A/N: Sorry for the gap in updates, I went away on vacation and didn't get a chance to update before I left. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter! Feedback, as always, is more than welcome!
Part19
Dave was pretty sure that when kicking Randy Orton out of Evolution, Hunter had made it quite clear that he would never again be welcome in their locker room. Which was why he couldn't mask his surprise when Randy waltzed into the locker room, right in the middle of Raw. He casually strolled through the door, nodding hello to him as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"I have to show you something," he explained, walking over to the nearby television.
Dave slapped his hand away from the monitor, his eyes incredulously staring down Randy. He cocked his head to the side, obviously confused.
"Are you outta your damn mind?" he asked, his brown eyes wide.
Randy laughed, "Probably." He shook his hand from Dave's grasp, turning the power on. He pointed to the screen as they waited for the picture to appear. "Watch this… I got here as fast as I could."
Before checking the screen, Dave's eyes darted to the door. He certainly hoped Hunter and Ric did not show up. They were already in a sour mood upon learning that JBL would be coming to the building during the show. He exhaled steadily, his eyes fixing on the television screen.
He saw Trish in the ring – fire in her eyes and a mic in her hand. He frowned as he heard her rant and rave about Christy Hemme, his grimace deepening when she mentioned the redhead stealing her spotlight. Both he and Randy knew Trish could care less about Christy's temporary glimpse of limelight. She was simply feeding the fans; giving them the bitchy Trish they loved to hate. But the raw emotion in her eyes and voice were far from doctored. Her true hatred for Christy seemed through her phony speech about fame. This wasn't about a Playboy cover. This was about Dave.
Randy watched Dave's expression fall when, as expected, Christy danced down to the ring to answer Trish's trash-talking. Laughter filled his blue eyes as he watched Trish mock the Diva Search winner's trademark dance, his lips spreading wide into a smile. Dave did not seem quite as amused, his lips pursing together tightly. His face grew stressed as the two girls exchanged verbal blows. He sighed when Christy called Trish a slut, only to receive one hell of a slap from the blonde woman. Randy hollered as Christy nearly doubled over, his face brightening.
"Shit, did you see that!" he cried, proudly pointing to the screen. "She almost knocked her right on her…" Randy's voice faded when Dave turned the monitor off.
The larger man walked over to the couch, sitting down and burying his face in his hands. He exhaled loudly, his shoulders heaving.
"This is all my fault," he said, running a frustrated hand through his short hair. "They hate each other because of me."
Randy frowned, and he walked over and took a seat across from Dave. He would not deny his assumption. Trish and Christy would probably have never crossed paths had Dave not involved himself with both of them.
"Yeah, well, I'm sure Trish'll have no trouble taking care of Christy. I wouldn't worry about that too much," he told him. "She can take care of her problems."
Dave's ears perked up at the mention of problems. He turned to Randy, eyeing him curiously.
"Speaking of problems… what was that with you and Christian earlier?" he asked. "I thought Molly and Stacy were cool with each other."
"They are," Randy nodded.
Dave raised an eyebrow. If Stacy and Molly got along, there was not much of a chance that Randy and Christian would be allowed to fight.
"So why are you bitter enemies all of a sudden?" he questioned.
Randy glanced at the door, making sure the coast was clear before he spoke. He explained their motives for fighting and how Christian was being used as a decoy to keep Hunter off their backs. Dave stared for a moment, and then sent Randy an uneasy look.
"You don't actually think that'll…"
"I know, I know," Randy cut him off, putting his hand up. "It's a temporary solution to a permanent problem. I know that. But at this point, I'm willing to take temporary. It's for Stacy, really. She's scared enough as it is."
Dave nodded, sympathy hitting his heart for the young diva. Hunter's obsession with the couple had hardly gone away. He mentioned his disdain for Randy, and especially for Stacy, on a daily basis, even more so after he found out Dave hung out with them. There was no way Randy fighting a new feud would keep him away, no matter how much Ric loved Christian.
"And anyway, don't change the subject," Randy said suddenly, and Dave sent him a confused look. "Why aren't you and Trish all over each other yet? You already got the 'I love you' out there, what are ya waiting for?"
"How do you know I got it out there?" Dave questioned, his brow raising.
"My girlfriend's got the biggest mouth in the WWE. I'm a gossip queen by association."
Something in the cheeky grin Randy beamed at him told Dave that the younger man enjoyed his self-appointed title a little too much. He laughed, but his expression soon turned dry.
"She wants me out of Evolution," he told him quietly.
Randy nodded, "Her and every one of us." When Dave sent him a look, he simply shrugged. "C'mon Dave, you know they're holding you back."
"You of all people should know why I can't leave," he muttered. "I can't just walk away from them, not now. I might just be better off on Smackdown, anyway. JBL obviously has something for me there."
Randy groaned, shaking his head.
"Because that wouldn't be walking away, right?" he challenged, leaning forward in his seat.
"I wasn't hoping for a pep talk, Orton."
"And I wasn't hoping you'd be a coward about this either, but it looks like I'm shit outta look," Randy said fiercely, jumping up from his seat. "You wanna go to Smackdown and take the easy way out? Fine. Leave behind everyone and everything you care about because you too scared to make a decision. Run away from a woman you're clearly in love with just so you don't have to make a tough choice. Walk away from your dreams just because Hunter told you to. Be Evolution's bitch, once again." He shook his head, walking towards the door. "That's awfully yellow of you, Dave."
His words sunk in heavily on Dave, and his eyes grew wide. He watched a disappointed Randy vanish out the door, sighing loudly. He was absolutely right. Every harsh word he said was true. He couldn't run anymore. He had to take charge of his situation, for once.
As she bounded through the curtains minutes later, Trish wondered exactly what she had started. When she headed out to the ring ten minutes earlier, she had no intentions of physically assaulting Christy. But when she bounced down to the ring and had the audacity to call her a slut, she snapped. She could not understand the logic behind Christy's name calling. The girl made a career out of bouncing to the ring, taking her clothes off and shaking her ass.
Trish snorted as the image of her slapping the taste out of Christy's mouth replayed on a nearby monitor. She hugged her Women's Championship tightly, nodding to herself as JR called her actions reprehensible. She didn't feel one bit sorry for knocking her to the mat. Next time, she'd save her the sting and just cold-clock her. From behind where she paused to view the footage, Trish heard a single person's applause. She turned on her heel, smiling as she saw Molly. Molly's claps faded, and she walked up to Trish, placing her hands on her arms.
"I just want you to know," she began, "that I've got your back a hundred percent in this. Christy deserves anything she'll get from you." She paused, her grin hardening into a scowl. "I still can't believe she tried to tear you and Dave apart."
Trish grabbed Molly by the arms, shaking her head profusely. Molly let go of her, listening intently.
"This isn't just about Dave. The shit she pulled was the final straw, but this has been brewing for a long time," she explained. "She – all of these new girls – has to start learning who the real divas are."
Molly nodded. "You know how I feel about them, Trish. I'm proud of you, for standing up for yourself and for what you believe in."
"This isn't only for me, Mol. It's for you, Victoria, even Lita – girls who have shed blood, sweat and tears for this company, just so we could be considered real wrestlers. It's for Jazz and Gail and Nidia, who put as much heart into this as any of us, only to lose their jobs to make room for women who wouldn't know a clothesline from a chokehold. It's for Stacy, Torrie, Dawn and Jackie, who aren't as good but are still willing to get their asses beat to prove how much they love this," Trish said, her entire speech given in a single breath. She inhaled sharply, "I'm sick of it. I'm sick of this whole thing. Women like Christy showing up out of nowhere and screwing everything up."
Molly took a step away from Trish, glancing at her cautiously. She didn't know whether to beam at her or to smack her. Try as she might to disguise it, Trish knew damn well that her hatred for Christy was strictly personal. This wasn't about Christy stealing spotlight. That was her excuse, the reason she gave the fans so that they could boo and jeer at her just like they loved. Trish was putting on a show for the, giving the crowds their money's worth, and all the while showing Christy that she would not take this sitting down.
"I'm not a fan, Trish, I'm your best friend," Molly reminded her. "You don't need to tell me you hate girls like Christy for screwing things up for us on Raw."
"But I do hate her for that," Trish insisted. She knew it wasn't convincing; she just hoped if she told herself enough, she might actually believe it.
"Probably. But you really hate her for coming between you and Dave. Can't say I b lame you," she replied. Many times she imagined herself and Christian in the same situation. Obviously, it was an unwelcome image. "Hell hath no fury like a woman in love."
Trish laughed to herself, shaking her head.
"I don't love him," she said flatly.
Her gaze dropped, her eyes tracing the pattern designed on the carpet. Molly watched her in silence, shaking her head.
She patted Trish's shoulder, "Coulda fooled me." Following her statement, she turned away, heading back towards the locker room. "He's still thinking of jumping ship."
Trish's head snapped over her shoulder, her eyes widening.
"W-what?"
Molly sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"Stacy has ears everywhere."
She turned and left her friend behind. Trish stood frozen, her jaw gaping open. She had to do something fast. She took a deep, shaky breath, and then stamped her foot down. With a smug look on her face, she headed in the opposite direction.
