AN: I have nothing to say but TIME LAPSE!

(Randy)

For the next couple days, Jess spent nearly all of her spare time with Bret and the dungeon graduates. At a house show one day, I walked down to the ring to watch her. I go out to the ring, and Natalya had her stretched out in one of the famous Dungeon submission holds. Chris Irvine had long since joined them, being a graduate himself, and he was coaching her from the side.

"C'mon, this isn't BAD!" he said.

"Did I SAY it was?" Jess asked through clenched teeth. Chris grinned up at me.

"She's got potential," he said. He hopped out the ring and came to talk to me.

"Don't you think it's a little… Much for a 16 year old?" He shook his head and sighed.

"Relax, Papa Bear. It's not like it's gonna kill her. She wants to go through with this, so we'll help her." I scoffed.

"You know she wouldn't back down. Not when you people are all encouraging it." He looked at me like I was nuts.

"You DO realize that you're a wrestler, too, right?" I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. Don't kill her."

That weekend, nearly the whole roster headed to St. Louis for my dad's 4th of July bash. He always invited everyone, and with JR's promise to barbeque, we flocked to his house. Jess and I spent time with Sam and Alanna. I didn't know if it was just me, but it seemed like Jess and Sam were getting closer, which was absolutely fine by me.

We introduced her to my dad, Cowboy Bob Orton. He loved her the moment he laid eyes on her.

"Well, hello there young lady! You must be Randy's new daughter we've heard so much about!" Jess and I just laughed uncomfortably at that.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said. I was praying that something would stop Dad before he said something else, and my prayers were promptly answered by Ted and Cody, who had come down with Mark.

"What are YOU doing here, Codes?" Jess asked after they had hugged and made funny noises.

"Part of my punishment is that I have to stay with Mark and Glenn, and they were coming down, so I figured I would, too." She ran off with Ted and Cody, and I turned to glare at my dad.

"What did ya say that for?" I demanded.

"Say what?" he asked, looking honestly confused.

"The daughter comment!" He shrugged.

"Well, all I hear about is how you people took in a runaway, and then you and this kid get close! I was just makin' a joke, relax." I sighed. He was right, I was just overreacting. "Guilty conscience?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Mind your own business, old man," I growled. "Say, what do you think about letting Bret train her over the summer?" He shrugged again.

"If she wants to, it's fine. It's not like Bret'll hurt her." I scoffed.

"Y'know, she sure LOOKS like she's in pain."

"Well, son, that's just part of it. I mean he won't seriously injure her. Just relax."

"Well, I just worry," I muttered. Dad laughed.

"Now you know how us old folks feel when our kids declare that they want to follow in their daddies' footsteps."

"Your dad's got a point, you know." I turned and saw Bret walking over.

"Y'know, Bret, I just don't think this is good for her!"

"Oh, really?" he asked. "Are you sure it's just not good for YOU?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You don't want to see her get hurt. We understand that. But she's not GOING to get hurt. And it's hard enough to train a teenager on the road without you mollycoddling her!"

"Mollycoddling! Now you listen to me-"

"Randy!" We turned and saw Jess staring at us. "Don't I have a say in this?"

"Well, I mean…" That's when she gave me this look, and it wouldn't be the first time I'd get it. It became known among us as THE Look, and it said without words 'I'm GOING to go through with this and you can't stop me.'

"I WANT to do this. I'd give anything for this. Please, Randy?" I heaved a big sigh.

"Alright. Fine! Do your thing. I guess I can't change your mind."

So, that ended that debate. I had been defeated by a teenager and some Canadians, and they convinced me to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

(Jessie)

"Come meet my dad," Randy said with a grin.

"THE Cowboy Bob Orton?" I asked. "Uh, heck yes!" So, we walk over there, and the first thing the guy says is something about me being Randy's new daughter. I got red in the face. Yeah, it was something that I had thought we both felt the same about, but the awkward silence that ensued made me wonder how true that was. I was hoping for something to come break the silence, and then Cody and Ted walked up. I quickly took the opportunity to scat, preferring to NOT be right there at that moment.

"OMG," I told Ted and Cody. "Did you just hear that?" They both nodded.

"And we heard the awkward," Cody said.

"We decided to come rescue you. Who's the best?" Ted asked with a grin.

"Y'all are," I replied. Then, I heaved a big sigh. "Y'know, I can't help but get all hopeful sometimes that maybe I won't have to go back home. That maybe Randy and me have gotten so close that… y'know. But don't tell him that, I know it's dumb." Ted shrugged.

"It's ok. There's no easy answer to that one." Cody giggled all of a sudden.

"Oh, he cares alright," he said. "Looks like he's having it out with Bret Hart as we speak." That's when I ran over and spoke my mind. I was really excited about being able to be trained by Bret Hart, and I was afraid that Randy's overprotectiveness was going to ruin it.

"Don't I have a say in this?" I asked.

"Well, I mean…"

"I WANT to do this. I'd give anything for this. Please, Randy?" I asked. He sighed and shook his head.

"Alright. Fine! Do your thing. I guess I can't change your mind." I grinned and hugged him.

"Thanks, Randy," I said. I looked up, and saw his angry grimace slowly become a small smile.

"Yeah yeah. I'm helping from here on out," he told Bret.

"Deal," Bret said.

We spent the rest of the evening just hanging out and watching the amazing fireworks display Mr. Bob had put on. It was a great night. It was the first time in a while we could just relax for a night with the whole crew and not have to worry about being to a show in two hours. The Raw the next day was in St. Louis, so we could afford to relax. It was fantastic.

For the next month, business went about as usual. We went on the road, and then on the weekends, headed back to see Sam and Alanna. And, as the month went on, I gradually became more and more bummed out. I tried not to think about it, but in just a matter of weeks, I would have to return to Louisiana, and the best thing that had ever happened to me would end, and I'd be right back where I started from. I threw myself more and more into my training, because it was a distraction from more depressing thoughts.

Weeks passed, and nothing particularly interesting happened. There weren't any crazy people trying to take me out, no melodramatic scenes between me and Randy; if anything, life assumed some semblance of normalcy. So, when July 25 rolled around, I was excited because it was Night of Champions, the Pay-per-view where I would see Cody for the first time in a month.

"Cody!" I said with a grin. He and Ted walked into the room where I had set up shop for the night. Bret gave me the night off, and I was lovin' it.

"So!" he said with a grin. "Do you know what today is?" I shrugged.

"Sunday?" I asked. Ted and Cody both shook their heads.

"We didn't forget!" Ted said.

"Forget what?" I asked innocently.

"Oh, stop it," Cody said, his smile falling off his face. "We have been long-distance planning for this night for a month. Now, you ARE going to come with us, and you WILL enjoy your birthday!" My eyes got big.

"You got it, Codes," I said. "Just don't eat me." Ted laughed.

"Don't mind him," he said. "He's mad because we wouldn't let him get a Halo themed cake." With a laugh we left the room, and I was led to guess where?

Well, nowhere, actually. We walked around in circles backstage.

"Guys, where are we going?" I asked.

"Would you just relax?" Cody said. "We're just giving everyone time to work everything out." I shrugged.

"Whatever." I was led around in circles for another 10 minutes before finally, they got a text message, and with a big grin from Ted, I was led into catering. It was dark; I couldn't see a thing.

"Ted, are you sure?" I asked. A few seconds later, the lights flipped back on.

"SURPRISE!" All around me were the people that had made my summer the greatest ever. I laughed out loud.

"Really?" I said. Ted laughed

"Randy remembered that you told him one time you had never had a surprise party, so we worked one out. I looked around and saw Randy himself, grinning away. I ran over and hugged him.

"Randy, you didn't have to," I said.

"Shut up, yeah I did." We all laughed. "But really. You've been so bummed out lately. We wanted to do something really special for your birthday, so we all put our heads together and…" He gestured around. "Here it is."

We stayed at the arena 'till nearly midnight. Ignoring my protests, I was given gifts from all my close friends. Cody, obviously, got me my own Xbox live account so I could play on my own instead of being his or Ted's guest for the rest of my life. Uncle Bret gave me my own custom fitted pair of wrestling boots. (At which point Randy gave him HIS look. "She's gotta have 'em!" Uncle Bret argued.) Ted handed me a package with every Legacy shirt they ever made.

"Hey, everyone in Legacy has the whole collection," he said with a laugh. Vince, Steph, and Paul gave me a card with a hundred bucks and a phone number in it.

"You give me a call whenever we're in town, and I'll set you up with front row seats. Wrestlemania next year? I'm flying you out to Atlanta." I grinned up at him.

"Mr. Vince, that's AWESOME!" I exclaimed, hugging him. John handed me a card, too.

Jess, it read. There's a car I need to get rid of. Know anybody who needs one? I looked up at him.

"Absolutely not."

"And just why not?"

"Because, well…

"Exactly." He walked away with a grin on his face. Randy walked over next.

"Well, I didn't get you a car-"

"Don't worry, neither is John. I'm not done with him yet." He rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Anyway, I know how much you love that iPod of yours. And I wanted one of these, so I figured you would, too." I looked at him in confusion, and then he handed me a package.

"An iPad? Seriously?" He grinned.

"Do ya like it?" I laughed.

"Heck yes!"

It was only an hour drive to St. Louis from wherever we were that night, so we got back home at one the next morning.

"Happy late birthday!" Sam said. "Did you like the iPad?" I nodded happily, holding it up. "I told him you'd like it. He had no idea. You see, dear. Sometimes you just need a woman's input." We laughed and hugged. We had gotten really close over the past few weeks. On the days Randy and I were home, we did girly things like go shopping. It was always a nice break from the all night Halo parties we still had.

"So, didja enjoy yourself?" Randy asked with a grin.

"Did I… Shut up!" I hugged him. "Thanks Randy. This has been the best birthday, summer, whatever, ever." He hugged me back.

"I'm glad. Why don't you hit the hay? We'll break in those wrestling boots tomorrow." I grinned and bounded up the stairs.

(Randy)

I grinned as she ran up the stairs, then turned to Sam.

"I think there's something we need to talk about," I said seriously. She nodded.

"Me, too. We ARE thinking of the same thing, aren't we?" I pointed up the stairs, and she nodded again. We sat down on the couch.

"I think that we should really think about adopting her. Now, I know she's 17 now, and it won't really matter in a year, but I really think that this is something-" She cut me off with a 'shhh.'

"I understand, Randy," she said gently. "I love her just as much as you do. And, I think, that instead of sending her back to Louisiana, she should stay here with us." I looked at her, and then grinned.

"That would be great."

(Jessie)

I ran upstairs, but then remembered that I had forgotten the iPad downstairs. What? I wanted to play with my new toy! So I went back down the stairs quietly, as to not interrupt anything they were doing. I stopped when I realized they were still sitting on the couch.

"I understand, Randy," Sam said gently. "I love her just as much as you do. And, I think, that instead of sending her back to Louisiana, she should stay here with us." I gasped. They were talking about me, right? There wasn't anybody else here who had to go back Louisiana, was there.

"That would be great," Randy said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "We'll talk to her about it tomorrow. Forgetting about the iPad, I crept back upstairs, nearly crying. This truly was the best summer ever.