A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long to post this chapter. I have to thank Queen of Kaos for pulling me out of my slump. I was stuck and hating where this was going. She read it and gave me brilliant suggestions…the rest just happened. She truly is the Queen.

This is the last official chapter of this story. The next will be the epilogue.

As always, thank you for reading. You guys have been amazing! I hope you enjoy!

A soft hand gently touched her cheek. It took a second to adjust to the sunlight, but when Parker's eyes finally opened, they settled on the smiling blue orbs of Randy Orton. She didn't say anything, neither did he; they just took a moment to look at each other. What they said through their stares meant more to her than she could ever express.

"Good morning." Randy's voice was husky, probably because he hadn't been awake for very long. Still he stroked her cheek before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Is it that time already?" Parker looked him over and sighed because he was fully dressed. She knew that he was leaving and she'd be lying if she said she was glad about it. That's just the way it worked out. He was there when she needed him and she couldn't ask for more than that.

Randy nodded silently. "Yeah. We'll be heading out soon."

Shifting in the bed, so she was on her back, she watched as Randy placed a scrap of paper in her hand. She looked at the folded paper and turned her eyes back to Randy. "What's this?"

"My numbers; my cell and my houses in St. Louis and Florida. If you can't get me on any of those, you can call the corporate office; they'll know how to get in touch with me." He was taking a stab at it. People took his sincerity for bullshit, but he was trying. "If you ever need someone to talk to, or someone to remind you just how sexy you are…give me a call. Day or night, anytime." He wasn't going to promise her the world, because he knew he couldn't deliver it, but he was offering her something more than what they shared the night before. What? He didn't know. But if she wanted it, it was hers. For the first time in his life, Randy Orton put himself out there.

"Thanks, Randy." That gesture meant the world to her. Even though she seriously doubted he would remember her name by dinnertime. Randy had women fawning over him, he wouldn't have time to be her pick-me-up. And maybe she didn't want a crutch. She was a strong, proud woman. She could do this on her own. "And thank you for what you did for me last night."

"There's no need to thank me. I should be thanking you." He smiled at her and gently kissed her lips. "Besides…I thought it was cute the way you were trying to keep up with me. Most women don't have it in them to try. You're no match for me, but I appreciated the effort."

Her smile was so big it made her eyes crinkle at the corners. "Me? Trying to keep up with you? Please…I took it easy on your ass."

"Shit, don't do me no favors. I'm a big boy…I can take it."

"Yes you are…and don't worry…it's yours for the taking." She couldn't stop laughing. She liked the fact that she and Randy had this smart ass thing between them. It wouldn't last outside of the hotel room, but it was perfect while she was there.

"If I had some time, I would let you show and prove…" He leaned over and gently kissed her lips. "But right now, I gotta get going."

Parker nodded and watched as he walked toward the door.

"I'll leave the key for you. Just turn it in whenever." Randy couldn't make small talk. He was an honest guy, but, he had never been rejected. He didn't want to start now. "Parker?"

"Yeah?"

"I could easily fall in love with you." He dropped his eyes as soon as he said it and the blush crept up his neck.

She laughed. There was no way in hell he was serious. "You're so full of shit."

Randy felt defeated, but he wouldn't let her know that. "I try. You gotta admit, it sounded good, though." His smile faded and he looked at her seriously. "I meant everything I said. If you need me, call me."

"I will."

He winked at her before opening the door and heading out into the hallway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The cloudy feelings of confusion and entirely too many shots were the reason that John Cena was late. Had it not been for Carly banging on his door, he surely would have still been asleep. It was easy to blame it on a hangover, but John knew the real reason for his sloth was depression. Well, not depression…more like guilt.

John was a man that prided himself on never making another person feel like shit. So why did he drop the ball with Parker? She was a nice girl; she was someone that he actually had fun hanging out with. He didn't mean to hurt her, but that still didn't excuse the fact that he did.

He couldn't get that look on her face out of his mind. It was that same look he use to give those bullies in his school that tormented him. He could never understand it. He was a nice kid, he always went out of his way to include everyone; so why was it that they hated him and made his formative years hell? It was because he was a skinny little runt, that's why. Being thin had nothing to do with the type of person he was. But it did to those little boys in the school yard; John's weight and his size meant everything. It meant that he was always picked last for group sports and that he was followed home from school and beaten up when his brothers weren't around. His weight made him a victim of endless taunts and cruelty.

That's what John had done to Parker. He used her weight to taunt her and be cruel to her. The guilt was overwhelming.

He laid in the same spot in his bed for a few minutes later after Carly left his room and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't justify it; he couldn't excuse it. He replayed her words to him over and over in his head. "Cause what's the point of being beautiful on the outside when you have such an ugly heart?"

She thought he was an ugly person. That cut more than anything. There was an irony to it all though. Here he was, still obsessing and worrying what yet another person thought of him. He thought it was smooth sailing after he bulked up. Being a big and intimidating guy coupled with a killer personality… people had no choice but to accept and love him. And now this.

Then, of course, there was Orton. That man was notorious for being a cocky bastard, but he had a heart of gold. Most people didn't like him because of his arrogance. They didn't take the time to get to know Orton and Orton didn't give a fuck. He truly could care less what people thought of him. He knew he was a good guy and that was enough for him. So what was the proper emotion when the polite guy hurts an amazing woman and the conceited asshole becomes the knight in shining armor? Jealousy? Hurt? Anger? Cena had no clue.

He knew that everyone was waiting for him. It still didn't make him move any faster. He showered longer than normal, replaying the scene in the bar from his vantage point on the patio. Every one of his boys seemed so proud of Parker when she returned. Did they all think he was a sack of shit, too? And then there was the way that she threaded her fingers in between Orton's that made John's shoulders slump. He didn't want nor was he attracted to Parker, that's for sure. But that didn't stop him from hurting because he knew that Randy would comfort her from the pain that he caused.

In all honesty, he was happy for Orton. He seemed to have dug Parker from day one. If that's what he wanted, more power to him. John didn't understand it, but he and Orton rarely agreed on things. They had different tastes in music, clothes, and women. They just had different styles and those differences are what kept them friends for so long. They both appreciated that unique perspective in each other.

Glancing at the clock again, Cena realized that the guys had now been waiting for nearly forty-five minutes. He knew he was going to catch shit from them as soon as he stepped foot in the lobby. Not only would there be the remnant hostility from the night before, now he could add on making them late to his list of charges. Finally, he had reflected, showered, gotten dressed, and gathered all of his belongings. John Cena took that long walk toward the elevator and pressed the button for his descent to more judgment.

He was still lost in his thoughts when the elevator doors opened and what he saw made his heart speed up. Standing alone, leaning against the wall in the corner of the small car, was rosy cheeked, glowing, smiling Parker. He noticed immediately how her smile faded when she locked eyes with his.

He was frozen. He wasn't scared of her, but scared of that uneasy feeling he still carried. "I'll wait for the next one." Just knowing that he had to be confined with a person that hated him was more than he could handle.

Parker's face was solemn but she shook her head. "It's already here." She wasn't going to let this elevator ride from hell tarnish what she managed to build. She felt better about herself than ever and there was nothing that John Cena could do to change that. She wouldn't let him.

John moved to the opposite corner and stared at the floor buttons as if they were a priceless work of art. He couldn't take looking at her, but he could feel her eyes pinned on him. This was it, it was his one chance to be heard and he was going to take it. If only she would stop looking. "I want to explain."

"Don't bother. I really don't care. I'm fine." Parker's tone wasn't angry or malicious, but stern and confident. "I gave you the power to hurt me, but now, I'm taking it back."

He wasn't going to let her stop him from apologizing. That was the only thing worse than what he had actually done. "What I did was fucked up. You told me that if I wasn't feeling you, not to make a move. But I did, because I didn't want my boys to think I was stuck-up." He shrugged at how stupid his logic was at the time. "All of them thought you were cool…they also thought I wouldn't do it, because you're overweight. I thought it was just because you weren't my type. It wasn't until you bawled me out that I knew that was a fucking lie." He took a deep breath and planned how to say this so she would understand. "You weren't my type because of your weight. I'm guilty. I'll take that charge. Everything you said to me last night was right on the fucking money."

Parker was silent during his confession. Apparently he needed to get this off of his chest as much as she did the night before. "It's over with. Let it go."

John couldn't let it go, not until he made peace with her. "Nah…it ain't over. To my knowledge, I ain't ever set out to deliberately hurt somebody's feelings. And nobody ever called on it before, if I did. I knew you'd be pissed, but I had no idea what I said hurt you like that. That makes me feel like shit."

"And you should."

"Oh, I do…trust me. Everything you said was how I use to feel when I knew I'd have to walk home by myself. I know what's like to feel like everybody's watching you and judging you because of what you look like. Even now they do it…but they do it because they like it, not because they think I should be embarrassed." He dared to lift his eyes to hers. He wanted to look into her brown eyes, in hopes that she would see the truth. "I never wanted to make anybody feel like I did when I was a kid. I…am…sorry. I did not mean to hurt you." As soon as he got the words out, he dropped his eyes back to the floor. "You have this charm and confidence and I had no right to take that from you. If you never forgive me…I can live with that. But I just needed to make it known."

Parker raised her brow and she shook her head in disbelief. "You're even more conceited than Orton." She noticed the look on his face at that comment. "What makes you think you can take away who I am or how I feel about me? Your dick ain't that big. I know me. I love me. And not you or anybody else has the power to change that." She thought about it. She always had to be the bigger person, but that didn't mean letting herself get taken advantage of. She could forgive him, but that wouldn't make it right between them. "I don't hate you; I'm disappointed in you. I get that you're sorry. I just wish that you were that decent before you opened your fucking mouth. But I can't change you and I'm not interested in trying. So…I forgive you, but it doesn't change how I feel." She shrugged. That's all she could give him. "I'm going to have to live with this and be reminded that the man I was infatuated with, was disgusted at the idea of sleeping with me. The same way that I'm going to have to live with the fact that I am disgusted with myself for going through with it. We can't change it. Hopefully, you learned something and you won't do that shit again. Because believe me, the next chick might not be a supermodel. And she just might break off in that ass."

John chuckled, if for no other reason than Parker had a smile on her face. He was sure it was from the image of watching him get his ass beat, but it didn't matter. She was smiling. "I guess I would deserve it."

"If you do that shit again…I'll help the bitch out."

"So…are we good?"

She lifted her eyes to the light on the panel that signaled they were on the first floor of the hotel. "As good as we're gonna get." She pushed herself off of the wall and stood in front of the doors waiting for them to open. "But just so you know…you're no longer my favorite wrestler. Orton is."

John smiled wide and nodded his head. Somehow he knew that was coming. "I'll send you a Legend Killer T-shirt."

"Just make sure it's a XXL."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You could have heard a pin drop when the elevator doors opened and everyone saw John and Parker exit together. Eyes shifted from the tall man to the short woman and those thought bubbles that they use in comic strips were all but visible over their heads.

Avery stood beside Jeff Hardy in the lobby glaring at John as he stepped off behind Parker. She didn't care if Parker said it was done, it wasn't resolved on her end. "How dare he be on the same fucking elevator? His bitch ass shoulda took the stairs. If he so much as opened his fucking mouth…I should go over there and knock his ass out."

Jeff looked at her and laughed. He had to admire the amount of heart that this petite woman had. He was convinced that his luggage weighed more than she did, but she here she was, ready to beat Cena's ass. She had guts, she spoke her mind and she was reactionary. She definitely was not his type, personality wise, but there was something about her that he found endearing. "I thought we talked about that last night."

Avery pouted. "Yeah but…"

"No…beating his ass ain't gonna teach him anything. What he did was wrong; he knows that. Parker handled it. You gotta let it go." Jeff reached out and gripped the back of her neck gently massaging away the tension.

If Avery thought she had a crush on Jeff Hardy before, she was madly in love with the man now. He spent the entire night in her room, mainly to keep her from finding Cena or Haas or both, and doing some serious damage. But spending the night with Jeff wasn't what made Avery fall in love with him. It was the fact that he didn't touch her. He didn't once try to kiss her or make a move. He was the perfect gentleman. They stayed up and talked for a few hours and when Jeff noticed Avery nodding off, he pulled the covers up over her, while he laid on top of them snuggled next to her.

Even though she wanted him, Avery appreciated the fact that he seemed to respect her. Jeff actually talked to her like he wanted to get to know her. She couldn't believe it; not once did he try to get the panties. She would have given it up had he tried, but it was that Southern gentleman thing that melted her heart.

"How about I let it go after I fuck him up?" She knew Jeff wasn't going for it, but it was worth a shot.

"Come on, Mike Tyson. Let's wait outside." Grabbing Avery by the hand, Jeff led her toward the door.

She pretended to put up a struggle, but Jeff Hardy was leading her; she would have followed him anywhere. "What if she needs me?"

"I think she can handle it." Jeff looked over at Parker and smiled when she smiled at him. "She don't need a bodyguard."

Parker noticed her friend across the room with her brows and shoulders raised. God love Avery. No matter what, fine ass man tugging her away or not, she was always down for Parker first. Parker waved. That waved said more than, "I'm fine", it said, "Go do your thing…I got me covered". As she watched Avery walk away with Jeff, her attention was directed to the tall, dark man leaning against the wall with a devilish smirk on is face.

Randy looked over Parker's head at his best friend. His shining blue eyes met the crystal blue orbs of the man that he considered his brother. Nothing was spoken, only a simple nod to acknowledge each other. John's nod told Randy that he made his peace with Parker. Randy's returned nod told John he forgave his actions and everything between them was fine.

As soon as John changed directions and headed toward the door, Randy pushed himself off of the wall. He took the two paces until he was standing directly in front of Parker and his smirk broke out into a full fledged grin. He shook his head and took her hands in his. "He's thinking 'bout that ass he gave up. Dumb motherfucker."

If her smile would've gotten any wider, she was sure her face would split. "Who would've thought that Randy Orton would turn out to be an okay guy?"

"Okay? Shit…you had me. I'm fucking phenomenal." He leaned down and let his lips brush hers softly. As his hand made its way to cup her cheek, he increased the strength of their kiss. With Parker, it was all about moments. And this moment was threatening to be ruined by the mouth of Charlie Haas.

Randy could appreciate that Haas wasn't feeling Parker. She was an acquired taste, one that just happened to be on Randy's taste buds, but enough was enough. He heard the words, fat bitch, and before he knew it, he had disengaged from Parker and his fist connected with Haas' mouth. "You done now?" Randy's pulse didn't increase. It wasn't an adrenaline motivated attack. It was simply a lesson in knowing when to shut the fuck up.

Charlie clinched his jaws and held his hand to his bleeding lip. He looked Randy in the eye and took in the severity of his blue stare. Just behind him to the left stood John Cena glaring just as hard. He knew that if he attempted anything, he would have to deal with Orton and Cena. Charlie nodded and grabbed his bag. There was no point in saying anything else. That's how they settled things between each other. Every now and then one of them would break out and their friends were always there to reel them back in; by any means necessary.

"You good?" Cena spoke from behind Orton and watched as the younger man nodded. "I'll be out in the whip." John turned to Parker and raised his brows. When she nodded at him, he felt himself smile. It was done. It was time to move on. Parker had taught him what he needed to know and he would take that lesson and hold it dear.

As she approached Randy, she shook her head. "First Avery, now you? A girl could get use to being rescued."

"Well… heroes get laid." Randy took her hand in his and headed toward the door.

Parker cleared her throat and smiled at Avery as she pulled away from kissing Jeff Hardy. Avery's face was as red as the shirt she was wearing and her blue eyes clouded with a dream-like glaze. It was going to be a long ride home, listening to just how perfect Jeff was. It didn't matter though. Parker had her own story of Randy's tarnished perfection.

Hugs between Carly, Shelton, Jeff, and Randy were delivered to Parker and Avery. And as Parker and Randy walked toward Avery's car, she happened to look over at Cena sitting in the driver's seat and the trademark salute that he gave her. All she could she do was nod her head.

Randy hugged Parker one last time and kissed the top of her head. "Don't forget me. Not like you could though, but, you get what I'm saying."

"I get it." She watched as he walked over to the passenger's side of John rental and she smiled once again. "Hey, Randy? You know… once you go fat, you never go back…"

"I ain't complaining." With a wink, he ducked into the car and offered one final wave before they pulled out.

Parker looked back at the hotel as the car slowly made the way out of the parking lot. So much had happened there. The broken Parker entered and the super-fabulous Parker exited. There was nothing holding her back anymore. "I'm hungry. Let's get some breakfast."

Avery nodded. "You wanna do McDonald's drive-thru?"

"Nah. Let's go somewhere that we can sit down and eat." She held her head high. This was a new Parker Sutton, one that wasn't hiding anything about herself anymore. She turned over a new leaf. If the world thought it wasn't ready for her before, the really wouldn't know what to do with her now.

Avery looked over at her friend and smiled. "Work it girl!"