Well … after seeing Unforgiven, I guess I should have seen that coming. I guess I'll have to wait until No Mercy for another shot at seeing Randy with the belt.

With the status of the junior Orton's injury in question, what will Randy do with his career? And why exactly is he attracted to Lilian? Then, Bad Blood approaches as Sunday creeps nearer and nearer. How will a nervous Eric overcome his anxiety?

And I've never seen so many reviews in my life. Thanks to all who reviewed, especially notfromearth7. I promise you guys that this story won't disappoint you.


Randy sat in Matt's room, watching his little brother sleep. For the last three days, the younger Orton had had trouble walking and keeping his balance; there was little to no doubt in Randy's mind that Matt had some sort of concussion. This made Orton worry the most; it could only take one concussion to end his brother's short career. Although he admired Matt's ferocity in defending Camilla's honor, Randy reluctantly felt that his brother would bow out of the WWE protecting his fiancée.

The front doorbell rang, but Orton didn't bother to get up. Throughout these last three days, Randy had shuffled all kinds of scenarios around in his mind. Would he stay in the company despite his brother staying at home? Or would Matt's injury be so bad that it would require his presence around 24/7? Would Camilla quit her job too to take care of Matt? What about Eric? John? Shawn?

The sound of footsteps interrupted Randy's thoughts. Watching shadows approach from the hallway, Randy saw Camilla and, to his surprise, Lilian walk into the room. She was carrying a small bag and set it down on the dresser before going over and running her hand over Matt's forehead. Once done, Lilian walked over and kissed Randy.

"How is he?"

Sighing, Randy could only reply, "I hate to admit it, but I think he's done. My little brother sacrificed his career to save his girlfriend."

They both heard a sob from the other end of the room. Camilla had started to cry and Lilian went over to comfort her. Even though Randy had been impacted severely because of Matt's condition, Camilla was even worse. Randy had been saddened and depressed, but Camilla was an absolute blank slate of a person. Her face had been as pale the ashes from a flame that flickered out and she had been completely silent since the incident. The crying she was doing right now was the only sort of emotion she had expressed in quite a while. After Lilian handed a tissue to Camilla, she got up and put a finger on Randy's mouth.

"Shhhhh … don't say things like that! Just watch. Matt will get well and rebound from all this."

Randy chuckled in disbelief. "How can you remain so optimistic in a time like this? Matt's been …", Randy lowered his voice as to not alarm Camilla, "… Matt's just been getting worse and worse every day. It was bad the morning after, but he hasn't made any sort of recovery!" Lilian could see the look of frustration on Randy's face before he punched the desk in front of him in anger.

"Hey … calm down … you have to be optimistic. You can't just go around moping all the time when something like this happens. It'll eat away at your soul. You're only twenty-two. You're too young to start getting gray hair."

Orton heard a snicker from behind him. Everyone turned around and, to their surprise, they saw Matt sitting up in his bed. Both Camilla and Randy sat down and embraced the newly revived family member.

"Jeez guys …", Matt said weakly, "… you're acting as if I just came back from the dead."

"Actually", Randy replied, "that's exactly how I feel."

Smiling, Lilian grabbed the bag she had brought in and joined the group in sitting down.

"Here", she said, giving the bag to Matt. "Randy said you liked these."

Matt and Randy looked at each before looking in the bag. The younger Orton's face immediately brightened up as he realized that a package of marshmallows was in front of him. As Randy watched his brother tear through the white stuff, Lilian leaned over and said, "See? Good as new."

As much as Randy wanted to believe it, there was still a cloud of doubt hovering around his mind.

"Can you get up?", he asked Matt. His brother cautiously swung his feet over to the ground and use the leverage gained from the bedpost to stand up. Taking a deep breath, Matt took one step forward. The swagger previously seen in his step seemed to have disappeared as he took another couple of steps. Camilla's face brightened just as Matt's as she saw her fiancée walk like he normally did. She ran over and nearly knocked him down in a hug.

Randy couldn't believe his eyes. "It's like he's taking his first steps again …" Randy never had the chance to see Matt walk for the first time and it felt like one of the gaps in his childhood had finally been filled.

"How … how's your head?", Randy stuttered. "Any pain?"

Matt hesitated before responding, but did so with a smile. "No … not anymore. My head isn't heavy … I can see properly … I think I'm going to be okay."

The sweat on Randy's brow almost instantly evaporated, leaving him relaxed. What happened was nothing short of a miracle. Looking over at Lilian, Randy was met with a 'I told you so' kind of look. Eyes locking together, Randy felt at peace, as if nothing bad would ever happen to him or his brother. For once, just once in his life, it was like Matthew disappearing never even happened.

"Anyone care to join me in the pool?", Matt shouted out lively, holding his swim trunks in his hand. Randy chuckled, surprised at his brother's vivacity and nodded. Matt ran out of the room, followed by Camilla, who grabbed her own bathing suit and followed her fiancée to the bathroom.

Lilian looked at Randy strangely. "They … change together?"

"No … I think Camilla's just going to mess with Matt. She had that sort of a look on her face. He … she … well … they're a strange couple when it comes to stuff like that. She wants it, he wants to wait." Randy laughed a little. "It makes for some good comedy sometimes."

Randy started to get up, but was met in a hug from Lilian. As he gently put his arms around her, that same feeling of peace and tranquility overcame him as before.

"Thank you."

Lilian pulled back and asked Randy, "Thanks? For what?"

"For being here for us."

Randy hugged Lilian tightly before she had a chance to say anything in return. But she didn't need to in order to understand what Randy had meant. Lilian could sense the change in her boyfriend over time; he had become more gentle and more content. It was as if Randy had a growing glow about him.

"Hey!", came a voice from the hallway. Both Lilian and Randy looked to the doorway to see Matt carrying Camilla on his back. "Are you guys coming or not?", Camilla asked.

"We'll be down there in a second", Randy said with a grin on his face. Shaking his head, he turned back to Lilian and said, "I guess he's on a sugar high from eating all those marshmallows. How in the world is he getting back all the energy so suddenly?"

"It's because he knows he's got a family like us who supports him."

Orton was a little stunned. "Us?"

"Yeah. Us."

Randy's heart thumped tumultuously, full of emotion yet not sure what to do. Luckily for him, a loud splash grabbed their attention. Looking outside the second floor window, the pair saw Cena FUing Matt into the pool, Shawn and Eric looking on from the nearby ring and Camilla looking on from the water. Lilian started to giggle and Randy looked down at her.

"I've said this to myself twice already … but this time, I really think it's right. She's the one."


As everyone joined in the fun at the pool, Matt could sense something different about this way his brother acted; he wasn't as brash as he usually was, and Randy always seemed to melt at the sight of Lilian. Surprisingly, Randy hid his thoughts well; Matt wasn't able to get through to read Randy's mind. Matt's concentration was distracted when Cena crept up behind him and dunked his head down into the water.

Over at the other end of the pool with his arm around Lilian, Randy snickered as his little brother was gasping for air. Looking up at the sky, the sun illuminated the bright sky, making one of the most beautiful summer days in St. Louis in quite some time. The smell of barbeque filled the air around them; Shawn and Eric were fixing the usual plethora of sausage, ribs, and brisket, Eric filling in the spot usually held by the man the whole family thought they could trust. Splashing around wildly, Matt and John had gotten into a bit of a impromptu match in the pool. Camilla jumped on Matt's back to make things worse, turning it into a handicap match. Randy couldn't help but laugh as he saw his brother's arm violently slap the surface of the water as if he were tapping out. Both John and Camilla backed off, leaving Orton to reach the side of the pool and catch his breath.

"Not … cough … fair … two on one isn't good odds!"

Climbing out of the pool, Matt grabbed a towel and dried himself off, smelling the almost-ready barbeque. For a moment, Randy left Lilian's side and sat next to his brother at the picnic table. Matt could see the huge Cheshire Cat-like grin on Randy's face and queried about its origins.

"What's up with you? You can't be this happy after seeing me recover."

"Well … that's partially the reason. But I want you to hear me out."

"Uh oh …", Matt thought to himself. "This can't be good."

"Now …", Randy looked up to make sure Lilian wasn't in earshot, "… I think I've got the right feeling this time. I think … I think I've found the one."

Matt sighed, confirming his initial suspicion. "You've only known her for ... what? Less than a month? And you want to marry her? You can't be serious!"

"I'm one hundred percent serious. I want to pop the question to her."

Shaking his head, Matt put a hand on Randy's shoulder. "Listen to me. Before you answer this question, think on it long and hard. Do … you … love … her?"

Not taking a moment to actually think about, Randy hastily spouted out, "Yes."

Matt promptly punched his brother in the shoulder, realizing that getting a thought-out response from him about such a subject was going to be nigh-impossible.

"Okay … then does Lilian love you?"

"Yes! And I can give proof."

Matt raised an skeptic eyebrow at his brother. "Proof? Show me proof."

"Well, I can't show you proof, but can I tell you about it." After an audible groan from his brother, Randy continued. "When you left the hallway with Camilla on your back, I asked out loud how you had so much energy after what you had gone through."

"I can answer that … I'm an Orton. We've each come back from injuries once before. Why wouldn't I do the same?"

The older brother nervously chuckled and slapped Matt on the back. "I like hearing that … but seriously, hear me out. After I said that, she said 'its because he knows he's got family like us that supports him'."

Matt looked at Randy just as Randy looked at Lilian when the moment happened.

"Us?", Matt asked.

"I acted the same way. Matt, I really think this could work. I really think we love each other. I really think …"

"Okay, okay. I get it." The younger Orton sighed, realizing that he was in the same position that Randy was when he told Randy about wanting to marry Camilla. Randy could see the hesitation in Matt's face, waiting for a response.

"…… if you think you love her …… and if you think she loves you …… then go for it. Just time it right, okay? Don't go asking her at a random time. Make sure you're ready and have that moment be special."

Randy smiled and hugged his brother tightly, immensely happy that Matt gave his seal of approval. As a matter of fact, Randy was squeezing Matt so hard, he was losing his breath.

"Randy … I can't breathe …"

By now, everyone had caught wind of what was happening; the sound of Matt trying to wriggle free was spreading throughout the whole backyard. Camilla, who was sitting next to Lilian, leaned over to say something witty, but stopped, seeing the sparkle in Lilian's eyes. She recognized it very easily.

"Oh boy … I know that look. She's in love."


The family went back to Texas; this time, Houston was the destination. Bad Blood was in the city's Compaq Center, and Matt, Eric, and Shawn couldn't be happier to be back in the Lone Star State. Getting to the arena well before the doors opened, the members of D-Generation X went out to the stage and saw the cell being put together. HBK was completely comfortable around the steel; he had been in it quite a number of times in his career. Barringer, on the other hand, was shaking. His insides were as soft as melted ice cream and his bones felt like that as well.

"Hey, calm down", Shawn said. "It's not that bad once you get in there."

"Thanks", Eric shot back sarcastically. "That really helps. How the hell am I supposed to even step in there? Much less against Taker?!"

"Wait a minute. Don't go back to using Taker as a crutch. You're over that now. You'll just have to take a page from Matt's book. Let … yourself … go. Don't hold back. Give that match one hundred and fifty percent. Use all the weapons you have to. Make Taker tap out. Matt took out Kane's knee and slapped on the Texas Cloverleaf. All you have to do is focus just as he did. Focus on one either his neck or his back and attack it without mercy. Then use your Camel Clutch and … bam. You've got the match."

"Easier said than done."

A frustrated HBK snapped right back. "Barringer, if you don't have any confidence in yourself, you're not going to have even a sliver of a chance of winning. I've been in that same cell with Taker … I've …"

"You had Kane to help you. He gave Taker a tombstone! You picked up a cheap win! You can't say anything!"

SLAP!

Shawn had smacked Eric across the face, knocking Barringer down to one knee. HBK promptly turned around and went back through the curtain towards the locker room. At that moment, Matt was jogging around the backstage area, warming up for his match tonight. He saw Shawn pass by him and greeted the Heartbreak Kid, but received no response. Shrugging, Matt continued to jog and went beyond the curtain, where he ran into an emerging Eric.

"WATCH IT!", yelled an angry Barringer.

"Whoa … what's the matter with you?"

Instead of responding with a sentence, Eric grabbed Matt by the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against a nearby wall. Matt looked shocked at his best friend, who bore a striking resemblance to Batista after he snapped. Orton's eyes turned a pale shade of white and all the color drained from his face in an instant. Seeing this, Eric released his grip, letting Orton fall down to the ground. Matt got up cautiously, eyeing who he thought was his best friend, ready to defend himself if necessary. Barringer turned around and put his head in his hands.

"I'm … I'm sorry. I haven't had that great of a day so far."

Matt took a large, deep breath before continuing. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but … what the hell happened?"

"Shawn … he was trying to give me advice and I just shoved it back in his face. I called him a fake, basically. Then he slapped me. I snapped. You were the first person I saw and … god, I'm sorry."

Orton was still in awe of what had just happened "What were you talking about?", he asked timidly.

"That." Eric pointed beyond the curtain. Matt could only surmise that he was talking about the cell.

"Why are you scared?"

"I'm scared of failing. I'm scared of failing in that cell where you've succeeded."

Matt sighed resignedly. "Why are you comparing yourself to me? I'm not the big man on campus!"

"You were when we were in high school! You beat me at everything! You beat me at football, swimming, weightlifting …"

"You forget that you beat me here in the ring twice!"

"What about at No Way …"

"That doesn't count! You've beaten me twice cleanly, with no help, no weapons, no nothing! If you can do that, you can go in that cage and kick the Undertaker's ass!"

Eric looked at his best friend and saw someone else. In the years they had known each other, Matt was always the confident and cocky one. Not to the point to where it strained their friendship, but Eric was always on the losing end of a contest or a conversation. Now, the man in front of him was a complete opposite of what he knew in high school. Orton was now selfless. He would give or do anything to see any member of his family succeed. Matt did that to Randy, Matt did that to Camilla, Matt did that to John … and there would be no doubt that Matt would do it to Eric.

"I kicked Kane's big red rear-end at WrestleMania. There's no reason to think that you can't do the same. And don't even think about comparing yourself to me again. As far as I'm concerned, you're an Orton. You're on the same level as me and my brother. Like I say to Cena, you might as well be my brother. We're one big family, and don't forget that. It's only a matter of time before you pick up your first belt. It could be against me and Cena. It could be against Randy. Hell, and if Shawn doesn't take down Batista, you'd be the perfect man for the job."

Barringer's confidence level had skyrocketed. He couldn't believe that Matt just suggested that he would be a great contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. The adrenaline started to course through his body, which propelled him back beyond the curtain. Staring at the now complete cell, Eric pointed at it and yelled …

"Taker! I know you can hear me! Hell in a Cell may be your domain, but I'm going to make it my own! Tonight is my night! Eric Barringer becomes a new man right there in that steel cell! My time is now!"

A curious Cena poked his head through the curtain.

"Yo, Eric! Don't be stealin' my line!"

Barringer, Orton, and Cena exchanged laughter and headed back towards the locker room. Matt and John were going to warm-up some more, but Eric had something more important to do: he had to apologize to Shawn.


It's finally here! Bad Blood takes place next chapter, with Matt, John, Eric, Randy, and Shawn all in action. Will Evolution hold on to the World Tag Team and Intercontinental Championships? Can Eric force the Undertaker to burn in his light? And can HBK pull off an upset and take the World Heavyweight Championship away from the crazed Animal?

The next chapter will be action-packed! Hope you liked this one and I hope you look forward to the next!

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