Chapter 95:

They had boxed her in. Haley had been too focused on the start of the match to pay much attention to Cody Rhodes and Manu. She stood at the back side of the ring, in front of the commentary table, while Manu stood on her left side of the ring and Cody on her right. Both men were watching Randy and Batista, but they had also cut off Haley's main route of escape if things went south. She would have to go through them to get to the ramp leading backstage, that or escape through the crowd which would be a last resort.

Randy and Batista locked up in the center of the ring, grappling one another for several moments in a battle of strength. Randy suddenly seemed to get the upper hand by pulling Batista into a side headlock but the Animal wouldn't stand it for long. He lifted Orton off the canvas and loosened the hold by dropping him against the ropes. Jack Doan got between the two men separating them and reprimanding Batista on the use of ropes.

Haley gripped the ring apron, pressing her lips together as she looked on. She could see Manu pacing closer to her side of the ring in her peripheral vision, and outwardly she paid him no attention. Inwardly she was aware of every move he and Cody made, she knew what Randy was capable of. She had seen some of his dark side and knew that if it came down to it, he would use her against Dave and he would use Cody and Manu to do it.

Randy and Batista locked up again, this time Randy twisting his way out and using a drop toe hold to bring Batista face first to the canvas. He scrambled his way around and kept Batista down with a headlock.

"Come on, Dave." Haley willed him back up and he pushed up with arms to dislodge Randy's hold. "Come on."

Randy kicked Batista in the gut and tried to put him in a side headlock again. Batista countered by shoving Randy off him into the ropes and using a forceful shoulder block to take the Viper off his feet. Haley cheered internally, but remained calm in her appearance, then she cringed when Dave went after Randy again and he countered by sending Batista outside the ring at her feet.

Haley looked back and forth between Cody and Manu. "Get up, Babe." She encouraged him, nervously eying Randy's two minions.

"DAVE!" She shouted out a warning, backing against the commentary table when Cody charged. Batista lurched to his feet, punching Cody back, but Manu attacked from behind, knocking the Animal down.

"No!" She moved a step forward, but Cody blocked her path, smirking at her, his eyes daring her to try to aid her boyfriend. "REF!"

Mike Chioda turned from where he had been reprimanding Randy at the sound of her voice. He frowned at the sight of Manu's continuing attack on the Animal. "You two, you're outta here!"

Cody's eyes widened and he turned away from Haley to stare up at Chioda incredulously. "What? You can't do that!"

"He's the official, Cody." Haley smirked in satisfaction. "He can, and he did!"

Chioda slipped out of the ring, getting between the two second generation superstars and a recovering Animal, ordering Cody and Manu from ringside.

"Get walking Rhodes." Haley taunted him when he glared at her. "Do something, I dare you."

Chioda backed them away toward the ramp, effectively removing them from ringside. With that threat gone, Haley turned her attention back to Dave who was using the apron to get back to his feet. Then she looked up into the ring, where Randy was staring at her with a look of mild disgust. As if to punish her, he stepped out of the ring and punched Batista in the face, then turned back to face her, coldness in his eyes.

She retreated a step, unnerved by his expression. Randy had never looked at her with his eyes void of emotion before. There had always been something there in the past, even when he had iced over, something to prove he was still human, he was still Randy, he still cared. Now, his eyes just looked empty.

Randy bodily threw Batista back into the ring and followed his adversary. He then threw Batista shoulder first into the steel turnbuckle, causing her to wince at Dave's shout of pain. And, in true Randy fashion, now that he had made a weak point, he targeted Dave's right shoulder with a vengeance. Worried, Haley began to pace outside the ring, not knowing how to help without interfering and being just as bad as Cody and Manu.

Then Batista powered out of the viscious hold Randy had on his arm and slammed Orton into a corner turnbuckle, following it up with a clothesline. Haley jumped up and down, cheering. "Keep on him, Dave!"

He Irish whipped Randy into the opposite turnbuckle, repeating his clothesline, but then stepped back to favor his shoulder. But he got back to business as Randy stepped out of the corner, picking up the Viper and forcibly dropping him in a ring shaking power slam. Batista got to his feet, wildly yanking on the ropes.

"Get him!" Haley whooped, daring to believe it could be that easy as Batista set Orton up for his finisher.

But Randy wasn't out yet. He rolled up onto Dave's shoulders then leap frogged over the Animal's head, countering with a neck breaker. Batista's body contorted in pain while Randy lay dazed on the mat, trying to recover.

Haley covered her mouth with her hands, not knowing who would get to their feet first and praying it would be Dave. Her prayers ignored, Randy was first to rise, driving his knee into Batista's temple before going for the first cover of the night. Batista managed to kick out at two.

Randy retained control, vicing Batista head in his arms to wear him down. Batista however was the Animal for a reason, staggering to his feet and countering with Randy's second power slam of the night. He forced Orton into the corner, driving his shoulder into his sternum with shoulder block after shoulder block. He followed it by Irish whipping Randy into the ropes and ejecting him from the ring over the top rope on his return.

"Yeah! That's the way!" Haley clapped in approval.

Batista got out of the ring and threw Randy back into the ring. Randy was wincing in pain, favoring the shoulder had injured back in June. But as Dave tried to climb back into the ring after him, Randy kicked him in the gut out of sheer desperation, following it up with one of his devastating DDTs of the middle rope.

Dave lay motionless on the impact as Randy went for his second cover. Haley feared it would be over right then, but somehow, some way Batista kicked out, more out of instinct than anything. The look on his face was complete confusion.

Haley gnawed on her lower lip in worry. Randy still had the upper hand and she wasn't sure how much more punishment Dave could sustain. Orton could be so dangerous, and he proved her right by moving into his crippling joint stomping pattern. She had to look away when he made his way around and did a knee drop right onto Batista's neck.

He rolled out of the ring, smirking at her in a perverse kind of pleasure. She shook his head at him in pure disgust as he started raining forearm shots down on her boyfriend's head. "Will you still love him when I mess up his face?" Randy called over his shoulder to her as Dave fell like dead weight to the floor.

He turned to her again. "This! This is what you chose over me. I would have given you everything. We could be everything. You and me together we could rule this company, and you choose this!" He gestured down to Dave's lifeless body. "You choose this old, wash up of a Champion over me, the future of the business. The Age of Orton is here Haley, this is your last chance to make the right decision. Pick me, or be put down like your Animal of a boyfriend!"

Haley looked down at Dave who was slowly coming to on the floor. She knew he heard every word Orton said, just as she knew he, like Orton awaited her response.

She looked back up at Randy, her face twisted into an angry snarl. "Not if you were the last man on earth! We are through Randy, you are DEAD to me! And you are nothing, NOTHING compared to him. I love Dave and I choose him, always."

Something like pain flickered through Randy's green eyes, causing a second of guilt on her part, before the expressionless mask covered his face and any sign of humanity left his eyes. "So be it! Go down with your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend."

He dragged Dave back into the ring, punishing him with a merciless headlock. Haley banged on the apron, willing Batista back into action, hoping he'd find a way to fight back. Seconds, minutes went by of Orton sapping the energy out of the Animal, and she began to fear for the worst.

"Please Dave, please." She begged, tears welling up her eyes. "Don't let him win. Find a way, come on, I love you. Please!"

The word's 'I love you' seemed to unlock a second wind in the Animal. Using his superior strength he got back to his feet, even with Orton clinging like a monkey on his back. She marveled at his power just as he backed into the turnbuckle, using the corner to knock Randy loose. Randy tried a second charge, only to be caught in a sidewalk slam.

"Yeah! Come on, Baby!" Haley encouraged.

Dave rolled onto his side, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs. His dark eyes found hers and a mutual look of love was shared between them. With renewed determination, Batista clambered to his feet at the same time as Randy.

Both men began exchanging punches before Dave took the wind out of Randy's sails with a powerful clothesline. Randy fell back against the ropes, getting a second clothesline right out of the ring to land in a heap at Haley's feet.

"How's feel Randy?" Haley folded her arms over her chest and smirked down at his cringing form. "Getting your ass kicked by a REAL man? MY MAN!"

Randy glared up at her, using his quickness to back to his feet. Like the Viper he was compared to he struck, jerked Haley in front of him and locking an arm around her throat, using her as a shield as he turned to face Batista, who had followed him outside the ring.

"Back off, Dave, before I snap her neck in two!" He threatened.

Haley for her part remained still, her eyes locked on her boyfriend's face, even though her career and her life were now in Randy's hands. She outwardly showed no fear. The two men eyed each other like gunslingers, ignoring the shouts of Chioda to let her go and get back in the ring.

"I mean it, back the fuck off before I hurt her! You know I will!" Randy shouted.

"No." Haley said quietly. "Not today. You don't get to win today, Randy!" She twisted her right leg and using the stiletto heel on her black boots, she stepped down hard on his instep.

Randy howled in agony, releasing her to cradle his throbbing foot. Haley wisely ducking out of the way for Dave to charge, nearly taking Randy's head off with another clothesline. He threw Randy back into the ring, rage marring his otherwise handsome features.

Randy made one last desperate lunge, right into a grad A spin buster. Outside the ring, Haley was cheering madly, jumping up and down knowing the end was near. Batista grabbed the ropes, shaking them violently and howling with renewed vigor. The crowd was going nuts as it was thumbs up, then thumbs down for Orton.

For the second time that night, Randy found himself up on Batista's shoulders, but this time he was not as lucky. He flailed around in panic before he was drilled into the mat with the force of an atomic explosion.

"One…two…three!" The crowd counted along with the referee before the bell rang and Saliva played through out the arena.

Batista stared down at the prone and unconscious Randy Orton, his expression emotionless, before he looked up and his gaze met Haley's. She didn't hesitate, she rushed into the ring, practically tripping over herself and all but falling into her boyfriend's waiting arms. He pressed his face into her curls, murmuring words she couldn't understand, while she clung to him.

Happy tears were streaming down her face as he stood up, setting her back on her feet. "You did it." She said, slightly choked up.

"No Baby," He shook his head and corrected her. "We did it."

And then he kissed her like it was his last moment on Earth, unaware of anything except each other.

A/N: Booyah! How do you like them apples, Orton? Dave whooped your ass!

Jesus. I'm really getting to the finish here, Guys! I'm excited, because that means No Boundaries is up, but sad because I love all the steps of Haley's journey. Good thing I made this a five part series!

Happy Reading!