Memphis took a look in the mirror one last time, straightening out her black and white striped referee's shirt. It was another live television event for Monday Night RAW in Houston, Texas. The main event would see fan favorite John Cena versus the British heel Wade Barrett. Vince McMahon himself had personally requested that his sole female referee officiate the match. As she got ready in the back, she could hear the fans in their seats. Their passion and energy was unreal only matched by the passion and energy of the Superstars who loved to perform in front of them. Memphis Kramer was in the midst of living a dream. In just a few short months she had quickly become one of the federation's most popular characters. It was fun signing autographs and having the adoration of fans around the world. More than the notoriety, she had gained the respect, which was all she had really wanted anyway. The fans loved and respected her but respect still not had come from the one place that mattered most…the WWE locker room.

The male referees continued to ignore her, looking on with disdain, resenting her growing popularity and the fact that she was being offered the best matches. Most of the crew and on air talent ignored her as well. She still found herself the victim of nightly pranks, some petty and harmlessly annyoying while others were more dastardly and humiliating. The abuse was never ending and Memphis had quietly resigned herself to the fact that Randy Orton and Teddy DiBiase's mission in life was to make hers miserable. It made work an uncomfortable setting having to deal with the ribs or sit around waiting and wondering what they were going to come up with. It was a form of torment that only added to an already conflicted soul.

Want to just drive to San Antonio after the show?

She looked down at her phone, reading the incoming text message. She smiled faintly. It was from Phil Brooks, her only WWE friend and ally who had recently graduated to the role of lover and boyfriend…kind of. He was a great guy and they had fun together. He was sweet and protective and his off the wall sarcasm dripped sense of humor kept her in stitches. He was a great person but she was still coming to terms, getting used to the new dynamics of their relationship. Regardless, he was really into her and she had to admit that having sex again after so many months of being celibate was a welcomed new development. Memphis had decided to give him and whatever was going on between them a chance. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to lose the one person in the WWE that truly cared about her.

Sure thing. Getting ready for my match. Will see you after the show.

Putting her bag securely in a locker, she pulled her brown hair back into a tight ponytail. She wore mascara and lined the top and bottom of her eyes with a light coat of black liquid liner. A dark finish of matte gloss covered her lips. Checking her apperance for the final time, she blew out a breath before heading to the Gorilla. Everything had been set up already for the Barrett/Cena fight and it was highly unlikely that any last minute changes would be made. On her way to the front, she passed by a large group of Superstars and Divas who had congregated near a huge monitor in order to watch the main event. When she walked by, everyone stopped what they were doing. It got eerily quiet as all eyes fell upon her. Keeping her head up, she tried to pay no attention to the smirk that crossed Randy Orton's face.

"Bitch," Teddy muttered loudly as he pretended to sneeze.

A few snickers and chuckles came from the other wrestlers. Memphis just shook her head.

"You guys are so juvenile," she mumbled under her breath.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Randy sneered.

Memphis stopped dead in her tracks. The last thing she wanted or intended to do was antagonize the situation but she was tired of Orton's bullying. Somebody had to stand up to him.

"I said you guys are so juvenile," she repeated slowly and loudly turning to face him.

Randy's jaw visibly tightened. She was different than anyone else in that locker room and that was a big part of what got to him. Everyone else respected him, feared him, basically bowed down to his very presence but not Memphis Kramer. She did what grown men twice her size didn't dare to do. She didn't take Randy Orton's bullshit. She talked back to him and looked him in the eye when she did so. She was unafraid and not intimidated. She was always prepared to call him out at any time and any place.

"You guys, huh?" Randy folded his arms. "That's a pretty biased and unfair generalization, I'd say."

"Whatever. I don't have time for this."

She turned to walk away but he took one step and blocked her path.

"Leaving so soon?"

Memphis rolled her eyes.

"I have a match to get ready for. Can you move out of my way?"

He looked her up and down like a piece of meat.

"What's the magic word?"

She matched his steely glare with her own.

"Now," she stated emphatically.

Gasps, mumurs, and muffled laughter came from the crowd of their peers. Randy narrowed his gaze.

"That wasn't very nice," he said in a low voice.

"I already asked you nicely to get out of my way. I'm done being nice, Orton."

"Fine," he put his hands up defensively. "You have to referee the main event and the dark match, right?"

"You know I do," she sighed.

"I see. So after the show is over, you'll probably call it a night and head back to the hotel, get a good night's rest before driving to San Antonio tomorrow."

Though treading carefully, Memphis ended up walking right into his trap.

"Actually, I am headed to San Antonio tonight but I don't really see where that is any of your business."

"It's not, you're right. Absolutely none of my business what you do after a show…what you do before a show. In fact, you're a very private, shall we say, person, isn't that right?"

"Orton…"

He picked up a soda bottle that he had been using to house the used tobacco juice that he had been chewing on ever since his own match. Spitting a wad of nasty brown liquid into it, his blue eyes never left hers.

"Private…yeah, that's you. Private or maybe it's anti social. It's just you and Phil against the world, huh?"

"I don't have time for this."

"You're in a rush," he set down the bottle. "Well, don't let me keep you. Wouldn't want to keep you from your matches, from your drive to San Antonio and uh…especially what happens once you get to San Antonio tonight."

"What's that?" Teddy, laughing, asked.

"Nothing too exciting," Randy shrugged. "It's just that our pal Memphis and her little weirdo boyfriend have a thing for late night workouts."

Memphis felt her blood run cold. Something about the sinister look in his eyes and the menancing tone in his voice told her that it was just more than him routinely trying to embarrass her. Late night workouts? He had to know but how?

"What are you talking about, man?" Teddy went on.

Randy smirked at him.

"Are you slow? Wait, don't answer that. Anyway, numb nuts, Phil and Memphis like to…"

"Stop it,"she stared at him. "Enough is enough."

Randy grabbed her by the shoulder and leaned in, whispering in her ear.

"I saw you that night. You dirty, fucking slut. I watched you fuck him right there in the hotel gym. I watched you suck his dick, I watched you letting him fuck you in plain sight in every position. I even watched you play with your pussy while he did it."

"Oh my God," she began to tremble all over. "You are sick."

Randy laughed out loud and began to speak in a voice where everyone could hear him again.

"You're just another pathetic whore working your way around the locker room. Visit enough gyms at three a.m. and eventually we'll all have a chance, guys."

Memphis stared at him in disbelief. She didn't know what to say…what to do, what to think, how to react. Randy Orton had done some pretty horrible things to her but this one took the cake. He had spied on her in the most intimate of had watched her have sex with another man. His admission and shit eating grin that accompanied made her sick to her stomach. He had violated her. Memphis had never felt so vulnerable and humilated in all her life.

"How could you?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Is that all you've got? Where's that big and bad mouth at now?"

Memphis was stunned. She was hurt. He had definetly struck a nerve. Is this what it had come to? They had never gotten along. They had been like oil and water from their very first meeting. It had all started with an innocent bump. She had simply walked into him and it had been an accident. Is that what had started this war, poured gasoline over a match that was already burning so brightly? It had escalated out of control, the entire situation. For months she had been a soldier. She had kept her head high and remained the bigger person. She had ignored it and when the time came, she had fought back when it was called for. She had done everything in her power hoping it would all just go away. But it hadn't. It had only gotten worse. From her clothing being stolen and destroyed, to lotion in the crotch of her underwear to dog crap in her purse. It hadn't stopped and it wasn't going to. Randy Orton was ruthless. He was demented and evil and for some reason fixated on her. It was too much. She had told everyone around her, told herself that she wouldn't let it, them, him get to her but in the end, she wasn't a super hero. She was a human being, a woman, a real person with real flaws and real feelings. And they had been hurt. Like it or not, Randy Orton had gotten the best of her.

"Leave her alone, Ran, I think she's gonna cry," DiBiase teased with a hearty laugh.

She stood there, feet planted firmly on the ground unable to move. Raw emotion consumed her. As she stood there shaking, she flinched when she saw the quick movement of Teddy coming towards her. Before she knew it, before any of them knew it, thanks to the junior DiBiase, the contents of Randy Orton's spit bottle were now splattered all over her shirt. She heard laughter and was sure it was Teddy, proud of his work and desperate for the approval of his hero and mentor, Randy Orton. Even Cody "Rhodes" Runnels may have chuckled but other than that, everyone else just looked horrified. Memphis stared down at her shirt. When she looked back up, she found herself doing the one thing she swore she would never do. She was crying. Crying in front of Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase, crying in front of all of them. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as she walked past the group. It was time for the match to start. The PA was saying she was needed at the ring at that very moment. There was nothing else she could do but walk past the Gorilla, past all the crew and a shocked Stu "Wade Barrett" Bennett and John Cena. With used tobacco all over her neatly pressed shirt, she walked almost trance like with dried tears on her face down the ramp. She climbed in the ring and waited for the bell, oblivious to all the whispers, gawking and stares, not even paying attention as a shocked and appalled Phil stared wordlessly at her from the broadcasting table.

The match began. It went off without a hitch, each wrestler expertly performing entertaining and spectacular spot after spot. Memphis did her job, keeping the kayfabe going and making sure that the match was good on time and that she communicated all the commands from the production office to the two opponents. She did it on instinct alone as her heart and mind were clearly elsewhere. She was in another world, her own world and moved about robotically through the two matches. Meanewhile backstage, the small crowd of onlookers had disbanded. The only two left were Orton and DiBiase. Still flying high from humilating Memphis just minutes earlier, Teddy moved about in a great mood, huge grin plastered across his handsome face. But his partner in crime, the reprehensible ring leader stood quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Normally it made him feel good when they did something bad to her but not this time. Something was different about this time and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was the look on her face, the look in her eyes, the one of deep and profound hurt. In that moment and every second thereafter he didn't just see her as his nemesis and adversary, he saw her as a real person. He saw her pain, pain that he was responsible for. As much as he fought it, as much as he hated to admit it, it bothered him, it touched him deeply. The last thing he felt was good about what they, he, had done.

The whole thing had been stupid. He had been mad at her and he had done terrible things to her out of his uncontrollable anger. He was used to getting what he wanted and treating people anyway he saw fit. Now he was getting a wake up call. The way she looked at him, the look on her face in that ring, the way she'd had to walk out looking like that in front of everybody. It was the product of Randy Orton's work but for the first time he didn't feel proud. He only felt shame. He was forced to look inside himself and ask a few important questions. Exactly what kind of sick fuck was he? What had made him tick? What had turned him to a monster? When had he succumbbed to such darkness? And why, just why had he gone too far?