A/N: Really trying to get on an update schedule and so glad that I am making it happen! See, look how fast I updated! Thanks to all who reviewed the past chapter and to all of you still reading this story!
Randy looked around the room, locking eyes with John and smirking over at him. He shook his head before turning his attention back over to his tablemates.
"Look at John over there. He's damn near falling all over Dwayne but he has the nerve to say I make scenes."
"Sounding a little jealous there, Orton," replied Brock with a smirk of his own. He tilted his water bottle to his lips and took a long sip as Randy turned his narrowed eyes towards him.
"Jealous? No," Randy laughed sarcastically. "Righteous, yes. I knew John and I were gonna fall apart and I knew he was gonna find a way to dump it all on me."
"You sound pretty OK with that to me," answered Cody from Randy's opposite side. He shrugged and looked over at Brock.
"Yeah, yeah. Not bitter at all," replied the older man with an eye roll.
Randy's eyes narrowed further, his glare focused directly on Brock now. "What the fuck is your problem, man?"
Brock shrugged. "No problem, Ran. Just a little shocked at how quickly you've given up on John. It smells of something else,"
"Of what?" asked Cody quickly, his voice wavering a bit. Randy quickly turned the glare onto him, using it to remind him of his place.
Brock turned his eyes toward Cody. "Of bullshit, that's what. Something you couldn't smell on Orton if paid to."
"Hey, fuck off, Brock…" began Cody, his voice rising in anger.
"Hey, hey! Cut it out!" interrupted Randy. He glared back and forth between the two men before stopping at Brock. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You! You're like a fucking chic lately with your mood swings! I can't keep up and frankly, it's starting to seem like an act!" Brock leaned over, close to Randy's face. "Last time we spoke you damn near cut my balls off because you didn't want me mentioning John and you and the fucked up shit you call a relationship! That made it very clear to me that you and him were still working on things,"
"And your point is?" replied Randy with a shrug. "Who the fuck cares?"
"Well, now you're sitting here trashing John, chasing after Cody and me again," Brock shook his head. "Something just doesn't give. It's too quick of a change."
"Again I ask, who the fuck cares?" Randy leaned back in his chair, a calm look on his face despite his annoyance. "Am I not allowed to change my mind?"
"I think my issue is with how often you've been changing it lately," Brock met Randy's stare just as calmly, the silence stretching between the men. Cody watched them carefully but remained quiet, unsure of how to handle the tension building with each passing second between the two men.
"What do want me to say, Brock? You want me to say I'm a fucking mess? Fine; I'm a fucking mess," said Randy, suddenly moving forward. He let his elbows rest on the table and groaned. "I fucked up my relationship. I may not feel for John what I did before but damn it, I tried to get it back. I tried and failed because we both fucked up this relationship to the point that there is no getting back. Now I have to live with that fact and the fact that my daughter is gonna be split between 3 homes now instead of her usual 2. So, excuse me for chasing after you and Cody. I'm looking for an escape from my shitty life at the moment and I thought you guys could provide it. Maybe I should look elsewhere?"
Cody was the first to recover from Randy's rant and quickly shook his head. "No, Ran, no! We're your friends. We've been through it all together and we'll help you through this, too."
"But just because Ted's not here, right?" asked Brock with a laugh.
"You asshole…" started Randy but he was quickly interrupted by Cody. "Brock, that's enough."
"Whoa, sorry. Forgot I can't talk about Ted now since he's become your lapdog, too." Brock laughed loudly. "God, is there anyone dumber on this planet than that man?"
"Can you stop, please? Leave Ted out of this! He has nothing to do with this!" shot Cody back angrily.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop picking on your little boyfriend. Don't want you on my bad side, kid. You obviously have a much bigger brain than I thought. How else could you have gotten Ted to do what he's done for you?" asked Brock, a look of admiration on his face mixed with humor.
"Because he's just that damn good," replied Randy before Cody could answer the question. Cody shifted his eyes over to Randy, aware the remark wasn't meant to be seen as a compliment to him. Brock, however, took it that way, the way he was supposed to.
"Damn, Rhodes. What are you on lately? You got Ted after your ass and even Randy seems to be throwing you a piece now." Brock laughed loudly and shook his head.
Cody joined into the laughter and playfully brushed his shoulder off. "What can I say? I'm just gifted."
Randy smiled, happy in the turn the talk had taken. He had to get Brock off his trail. He was too close. The last thing Randy wanted to do was blow their plan to shit. Who knew he would have such a hard time with Brock? He was supposed to be the easy one to fool. Dwayne was supposed to be the hard one. John, however, had Dwayne fully invested in his plan. The men had been inseparable for the past couple of weeks and Dwayne had been torturing Randy with that since then. Randy was proud of himself. He had to admit that he'd done a great job of ignoring Dwayne's taunts. The couple of times he and John had been able to sneak away, oddly enough with Cody as watchdog, had helped him and John remain invested in their ultimate goal.
"So, have I explained myself to you enough, Brock or do you need more?" asked Randy sarcastically.
"We'll see. I'm keeping an eye on you," Brock raised his eyebrow, grin plastered on his face. "I can start helping you escape, though. What do you say we hit a club tonight? You gotta get back out there if you're really serious about moving away from John."
"Well, I had another plan for tonight…" replied Randy with a small smile towards Cody. The younger man played his role perfectly, blushing lightly and turning away with a shake of his head. "Stop it,"
"But I'll go. Been a long time I'm not in the game. Might be time I get back in,"
"You got it, man. Broads, though, OK? No dicks tonight for my sake." Brock wagged his finger at Randy and laughed before turning to Cody. "You in too, kid?"
"I don't know. I think I'd rather spend the night talking to my man rather than chasing skirt when I have no interest in it," Cody wrinkled his nose and leaned back in his seat.
"Oh, come on, Codes. Not even for me? It would be fun if we all hung out like we used to back in the day," Randy reached a hand forward and motioned Cody's forward, as well. The younger man smiled and shook his head slowly. "Randy…"
"Just one night, Codes. All I'm asking," Randy squeezed Cody's hand gently. "I need this. I've missed my friends. You, especially,"
Cody's smile widened and he sighed.
Brock stared at the two men, a look of annoyance on his face. "Why don't you two just hop back in the sack together? It's so clear you wanna fuck each other's brains out."
Cody gasped softly and quickly stood. "Good Lord. On that note, I'm gonna go…"
Brock waved him away, his attention now distracted by a beeping from his cell phone. Randy took the opportunity to also stand and follow Cody down the hall, reaching for his arm and pulling him to a stop.
"You know you're going to that club tonight whether you like it or not,"
Cody stopped, letting Randy push him against the wall. "Of course I am. Do you really think I would let you go to a club with booze and drugs flowing and only Brock as your ally? He's gonna take tonight as an opportunity to fuck you up real good."
Randy frowned down at him. "I know that. It's a given. How I'm gonna avoid it is the real issue,"
"We'll figure it out together, OK," Cody smiled up at him and ran his hand down Randy's arm, tracing the tattoos lightly. Randy's frown deepened and he had to fight the urge to pull back but Cody felt the flinch.
"Just making it look good, Ran. Lots of eyes in this hallway." Cody sighed softly. "I don't want this any more than you do."
Randy pulled back and looked around the crowded hallway. "Let's meet at the back lot after the show, OK."
Cody nodded and turned away, sliding past Randy and heading down the hall towards the locker room. He came to an abrupt stop, however, as the door approached. The churning in his stomach that had been there for weeks now, specifically since Ted had picked up his phone from that hotel room nightstand, only intensified with each passing day. While he felt some pleasure in helping Randy and John get their revenge on Dwayne and Brock, he couldn't help but feel for Ted. He was getting lost in the shuffle of this and there was no one offering him help. Hell, Cody didn't even know how he was doing. Granted, he figured the older man had to be doing rather badly since he'd lost his wife and child.
Letting his hand slide into his pocket, Cody fingered the top of his iPhone a couple of times before pulling it out. Looking around the hall quickly, he headed for his usual spot in the back of the building where he would be alone but for the crates containing the thousands of miles of wires needed to run the night's show. Before his nerve could escape him, he sat on one of the crates, all sides of the loading dock visible to him so no one could sneak up behind him. He pressed the button for Ted's phone and listened to it ring in his ear a number of times before his voicemail finally answered. The cheerful tone in Ted's message broke Cody's heart even more but he couldn't stop now.
"Teddy, it's me. I know I'm the last voice you want to hear right now or ever again probably. I just want you to know that I'm helping Randy and John but I haven't forgotten about you. I will find a way to help you. If you want Kris back, then I'll find a way to get her back for you. Even though," Cody had to stop as a laugh escaped him. "I'll admit, I want you. I know there's no shot of that, though...is there? Ted, I'm so sorry for what I did but you have to admit, we have something. It may not be right but, it's there and pushing it aside like you did once before for Kris and this make believe life you think you're supposed to lead…how is that fair to you? You and I are the real thing, Teddy and I don't know how you can ignore it. Give me another chance, Ted. I will be everything you need and give you everything you desire. I'll love Tate as if he were my own. I'll help Kris understand…"
Cody stopped as the phone clicked off in his ear, signaling the end of his recording to Ted. He bit his lip and lowered it back down to his pocket, feeling foolish now. There was no way Ted was going to give him what he wanted. The most he could hope for from the older man was a nod of the head when they passed each other on the street in years to come.
Sighing loudly, Cody jumped off the crate and headed once more towards the locker room. He wouldn't stop helping John and Randy because of his loss of Ted. He would push the dejected feeling aside and continue on with the plan because he owed it to the two men he tried to destroy and because maybe, just maybe, he could find a way in the plan to help Ted.
Randy moved his head to the beat of the music, a conceited smirk on his lips for all to see as he lounged beside the bar of the club Brock had taken him and Cody to. To the outside world, he looked to be in his element. Smirk on his face, cigarette in one hand and drink in another; he was playing his role to perfection. In reality, he was screaming at the top of his lungs inside his head. Being back in a club playing the role of a single man looking for some action was not his thing anymore. Being there only made him realize how happy he was as a married man who spent most nights at home curled up in front of the TV with his husband and daughter.
"Heads up," Cody walked up behind Randy, his lips close to the older man's ears. "Brock found some old friends in the back and went off with them for a few. I can only imagine what he's gonna get."
Randy's eyes widened, the cigarette wavering in his hand and the smirk disappearing. This was the moment. This was gonna be the moment Brock offered him something and he would have to find a way to play along. How, though? How could he take it? He couldn't! Then again, how could he resist it without Brock calling him out as a liar again?
"How the hell am I gonna refuse something?" Randy put his glass on the table, forcefully but not enough to draw attention to himself. "I can't take anything, Cody but how do I say no?"
"Call his ass out, Ran! Wasn't he the one walking around flashing a sobriety chip not too long ago?" replied Cody, his eyes darting around the area to catch Brock before he approached.
"He's flashed so many chips at my face over the years. He knows I would never call him out because I'm used to him re-fucking up," replied Randy with a roll of his eyes. "Fuck, this is never gonna work."
"Yes, it will. I'll make it work, don't worry," answered Cody, reaching for Randy's hand. He squeezed it tightly, giving Randy a sign that Brock was approaching. Randy quickly picked up his drink once more and downed it. He felt Brock's heavy hand on his shoulder and looked over at him.
"What's up, man? Where'd you disappear to?" Randy motioned the bartender over and asked for another drink. "Keep 'em coming, too,"
Brock laughed and shook his head. "Don't get too messed up on drinks, man. I got something more for you," He tugged Randy's hand forward and dropped a couple small bags onto the palm. Randy knew what it was before even moving his eyes to down to look. However, he forced a smile onto his face and did look.
"Whoa. Where the hell did you get this?"
"Come on, man. Don't insult me. I can get anything anywhere," Brock shrugged. "You said you wanted an escape. There it is in that bag."
Randy frowned, feigning shock at Brock's actions. "I thought you weren't anymore…"
Brock shrugged once more. "Listen, if I need it, I'm gonna take it. I refuse to feel guilty about it. I've cut back a lot so I figure that's good enough…just a couple times a week…"
Randy nodded, barely able to hold back an eye roll. "All right. I can get on board with that." He reached down with his free hand to grab the bag lying in his palm. Cody quickly reached his own hand forward and snatched it away.
"No way, cowboy. You're on like your tenth drink. That's plenty of an escape for you. The last thing I want to hear is more excuses after another night together."
Randy frowned and looked over at Cody, who tossed one baggie back towards Brock. "Wait, we're spending another night together?"
"Isn't that what you want?" Cody slid close to Randy's body, looping a hand around his waist and pulling him in tight.
Randy slowly smiled. "Yeah…"
"Wait a minute! So, you two are gonna ditch me after I dropped a couple hundred on some extra fun?" Brock asked indignantly.
Cody shrugged, taking the remaining bag of the drugs from Randy's hand and wiggling in Brock's direction. "Don't worry. It won't go to waste. I figure it will be a nice morning treat when we all meet for breakfast. For now, I want Randy nice and lucid…well, as lucid as he is with all the liquor flowing through him right now."
"What? I'm lucid as fuck," replied Randy, his words slurring.
Brock shook his head and laughed. "Fine, fine. I'll find my own fun tonight." He turned around, his eyes immediately locking onto a group of women dancing provocatively. "Fun found. Later, losers,"
Randy watched as Brock walked away and sighed deeply in relief. He turned to look at Cody and motioned towards the door. "Let's get the hell out of here,"
"What does it feel like to have that in your hands?"
Randy looked up at Cody's question, mildly startled by it. "I forgot it even was in my hands." He slowly released his tightly wound fingers and stared at the clear bag lying in the palm of his hand. Gingerly picking up with his other hand, he dangled in the air, right in front of his nose. "It's a weird feeling. Like a mixture between wanting to devour it and wanting to destroy it. There's that part of my brain that will always tell me to go for it and the other part who'll tell me I'd be a fool if I did."
"I agree with the second part," mumbled Cody as he sat on the edge of Randy's bed.
Randy's eyes moved from the bag towards Cody. He frowned and tossed it to him, catching the younger man off guard. "Doubt that very much. Get off my bed."
"I'm not gonna touch you, Ran," Cody rolled his eyes but followed Randy's request. "I don't understand how you can be so fucking bipolar. Brock has a point in that."
"Excuse me?" asked Randy with a raised eyebrow.
"You! One minute we're having a normal conversation and then the next minute you're flipping out on me! I get it; you're not my biggest fan. But, Jesus, can we please have a civil conversation?" Cody walked over to his bed and threw himself onto it face first. "I mean, I am helping you and John."
"You're helping me and John for your own sake. There is no way you are doing this out of the kindness of your heart." Randy turned over to smirk at Cody. "You're doing this because you still have some hope that Ted's gonna come back to you. He told me about that sappy message you left for him. He also asked me to tell you to stop. It's pathetic and never going to work."
Cody felt his face redden and quickly turned it away from Randy's smirk. If he felt like a complete moron before, the feeling multiplied now. He couldn't help but agree with Randy; he was helping them mostly to get back into Ted's good graces. So Ted could see that despite what he'd done, he did regret it in the end and was determined to make it right. Or at least as right as he could.
Another part of his choice weighed on him heavily, though. It was something he didn't want to think of much but couldn't seem to stop doing. Where would he end up when John and Randy decided they'd had all the fun they could had? Where they planning on selling him out to Dwayne and Brock? At the moment he'd made his choice he'd done it freely and willingly. Now, though, he couldn't stop thinking about what Brock and John would do to him if they found out the truth. These were ruthless men who wouldn't only stop at beating him to a pulp. They would ruin his career. Randy and John knew that. They knew how Dwayne and Brock operated. Would they let him get destroyed?
"What are you guys gonna do after this is all over? With me; after this is done?"
Randy's smirk deepened and he slowly shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure yet. I guess that remains to be seen."
"Randy, I…" Cody opened his mouth but no words came out. Randy stared at him intently, not helping him in any way.
"Randy, I would hope you don't ever tell Brock and Dwayne that I've been helping you. You know what they'll do to me if you do. I may not be owed much but can I at least get that? Let's just finish this and all go our separate ways. I won't say anything and you won't say anything…"
"You don't have anything to say," replied Randy with a frown. "Let's not throw down a gauntlet here, Cody, because you're gonna lose."
"I'm not! I'm asking for some type of loyalty, favor, anything!" answered Cody, a hand pressed to his chest.
"Why should I give you that? What do you think you've done to deserve it? You're helping me and John now but only because you got caught! You're worrying about Ted now but only after you fucked up his life!" Randy's voice rose as he stared at Cody incredulously. "You would've never come clean if Ted didn't see what was on your phone!"
"That's not true," mumbled Cody in response.
"Yes, it is and you know it." Randy replied forcefully. "You thought it was all gonna work out somehow though how you could think that, I dot know."
"I was stupid," Cody shrugged and turned his face back into the pillow. "God, I was so fucking stupid."
Randy could hear the words Cody said despite how muffled they were. He saw how stressed out the younger man was. Hell, he had seen it for the past few weeks. It was exhausting him having to continue playing two roles. However, he wouldn't feel pity for him. He couldn't anymore.
"What did you think was gonna happen? In your twisted mind, were you ever gonna stop your game? Did you really think you were gonna get Ted and live happily ever after?" Randy raised an eyebrow. "Did you think Dwayne and Brock were gonna let you? Because wasn't this plan meant for you to get me? So, were you planning on getting me and Ted? How the hell did you think this was gonna play out, Cody?"
"I didn't think that far, Randy! You know that you were my intention at the beginning. I never expected that to change. You were what I was playing for; yes! I didn't think Ted would change that but he did. The minute he did, though, I knew I was fucked. There was no way I was gonna be able to act like I wanted you anymore when I realized I wanted Ted. I didn't know what I was gonna do so, believe it or not, Ted finding my phone was a blessing. He got me out of one game but now you've stuck me in another and it's just as bad! I'm still screwed, Randy." Cody sat up and lifted his hand, stopping Randy's answer. "But, you know what? I don't even care about that as much as I care about Ted. How is the plan helping him? You and John are so caught up in making Dwayne and Brock look like fools that you're forgetting the one person who has actually lost something here! You and John didn't lost each other but Ted lost Kris. How are you helping him? Or are you not?"
Randy narrowed his eyes. "Of course I'm helping him. Don't you think I would help my best friend? Leave it to me. Ted doesn't concern you anymore."
Cody shrugged once more. "I think you're wrong, Randy. I could help. I could talk to him. I could talk to Kristen..."
"Are you fucking listening to yourself?" Randy laughed loudly, shaking his head at Cody's nerve. "You are the reason they split. Do you really think either of them wants to talk to you? Cant you see how much more difficult that would make things? Do you think either one of them would give you the time of day? You're insane."
Cody looked up, his face getting hot as he listened to Randy berate him. He turned over, away from Randy's mocking laugh and stared at the wall of the hotel room, letting his eyes close. There was no point to anymore talking. He would just have to await his fate.
A/N: Review, please!
