"Orton knows everything."

Trish jumped to her feet and whirled around, her eyes going instantly around the room. She was the only diva left in the locker room. She should have known that from the very fact that Stephanie was in there talking to her, but knowing that didn't make her any less paranoid.

"Jesus, Steph!" She shook herself, then slowly sat back down. "You know better than to sneak up on me like that. Besides, you're not supposed to actually talk to me in person. You're supposed to call me."

Her night had been long and Trish's patience was far too thin. Once Dave passed out, he slept through the night, but Trish had been unable to get to sleep. Every time she rolled over, she found herself staring at him. The moonlight shone through the blinds and lit just enough of him for her to be able to make him out, even in the dark.

Things were getting… complicated, to say the least. To deny her attraction to him would have been a blatant lie, and while she lied easily to others, she tried not to lie to herself. His body was awe-inspiring and when he spoke low, his deep voice could send a shiver down her spine. He kept touching her, teasing her, and it was driving her insane. More than that, though, she was amazed at how genuinely concerned he was. Though it was obvious that he was aware of some sort of conspiracy, he still gave Trish his trust. He still gave her his support. He still gave her an ear to bend when she felt the need to rant. Granted, the rant was usually complete fiction, but he still listened.

She wanted him. He wanted her. But there was no way that she was going to give Stephanie an excuse to make slut jokes. She wasn't going to give her the chance to even remotely insinuate that sex had brought Dave over to the dark side. He was going to be sucked into the Empire by his own force of will, his own desire for gold, or he wasn't going to be sucked in at all.

"I didn't feel like calling when you were right down the hall." Stephanie smirked and plopped down beside her. "Besides, if anybody sees us, we'll just turn it into something else. Who's to say I didn't get in your face or threaten you, huh?"

Trish rolled her eyes. "Ya know, I can pretend to be scared of Shane. Even though I know he wouldn't lay a hand on me, it's a lot easier to be scared of someone who's stronger. Scared of you, though…" She snorted a laugh. "We both know I can kick your ass if we really went for it."

"That's what you think."

"Uh huh." Trish knew that Stephanie wouldn't dare admit something like that, anymore than Trish would admit that Stephanie could make or break her. They had an unspoken rule. They could hurl as many threats and catty comments as they wanted, but deep down, each woman knew just where her powerbase lied. "By the way, I already knew that Orton knows everything. I saw his face last night, and Keibler didn't ram my head into the floor like a nutjob. I sorta figured it out."

"Well… good." Her chin rose slightly, giving her an air of superiority that made her feel better, and made Trish roll her eyes. "I told Shane you weren't stupid and you figured it out, but he wanted me to make sure."

"And you always do what Shane wants you to do?"

"Only when I want to." Her head lowered slightly, so she could look in Trish's eyes as opposed to looking down on her. She sighed and her body started to relax a little. "You know, Trish, if this gets dangerous for you…"

"It's fine," she said quickly. It still amazed her, sometimes, that after all they'd been through, she and Stephanie were able to get along. They would never be best friends, but they had gotten to the point in their lives where they could respect one another. Both had grown a lot in the past five years, and the maturity had shown them both that they were a lot alike. They were women out to get respect in a world that was dominated by men and, though they sometimes had to walk on people to get there, it wasn't out of pure malice. It was about self-preservation and perseverance. They could pretend to hate each other, they could pretend to marginally get along, but when push came to shove, they had each other's backs. They were in this together, and anyone on the outside had better beware.

"We know what Dave's like when he's upset and… Shane…" She shrugged. "Shane doesn't want you getting in over your head."

"I'm not in over my head. You can tell… Shane…" Trish paused for a moment, because she was almost sure that the McBrat that was worried wasn't Shane. He was always a lot more blatant about his concern. If he were worried, he would have just come to her and say it. Stephanie, on the other hand… She had to keep up her façade just as much as Trish did. "…that things are going along just fine. In fact, I think the time for Dave to learn everything is coming really soon."

"Oh, really?" Stephanie stood up slowly and crossed her arms. "And why do you think that?"

"Because I can't keep this thing a secret forever, and he's already getting antsy. He knows that something is up." She kept to herself that she wanted to get it all over so she could stop denying Dave the kiss that he practically begged for. "And he wants that title, Steph. I've already gotten him to admit that he'll do anything to get it. Now… I just have to show him that it's much better to be on our side than his own."

"And you're sure he's gonna go for it."

"Almost positive. Don't worry, before WrestleMania comes around, Dave won't be the one we're hiding these little meetings from."

"We're counting on you, Trish." Stephanie turned and headed for the door just as it started to open. She whipped back around and her voice deepened. She had long lost the screech, instead opting for something as close to a growling voice as she could possibly get. "We made you, and by WrestleMania, we can break you. You'll be wishing that Batista had kept his nose out of our business and begging Shane to even care enough to grab you."

"Ooh, whatcha gonna do? Sic the stick on me?"

"Keep it up. Stacy took you out last night, and she can do it again."

"Keibler and Orton can both kiss my ass! Get out of here before I give you a Chick Kick that'll knock you out of your ugly comfy shoes."

Stephanie's eyes narrowed into slats before she suddenly whirled around and stomped off, shoving her way out the door. Victoria stopped halfway in the room and rose a curious eyebrow. "What the hell was that about?"

"Nothing." Trish grabbed her bag and stomped out of the room. She slammed the door behind her and looked to her left. Stephanie was already halfway down the hallway. Her back rigid. She threw a withering glare her way, then ended it with a half-smile before turning back.

Trish sighed and shook her head. It was definitely better to be with them than against them. Because being against them was far too much work, especially on as little sleep as Trish had gotten the night before.