"John, I'm trying to make amends," Cody sighed in exasperation.

"But that's the thing you're not getting, kid. You can't make amends for what you've done. You can't go back in time and choose not to be a part of a plan like this one. You got out before you could hurt Randy one more time but you can't undo what you've done to Ted." John shook his head down at the younger man.

"Don't remind me. I hate myself for hurting Ted most of all," Cody shut his eyes, unable to bear John's judgmental gaze any longer.

"Good. You should," John stood up and looked over Cody's form, feeling no pity for him. "You're gonna continue playing a game, Cody but this time it's gonna be my game. You're gonna do what I say, when I say it because you know you owe it to all of us. Don't expect it to change our opinion of you, though. Don't expect it to redeem you in Ted's eyes. And don't expect it to save you from an ass kicking you know is coming."

"I told you I would help, John. I don't expect anything from any of you guys." Cody rolled his eyes. "I'm also ready to take my ass kicking."

John nodded. "Good. Now get the fuck out of my house."

Cody frowned and looked up at John. "What? I can go?"

"Yeah. I want you to get the fuck out of my house. I don't want to look at your pathetic face and I don't want Randy and Cody to look at it either." John motioned for Cody to stand but the younger man had frozen in his seat. Pushing aside his disgust, John reached for his arm and pulled Cody up, his nails digging into the skin. "You will not talk to Dwayne or Brock until I figure out what you are to say to them. Understood?"

Cody nodded, the flesh on his arm burning where John's nails dug in. "OK, but what if they call me? Dwayne will know something is wrong if I don't answer. I never avoid him…what if he comes here looking for me or sends Brock…"

"Not my problem. It's yours to figure out. Don't blow it, though." John released Cody's arm and pushed him roughly. "Now get the fuck out."

Cody grabbed his arm and nodded quickly, hurrying out of the house but not before shooting a glance into the kitchen once more. He noticed only Randy still sitting around the kitchen table and wondered where Ted had gone for only seconds before groaning inwardly. After everything that had just happened he was still thinking of Ted. Even with the older man's clear disgust of him and John's threats, he just couldn't stop.

John watched as Cody practically ran out of his house before letting out a huge sigh. He couldn't even begin to explain to himself what had happened over the past few hours.

Slowly walking into the kitchen, John was shocked to see only Randy in the room. He frowned and asked, "Where's Ted? Did he leave?"

Randy shook his head, his eyes forward and his voice tired. "No. I convinced him to stay and just sleep on it. There was no point in his going home right now. He's a mess."

"I don't blame him," responded John, sliding into a chair across from Randy. He playfully slapped his knee and said with a smile, "We should've never gotten back together. You're a little too much trouble, Orton. You bring about too much drama."

"Not now, John," replied Randy wearily. John's smile instantly disappeared and he reached for Randy's hand. "Baby…"

"Where's Cody?" interrupted Randy.

"I sent him home,"

Randy frowned, pulling his hand back from John's grasp. "You let him go? Why?"

"What the hell was I supposed to do with him, Ran? Keep him locked up in one of our closets? He told us everything. There was no point in him staying here any longer. I don't want to look at him and I can't imagine you and Ted want to either," John's voice rose in frustration.

"But what if he calls Dwayne and Brock and tells them we know…" began Randy.

John shook his head. "He won't! That's the first thing I made sure to tell him."

Randy nodded. "John, Cody is our shot at getting back at Dwayne and Brock for what they tried to do to us. We both want that, right?"

John took Randy's hand once more and squeezed it tightly. "You know I do, baby. Dwayne was going to try and get between us again and Brock was gonna drug you, Ran. That's unacceptable. They were both on board with that plan and they're both gonna pay for it. I will make them pay."

"And Cody?" asked Randy, lowering his voice. "What about him?"

"I think Cody is getting his just desserts as we speak, babe. We don't have to do a thing but let his own guilt torture him. That's enough punishment unless Ted says otherwise." John clenched his jaw tightly. "The other two, though…"

Randy looked down at his hand enveloped in John's grasp, the older man tightening it subconsciously. "They'll pay, Johnny. We'll make them pay,"

A/N: Hope you like! Gimme some reviews and give me your guesses on what's coming up next! I already have a plan in mind.