Holy moly! 10 reviews for one chapter! I think we all know what brought that on! Heheh.. And I'm just going to take a moment to vent to you guys. I'm on this forum about the WWE, and it seems like EVERYONE on there hates the "faces". You should see some of the stuff they say about John, Randy, Triple H, HBK and Rey Mysterio. Pretty much all of my favorites are trashed everyday on there. Oh, and they absolutely LOVED the NXT beat down of Cena. Wtf? Don't they know that you can't have "heels", like Jack Swagger, CM Punk, or Sheamus without the good guys? Uugh..

Anyways, sorry about that. On with the chapter!

Chapter 23- Signs

I quickly closed my room down, and rushed to the trainer's room. There was a crowd of people surrounding the door, flowing in and out. I had to push my way through the mass of bodies. My eyes fell on John. He was still strapped to the stretcher that he was carried off-stage on. My chest squeezed painfully at the sight of his beaten body. I knew it was all in the script, that this is what the stars had to live with, but I had come to the conclusion that I would never get used to seeing my boyfriend, or my best friends, getting the crap beat out of them. I felt an arm come around my waist, and I knew who it was without having to turn around. Randy pulled me off to the side, letting the trainer's have their room with John. I sat down slowly in a cold metal chair, Randy doing the same next to me, and I turned to face him. His arm was in a sling, and I assumed that he actually needed it now.

After the door shot last week, we had worked on his arm enough that he didn't need his sling much at all. But the creative team thought it would be more effective for the storyline if Randy wore it for Raw tonight. But seeing him in it now, I cringed at the thought of how much pain he must be in.

"Are you okay?" I asked, wringing my hands together. I looked into his eyes, seeing the pain he was in, but I knew that he wasn't going to own up to it.

"I'm fine," Randy said, though I could hear the strain in his voice. "You worry too much."

I made a face at him, which caused him to smirk softly at me. We fell into a silence as we watched John being worked on. They forced him into stretches, and he grunted in pain. I grabbed Randy's hand in my own, and focused my attention on it. It was a lot better than the pained expression on John's face. It forcfully reminded me of the times when I had to put Randy through his stretches. I saw a pair of feet come into my vision and looked up to see the same trainer that I had smarted off to when Randy had first gotten hurt. His mouth was drawn tight, and he cocked an eyebrow at me. I half-expected him to say something rhetorical, to get back at me, but the presence of Randy at my side seemed to keep his words at bay. For once, I was thankful for Randy's stand-offish personality and reputation for a temper.

"John'll be fine, but he's going to need someone to care for him. At least for the next few days. He's suffered a mild concussion and the main pain areas seem to be his back and hips. Does he have anyone to watch out for him?"

I gaped at the man. Was our presence here nothing to him? Anger licked my spine. "Of course he does."

He nodded, not seeing the heat flash in my eyes. "Good. Report to us immediately if he has any dizzy spells, nausea, black outs, or memory loss. Here's a bottle of Aleve for his pain, and he needs to stay hydrated."

I took the bottle from him, slipping it in my purse. We stood up as two trainers helped John walk to the door. They followed close behind Randy and me, as we led the way to the car. I was lost in thought thinking about how we were going to get John into the hotel. John was nearly dead weight, and Randy was no where near one hundred percent. But it was laughable to presume that I was going to be any good at helping John stay up right. However, my thoughts were cut short at the sight of Adam standing by our car. I smiled softly at him as we approached.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, watching the trainers ease John into the SUV. Adam had followed my stare, and frowned at the sight.

"I figured you guys might need some help with John," Adam said, turning his back on the scene. He shot a sly smile at Randy. "You know? Since I'm pretty sure Randy can't do it by himself."

I bit back my laughter as Randy made an obscene gesture towards Adam. "Oh, that's right," Adam said, "Randy's better when he's alone."

I blushed as I got in the driver's seat, Randy in the back next to John and Adam next to me. I didn't agree with his statement. Not one bit. But I wasn't about to comment on it. That would be a dead give away. I just wasn't ready to scream from the rooftops that Randy and I had had sex; no matter how absolutely amazing it was. But I heard Randy's soft laughter drift up from the back seat.

"Funny, I've been told the opposite." My eyes grew wide, and my cheeks burned. Being as discreet as I could, I flipped my hair over my shoulder, creating a wall of red between my face and prying eyes. Randy would pay for that little comment later. I heard Adam's laughter from beside me, and John managed a chuckle from his semi-conscious state.

"Randy, the Big Show doesn't count," John said, he's words slightly slurring together in his exhaustion. I brought my hand to my mouth, trying to hold back my laughter. Bringing more attention to myself in this situation wasn't what I wanted. I saw Randy's eye's roll from my view in the rear-view mirror. I bit down on my lip to redouble my efforts to keep quiet.

"Nah, John," Adam said, turning in his seat slightly to look at him in the back. "Randy prefers someone with hair. Ideally red in color." My jaw dropped for an instant, before regaining my composure, and clamping it shut. God, this car ride was never going to end.

"Sheamus?" John asked incredulously. I couldn't hold it back any longer. The laughter broke free from my throat, echoing throughout the car. I didn't know what caused it. Wheither it have been John's accusation, or the look of disgust on Randy's face, but I had to clutch my stomach to relieve the laughter pains. John wasn't finished though. "But he's a major step down from the Show. He's not half the man he is."

An hour later, I opened the door to our room. It taken all three of us to get John into his room. I had waited in the bathroom while Adam and Randy helped John change out of his clothes, and into something cotton for him to sleep in. I sat his bottle of Aleve on his nightstand, fixed him some water, and placed an ice pack on his head. I sighed, between Randy and John; I was getting the hang of caring for the injured. I was completely worn out by the time we got to our room. My legs ached and my back was killing me. I shot down the idea of a shower, and went straight for my luggage for my night clothes.

But, as I fingered my over-sized shirt, an idea came to me as how to get back at Randy for his earlier comment. I stood up and laid my shirt on the table by the door. I noticed Randy stretched out on the bed, already flipping through the channels. I smiled to myself, as I kicked my shoes off. I made sure that I was facing the bed, but acted non-chalantly as I brought my fingers to my pants, pushing the button through its hole. I saw the exact moment Randy looked over at me from the corner of my eye. Acting as if I was interested in the programming on the TV, I eased the pants down my legs. I kicked the fabric across the room, watching as they dropped into my suitcase. Crossing my arms in front of me, I grabbed two handfuls of my shirt, and slowly began to pull it over my head. My hair slid smoothly over my bare shoulders, and I was standing in front of Randy in my panties and bra. I tossed my shirt on to the pile with my pants, and reached for my night shirt. At an agonizingly slow pace, I slipped the shirt over my shoulders, and felt it drop down to my hips. It was tempting to look and see Randy's reaction, but that would give away my plan. I reached behind me, grabbing the clasp of my bra under my shirt, and un-did the snaps. This wasn't really part of the tease. I couldn't sleep in a bra, but it just added to the fuel for Randy. I slipped the lacy clothing out from under my shirt and dropped it on the top of my suitcase. I finally turned towards Randy.

The look in his eyes burned a hole straight through me. I heard that his breathing was a little quicker than normal, and I watched his chest as it moved up and down. I chewed on my bottom lip while I climbed into bed, letting my back face him. I pulled the covers up around my waist, blocking my skin from his view. I took a deep breath, hiding my smile in my pillow.

"Good night," I said, switching the lamp off.

I felt the bed move, and my body knew that Randy had moved closer. I heard him groan slightly, running his hands through my hair. "What have I done to you?"

My brows came together in confusion, and I rolled over to see Randy's face hovering above me. I didn't have a clue at what he meant. I was racking my brain for the answer. "What?"

"You've learned my art of the tease," Randy said, his voice gruff, his eyes roaming over my body. I had just now noticed that his arm wasn't in the sling any more. I felt his right arm glide across my stomach. "You do know I don't stand a chance against that performance?"

I fought my smile and I cocked an eyebrow at him. Was he admitting defeat? I bit my lip in amusement, and I saw his eyes drop to my mouth. I traced the curve of the muscles in his arm slowly, watching the goosebumps errupt on his skin. "I did learn from the master."

Randy growled softly, wrapping both arms around my waist. When he rolled back over on his back, I was laying directly on top of him. He seemed to take my weight with no problem. The feel of his muscles flexing beneath me was intoxicating. Our legs were tangled together between the twisted sheets. I grazed my nails slightly into his chest, and watched as his lids fluttered closed momentarily.

"I've not been able to think of anything else," Randy admitted, twisting his fingers into my hair that had fallen over my shoulder. I knew immediately that he wasn't talking about tonight. My heart picked up speed at the mere mention of that day. When we had Casie's house all to ourselves, all day.

"Neither have I," I whispered, trailing my fingers down his jaw line. His eyes flashed up to mine, and I knew we were both thinking of the same moments. I saw the passion building up in his blue eyes. His arm tightened around my waist.

"And I was right," Randy murmured agaisnt my cheek. I closed my eyes, pressing my face closer to his. I felt the soft sting of his late evening stubble graze my skin, a feeling that I found that I enjoyed.

"About what?"

Randy leaned his head back to look at me. I saw the desire burning bright in his eyes. "You were well worth the wait."

oo

We arrived in West Virginia on Thursday afternoon. I sat in the back seat with John, while Randy and Adam were up front. I felt my phone vibrate within my purse, and I dug through my things until my fingers closed around the hard plastic. Again, it was the unknown number. I had received four previous calls from this person, and each time, I refused to answer. I had a strong feeling on who it was, but no one ever left a message. I hit the ignore button, and tossed the phone back into my bag. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts. We were finally pulling into the hotel. I looked over at John, who was engaged in a conversation with the boys up front. He seemed to be doing much better than he was Monday. His limp was barely there, and I never heard him complain. Of course, John probably wouldn't admit it if he was really hurting.

I stepped out of the SUV when Adam pulled it to a stop. I went to the back to get my luggage when I heard Randy call out.

"Just leave that there for right now, Lora," he said, stepping closer to me. "John wants to hit the gym before anyone else gets here. And I need to be his spotter."

I rolled my eyes. John must be feeling better if he's going to the gym. And I was pretty sure that Casie was not aware of this recent change to his gym schedule, because she wasn't happy with the new storyline started on Monday, and she told John that he was to take it easy. Now, I wasn't positive, but I didn't think "hitting" the gym was taking it easy. I fell into step beside Randy as he led the way to the hotel lobby. Ten minutes later, we had all checked in and booked a room. I sighed, turning to Adam.

"Are you going with them?" I asked, nodding my head towards John and Randy. I didn't know what I was going to do to pass the time.

"No," Adam said, stepping to my side. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go shopping with me? I need some things, and I hate going by myself."

I nodded, and went to kiss Randy lightly good-bye. Randy smirked slightly at me, before heading off in the opposite direction of the front door with John. I watched him walk away for a moment, getting caught up in how smoothly his body moves, and turned to double back to the car with Adam.

Adam drove the big SUV around the streets of West Virginia, looking for a shop that would suit his needs. I didn't know what we were looking for, and I didn't think I would be that much help, so I just kept quiet while he searched. The only thing about not speaking, is that my brain works in overdrive. My thoughts instantly circled back to my phone, and the unknown caller. I had an uneasy feeling about it. I silently made a note to consider changing my number. I was consumed in my thoughts that I didn't notice when the car began to slow down, and eventually stopped. I forced myself back to reality and looked around.

A "Diesel Jean & Clothing" sign hung above the door of the buidling we were parked in front of. I had never even heard of this clothing line. But I followed Adam as he headed into the store. I could definitely see why Adam had choosen this place. It had his style written all over it. Half of the store was divided into pants: jeans, shorts, khakis. And the other half was tops, ranging from plain t-shirts, plaid button ups and long-sleeved cotton blends. I ran my hands over the different textures of clothes, my fingers landing a tag of a pair of jeans. Damn, I thought, I could buy four pairs of jeans for the price of this. But I didn't say anything. I figured if Adam could afford it, then why not? When he was ready to check out, he had five pairs of jeans, several shirts, three new belts, and two pairs of tennis shoes that resembled Converses. He easily dropped three grand in one purchase. I arched an eyebrow at him as we headed out of the shop.

"What?" he laughed, loading his new clothes into the back. I leaned against the side of the SUV, trying not to laugh.

"Nothing, it's just that what you just spent on clothes, is more than four of my house payments."

Adam laughed loudly, causing people on the street to look in our direction. "I can't help myself when it comes to clothes. I go a little overboard sometimes." He began to stroll down the sidewalk, and I pushed myself off of the SUV to catch up.

"Yeah, you and every other WWE star," I smiled, thinking of the times where Randy and I had gone shopping together. It wouldn't hurt him to drop that amount on clothes if need be. He would spend that much on me if I would let him. I just didn't feel right letting him spend that much money on me. I didn't want him to get the idea that I was taking advantage of him and who he was.

As we turned the corner on the street, I noticed that we were being followed. I looked over my shoulder, seeing two girls, in their late teens. They had their arms linked together, and were whispering and pointing at Adam. I smirked and nudged him in the ribs.

"You've got company," I mused, as Adam looked to me in confusion, and then turned to face my stare. I saw the small smile spread across his face, and he backtracked and headed towards the girls. I watched as the girls froze, seeing him head in their direction. The blonde was the shorter of the two, coming up only to the shoulder of the black-headed one. But they both looked short compared to Adam.

"Oh, my gosh! Edge!" the blonde exclaimed. The darker-haired girl elbowed her in the ribs, throwing her an ugly stare.

"Hey girls," Adam said, sliding easily into his WWE persona. I stayed as close as I could without feeling like I was intruding. I watched as the girls fumbled through their purses, looking for anything for Adam to write on. The blonde girl clutched a piece of paper tightly, staring at Adam with incredulous eyes. But I saw the look of frustration on her friend's face, not able to find anything to write with. I slipped my hand in my purse, and handed Adam a black ink pen.

"I just love you! And what you did to Orton on Monday was brilliant!" the shorter one exclaimed. I saw the amused muscle tick beneath the skin on Adam's face. I was almost regretting my pen donation. I cocked an eyebrow at her, but kept my mouth shut.

"Who is she?" the black-haired girl asked. But the tone of her voice took me off guard. Each word was filled with dislike. I looked to her, seeing her glaring daggers at me. It might be me, but I don't remember being angry at people who hung around with my favorite icons. Just jealous.

Adam handed back the last autogragh, smiling at the two girls. "A friend. It was nice to meet you." And he turned away from them, and headed back down the sidewalk. I cast one last glance over my shoulder, seeing the girl still staring at me, and followed Adam.

"What was wrong that girl?" I pondered. "I thought she was going to spear me right there."

Adam burst into laughter, holding his side. "She thought we were together."

I gaped. "You have got to be kidding me? All that hate for something like that?"

"Well, you better get used to it," he said, his laughter still coming in bubbles. "Randy is gathering popularity like a rock rolling down a hill." I huffed, rolling my eyes.

oo

I towel-dryed my hair with one hand, and brushed my teeth with the other. I finished my routine, and left the bathroom. The bedroom was definitely colder than the bathroom; it must have been all the steam from my shower. And the single shirt I was wearing didn't do much to cover my skin from the chill. I rushed to the bed, and climbed beneath the blanket. But it wasn't enough. Sliding as far as I could, I curled into Randy's body, revelling in his body heat. I was almost instantly tired.

But just as sleep was taking me, an unbidded thought cropped up in my mind. Curiosity licked at my spine. And the urge for answers was as strong as it always had been. With everything that had been going on, it hadn't occurred to me, but now that things were settling down, it was on the forefront of my brain again. And this time, I couldn't stop my words from falling from my mouth.

"Can I ask you something?" I laid my head on his chest, avoiding his eye contact. It was going to be a lot easier if I didn't have to see those blue eyes.

"You just did," Randy said, laughing softly. I smacked his stomach lightly, earning even more laughter.

"Anyways," I said, taking a deep breath. And before I could chicken out, I barreled on. "I saw this picture at your parents' house when we were there, and it makes me wonder. What happened when you were in the Marines to, you know, get discharged?"

I felt his immediate reaction. His muscles tensed and he didn't move. I regretted saying anything. I should've just kept my mouth shut. I hated myself right now. "Not that it matters why. I was just curious. But forget I asked. I'm sorry."

I prayed for the earth to open up and swallow me whole, because that was the only way to end this awkward situation. I held my breath when Randy finally started to move again. I heard his heavy sigh as it brushed against my hair.

"It's okay. I understand why you want to know," Randy's gruff voice said. I didn't dare to move, in fear that he would stop talking. "But, I need you to understand, that that time in my life was difficult. I will tell you, and I want you to know. But I'm just going to need some time."

I didn't know what to say. That was the best I was going to get. Knowing that I would find out someday was better than knowing nothing at all. I snuggled closer to his chest, reaching over to pull his hand to my face. I opened it up, so his palm faced me, and I placed a small kiss on his skin. I wouldn't push Randy any further than his comfort zone.

Okay, I have to say that I like how Randy and Lora are after their day together. What do you yall think? Let me know! Oh, and RAW TONIGHT! CHEA!

Eisac Namhort, Duchan Mandic, Christina89, JoolR, Dreamin'BIG, AshleyBabe86, SuperStar89, Viper-Desi, KimmieCena, Xandman216, Thiala, Barnsley Gal 09, roknpstergrl, miamitravel, and southern. dreamz, southerncharm21, Cecilyyy, undermyumbrella, babyxbxgurl, hardycenagrl, Krista Hardy and xLou26 you guys are awesome! Love you!