TWENTY-EIGHT

MOLLY

Trixie was standing outside of Molly's hotel room when she opened the door. Keith was fully dressed after spending the night. Molly saw the look on Trixie's face when she saw him.

"Keith, it's girl time," Molly said.

"Oh, no... I can come back later," Trixie insisted.

"Your face says otherwise."

"You okay, Trickster?" Keith asked.

"I'm fine."

"She's good," Molly said. "I've got this."

Keith nodded. He hugged Trixie. He was about to hug Molly, but she kissed him. Trixie didn't seem surprised. When Molly finally pulled away, Keith reluctantly left.

"Finally," Trixie said.

"Finally what?" Molly asked.

"You two!" Trixie grinned at her. "Oh, come on, Molly. It's obvious how you guys feel about each other."

"Maybe I just wanted to make out with him. He's an Orton. They're good at that."

"Ewwww, that's my cousins and uncle you're talking about! I don't need to know if they're good kissers." Trixie laughed.

"But they are," Molly teased. "Well, Keith and Nicky anyway, but just look at Randy. The sexiness radiates off him. If he weren't with Corri, I'd hit that." Molly was only half-kidding. She'd had a crush on Randy before she knew what a crush was, but he'd become like an uncle to her and Corri had often filled in as her surrogate mother, so she would never cross that line.

"You are so bad!"

"Yep!" Molly said cheerfully. "So what's on your mind? I could see in your eyes you were here with a Bestie Crisis. What is it?"

"I..." Trixie sighed. "Things are weird, Molly. I had a fight with Brandon."

"What did Goat Junior do?"

"He just doesn't get me right now... I'm... different since everything happened."

"Trix, you were trapped in a room with an active shooter who tried to kill you, your mom, your uncle, and...and the Sire." Molly tried not to focus on that last part. "Of course you're different."

"He pretty much told me I should be fine... That I should go back to being Shiny, Happy Trixie... That no one I loved died-"

"He said what?!" Molly demanded. "That dumb little shit! Big Show fucking died! To save your mom, in front of your eyes! How clueless is he?"

"We were by the casket when he said that." Trixie looked like she might cry.

"I'm going to fuck that idiot up!"

"No... Don't, Molly. He just doesn't get it."

"He's being an ass!"

"He's a good guy. I love him... He loves me."

"Trix..." Molly could see how much that bastard had upset her best friend. All she wanted to do was stick a fork in him, but she hugged Trixie instead, because she knew she needed it. "Tragedy and stress are what bring out people's true colors, Trixie. Maybe the goat offspring is more like his egg donor and his incubator than you thought."

"But he's usually so sweet, Molly."

"He usually has a sweet, perky girlfriend who loves glitter and sparkles and sunshine. Your biggest issue used to be that you're a spaz... He could catch your arm, steady you, play the hero, and solve everything with his pretty boy smile... But Trix... You're a different person now. I hate that you had to see how ugly the world can get, but I can't change that. Maybe Brandon just can't handle you having a legitimate issue."

"He tried to stop me from walking away. He... he grabbed me."

"Grabbed you? You should have slapped him!"

"It's not a big deal. He wasn't trying to hurt me or anything. He just wanted me to calm down and listen to him... I was just too angry."

"He's being a dick. Dump him."

"There's more..."

"What else?"

"At Show's house... I stepped out to get air, and then... Forget it." Trixie looked embarrassed.

"Then what, Trix?" Molly asked gently.

"It's stupid... This car backfired. It was no big deal, but I... I thought..." She was shaking.

"You thought it was a gun," Molly guessed. Trixie nodded. Molly's heart broke seeing Trixie like that. "Oh, Trix... It's PTSD. It's completely normal."

"I freaked out... And Danny came over and calmed me down. He let me know it was just a car, and we were safe..." She shook her head.

"Danny? The same Danny who saved you from two nut jobs in as many days?"

"Yeah... He realized I flew into this massive panic and talked me down, and then he stayed with me, and we talked... And I told him about my mom..." Trixie looked close to tears. "It's bad, Molly. She won't eat or even really talk unless I beg her to, and she snapped at Mum, and she just goes off in her head all the time... I'm scared for her. And Danny gets it, and he was trying to comfort me, and he... Sort of..." She stared at her shoes. "Danny kissed me!"

Molly was genuinely surprised by this development, but it was certainly a welcome distraction from her own issues. "Wow," she said.

"And... um... I kind of liked it... I didn't stop him right away because I liked the kiss... But I love Brandon."

Molly wasn't sure if Trixie did love Brandon, but she certainly seemed attached to the idea of being his girlfriend. Right now, however, it sounded like Danny understood her more. Danny, the First-Class Jerk who'd tormented her had suddenly become her friend and protector. Trixie had that affect on people. Molly suspected her newly discovered sister would grow up to be just like Trixie, because she already affected people like that. They were the sort of people whose hearts were so pure, they transformed others into becoming better human beings. People like that should never be hurt, but both Randi and Trixie had been through horrible things. Randi was young and too innocent to understand what had happened to her, but Trixie was breaking... and it appeared that Danny, not Brandon, had the glue to put her back together.

"Maybe you should tell Brandon you don't want to be exclusive," Molly suggested. "See where things go with Danny."

"But we told our parents we were in love! I broke Mum's golden rule about not dating the spawn of a Bella... Mom and Bryan fought Mum and Brie on it so we could be together... It... It's supposed to be forever."

"Trix... You're eighteen. You're supposed to be stupidly impulsive when it comes to things like this. Brandon's, what, nineteen? You guys thought it was love because you're both romantic geeks... And maybe it is, but until you're sure, you shouldn't rule out the possibility of others."

"I have to tell him about the kiss. Honesty's important..."

"So tell him. Just take it a step at a time. If you guys are meant to be together, you'll figure that out."

"Thanks... I just knew you'd be the only one who'd understand this."

"I'm here for you, Trix."

"I know. I'm here for you, too."

"I'm okay... Freaked out about things, but trying to deal... Keith helps. A lot. And knowing the Sire is okay helps, too."

"But you're still having issues," Trixie guessed.

"Yeah... But we all are. I think I'm doing better than some of the others."

"You're stronger."

"I'm just so fucked up in the head that it's easier for me to understand that shit like this happens sometimes." She hugged Trixie again. "Go talk to Brandon."

"Okay," Trixie agreed. She left and Molly hoped she'd be okay. She also hoped that either Brandon got his act together or Danny won the war for Trixie's heart.

Something good needs to come from this, she thought. Maybe that's a better relationship for Trixie, maybe not... But something has to happen. There had to be a reason for this... Otherwise the world just sucks, and even though I'm pretty sure it does, I don't want that to be true for the few people that still see the good in it...

She texted her Sire that she was coming by for lunch, then texted Keith where she would be. Walking through the hallway by herself, Molly felt exposed. She wished she'd waited for Keith to come meet her. That was an unfamiliar sensation. She was fiercely independent and always had been, but she hadn't gone anywhere alone since the shooting.

"Hey, Molly," a voice greeted her. She jumped.

Lucas, she registered. It's just Lucas. Relax.

"Hey," she said casually.

Lucas seemed to sense her thoughts. "Want some company?" He asked.

"I'm going to see the Sire."

"I'll walk with you. I've got some down time and wouldn't mind having someone to talk to."

Molly considered refusing his offer, but company honestly sounded like a good thing. "Sure, that's cool," she said calmly. Inside, she was full of gratitude. Without making her feel pathetic, Lucas had solved the problem of her being too nervous to walk alone.

He fell in step beside her and made easy small talk. Molly relaxed as they headed toward her Sire's room, and Lucas stayed with her until she was safely inside.

TRIXIE

Brandon was laughing with Gabe when Trixie found him. He smiled at her like nothing had happened. "Can we talk?" She asked.

"Those words are never good," Gabe said cheerfully. "Good luck, Brandon. Remember, whatever you did, you're sorry and she's right!" He laughed as he walked away.

"What's up, Trixie?" Brandon asked.

"I... um..." Trixie sighed. "I know I flipped out on you yesterday, but you really upset me."

"I know... I'm a total bonehead. Of course you're upset about Show... I just hate seeing you so lost in darkness. That's not you."

"It is me right now, Brandon. That's what you don't get. I can't be that innocent little girl anymore, not after what we just lived through... It was too much."

"I know, Trix. I get it. I was there, too. But I'm trying not to dwell on it. You're alive and so am I, and that's what matters."

"You were there, but you don't get it. He never fired a shot at you. Your parents weren't there. Your aunt almost got shot, but you still don't get it." She shook her head. "Brandon, I need space. I... I think I want to open up our relationship a little."

"What? You're joking, right?" He looked hurt and she wanted to take it back, but then he added, "You're being ridiculous. We need to stay closer to each other right now, not 'open things up.' What does that even mean? It's like you're a different person."

"Exactly! I am a different person!"

"No, you're not."

"I kissed Danny!" She blurted out.

Brandon suddenly looked like he was another person as pure rage flashed on his face. "What?!" He demanded.

Trixie shrank slightly at his anger. "He kissed me, but I let him... I stopped him, but not as quickly as I should have, and I came here to tell you the truth, because the truth is all I have left."

Brandon grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. "How could you?" He demanded.

"Brandon, stop! I'm sorry, alright? I know I messed up, but I'm trying to do the right thing now."

"It's a little late for that!" He was still gripping her arms. It hurt, so Trixie finally pulled away violently to free herself.

"I know... That's why I want to open things up. I love you... but I'm confused, and until I figure out how I feel, I'm not being fair to you."

"None of this is fair to me... But it's not your fault. That asshole Danny confused you. He took advantage of you because you're not yourself."

"I'm not some kid he's manipulating-"

"Yes, you are!"

"Is that really how you see me? Brandon, I'm eighteen. I make my own choices."

"I know, but he still took advantage of your grief... Forget it. I love you, Trixie. We'll work this out, but now, I need space." He walked away.

Trixie's heart ached. She hated that she'd hurt him, but at the same time, he was being a jerk. After several minutes of debating with herself, she decided to go back home. She didn't make it that far.

There was a struggle. She could see Danny and Brandon beating the hell out of each other. "Stop it!" Trixie shouted in horror.

Danny immediately looked at her and put his hands down. Brandon, however, kept throwing punches. "Brandon, stop!" Trixie cried out again. "Leave him alone! He's not fighting back!"

Brandon ignored her, so Trixie rushed to him, trying to pull him off of Danny. Brandon pushed her off of himself violently, but he didn't stop, so she tried again. One of his punches flew back and hit her hard in her stomach. Trixie lost her footing and stumbled backward, hitting the wall full force.

Everything was fuzzy for a moment. She could hear Danny shouting her name. Something wet dripped down her head. She touched it and her hand came away red.

Blood, she registered. You're bleeding.

"Trixie... Oh my God!" Brandon said. "I... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... It was an accident!"

Trixie tried to regain her focus. She slowly stood up on her own. Then she looked at Brandon as blood fell down her face and said, "We're done."

"W-what?" He asked.

"You just ended our relationship."

"Trixie! I said I was sorry. It was an accident! I didn't do this on purpose."

"But you did beat the crap out of someone who wasn't fighting back and you did hit me when I tried to stop you... And I am not going to stay with someone whose temper is so bad that they hit blind rages and don't care who gets hurt."

"Trix, you're being unreasonable!"

"No, I'm not." She tried to walk away. That was when Brandon grabbed her arm. He grabbed her so hard, it hurt. He'd grabbed her twice before, but this time was the worst. She knew in that moment that, until then, she had never met the real Brandon Danielson.

"Let her go," Danny said sharply.

"Stay the hell out of this, Huber! She's my girlfriend!" Brandon said.

"Not anymore," Trixie said firmly.

"Trix-"

"You heard her. Let her go, asshole. You're hurting her," Danny said.

Brandon glared at him. He pulled Trixie closer, still not letting go. She felt something shift painfully, a bone that had too much pressure on it. If this went on any longer, it might break. She was one hundred percent done with this. She pulled her arm away.

That was when Keith and Nicky walked by. Upon seeing Trixie bleeding, they both immediately turned toward Danny. "What the fuck did you do?" Keith demanded.

"It wasn't him!" Trixie shouted.

Keith immediately tried to check her head, but she pulled away. "Did you trip?" He finally asked.

"I-it was an accident," Trixie said. "They were fighting. I tried to break it up, and Danny stopped, but Brandon didn't, so I grabbed him, and he hit me, but it was an accident..." Things were turning fuzzy again. Trixie couldn't figure out what to do or say.

Keith tensed in anger. "Brandon did this? I'm gonna kill you, you son of a-"

But Nicky beat Keith to it. He was on Brandon before anyone saw it coming. He was throwing punches harder than Trixie had ever seen before. He beat on him like a wild animal.

"Nicky!" Trixie cried in horror. "Nicky, stop!"

Nicky ignored her request, replying, "You're bleeding!"

Keith tried to stop his brother, but Brandon hit him, and now both of her cousins were beating on her now ex-boyfriend. "Stop it!" Trixie screamed, but it was like no one heard her. She couldn't breathe. She took off running, ignoring Danny as he called after her.

KEITH

This son of a bitch had made his baby cousin bleed. He had to pay. The only problem was, Nicky was taking it too far. He might actually beat the kid to death.

"Nicky, enough," Keith said.

"No! He hurt her!" Nicky shouted.

"Nick! Knock it off! You're gonna kill the guy!"

"So what? He deserves it!" Nicky was still throwing punch after punch. Keith had never seen his brother lose it so badly. Sure, he'd beaten up Danny when Danny started picking on Trixie, but this was different. It was like he couldn't stop himself.

"Nicky, stop!" Keith pulled him off of Brandon. That was when he registered Danny had disappeared.

"Let go of me!" Nicky shouted.

"No. Calm your ass down, Nicky! You're going too far!"

"He went too far! He hurt Trix!"

"I know, but getting arrested for murder won't fix anything!"

Nicky pulled away from Keith and started swinging again. Keith couldn't believe this was his little brother. Nicky had never been prone to violent outbursts before. The only time he'd seen him go so far into a blind rage was the night he'd been drunk and Danny upset Trixie. This was about ten times as bad as that had been.

If it wasn't Nicky, I'd guess this was 'roid rage, Keith thought, but it was Nicky, and there was no way he was on steroids. Their father had drilled into their heads how dangerous steroids were. Both brothers were too terrified to ever touch them.

Keith was about to try to grab Nicky again when someone else did. "Nicky!" Molly cried out in shock. "Nicky, stop!"

Nicky hesitated. He looked up at Molly. "He deserves it," he said.

"What the fuck is going on?" Molly demanded.

"He hurt Trix! Her head's cracked open!"

Rage flashed on Molly's face. Keith was worried she was going to tell Nicky it was a good idea to kill Brandon. Instead, she said, "Where is she?"

"She ran off... Nicky wouldn't stop with the beatdown and she freaked out," Keith said.

"Go find her."

"He needs to pay," Nicky protested.

"Nicky. I've got this. Go find Trixie." Molly had a look Keith knew too well. He'd seen it a few times over the years, whenever Ginny had a bad date and came around covered in bruises. Ginny's boyfriends never came around again after Molly "handled" them.

"Go," Molly said again.

"Don't get arrested," Keith said.

"No promises." She kissed him.

Keith led Nicky away. He saw the blood on his brother's hands. "Jeez, Nick..." He mumbled. Then he realized not all of the blood was Brandon's. Nicky had beaten the guy so hard, his own knuckles had bled. They couldn't go after Trixie with Nicky like that. Shaking his head, he led Nicky to his room and cleaned off his hands. He treated the cuts so they would heal and not get infected, then bandaged Nicky's hand.

"You want me to stay with you tonight?" Keith asked. He'd been spending all of his time with Molly, but it appeared his little brother needed him now.

"I'm okay," Nicky said. He sounded calmer now.

"Nick... You could have killed him."

"He could have killed her. It was karma."

"She said it was an accident."

"It doesn't matter." Nicky yawned. "I'm exhausted. I need a nap."

"I could stay... Just to make sure you sleep alright," Keith offered.

Nicky smiled slightly. "I'm a big boy now, Keith. You don't need to babysit me. I'm fine."

"If you're sure..."

"I'm sure. Go find Trixie."

Keith nodded. "If you need anything, call me. Try to get some rest."

"I will."

Keith left the room and tried to shift his focus on to finding his cousin.

NICKY

Get some rest? No way, Nicky thought. That was the last thing he wanted, but he was shaking and the panic was starting to hit again, and he needed to get that under control. He pulled out the Xanax and Adderall. Less than half the pills were left. Nicky started to panic. He was going to run out of medication way before he was supposed to. He took two Xanax and an Adderall and tried to calm his rising panic.

He walked out of the room and headed to where he knew Dr. Cove was working. He waited until he finished talking to someone on the phone, then knocked.

"Nicky," Dr. Cove greeted him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Nicky lied. Then, he told a bigger lie. "Only, I have a problem. Most of the medication you gave me was in a bag I checked and the airline lost it. I would have come sooner, but, well... With the shooting and all..."

"Of course." Dr. Cove nodded. "These things happen. Keep it in your carry-on next time, okay?" He scribbled on his pad and gave Nicky two new prescriptions.

That was easy, Nicky thought. He was relieved to know he had a new supply. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem..." He waved Nicky off.

Nicky went to the nearest pharmacy to fill the prescription. He clung to the bottles and told himself everything would be okay.

MOLLY

She'd introduced Brandon to her fork. Repeatedly. She wanted to kill him, but she knew that would be too much for Trixie. Instead, she taught him why she scared people so much. Brandon had tried to defend himself and insisted it was all Danny's fault. As he rambled, Molly realized that Danny had stopped when Trixie showed up. And seeing as how he was missing in action, she suspected he'd been the only one whose main concern was making sure Trixie was okay instead of beating up the guy who'd hurt her. That earned him some major brownie points in her book.

She didn't stop until security showed up. She refused to tell them the Orton boys had been involved and took the blame herself. She hoped the Sire would forgive her when she ended up in jail again.

Before the police were called, however, security called Paul. To Molly's shock, in spite of his leave of absence, he came. "Oh, Molly," he said with a sigh.

"Yes, Dickface?" She asked innocently.

"Why?"

"He hurt Trixie. Physically. I was angry."

Paul looked pretty angry himself at this news. She explained what she knew. He listened, then made a phone call. Five minutes later, Bryan stood before her.

"Explain?" He asked.

"Your offspring cracked my best friend's head open" Molly said bluntly.

"He did what?"

"He hit her. Accidentally or not, he did, and she got hurt."

"Brandon!" Bryan said. "I taught you better than to hit a girl!"

"But Dad, I didn't mean to-" Brandon argued.

"I don't care what you meant to do! There is no excuse for that! I'm disappointed in you. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Molly could tell that stung. Good, she thought.

"I'm sorry, Dad... But Molly tried to kill me!" Brandon argued.

"You're lucky I don't try to kill you for this!" Bryan said firmly.

"I want to press charges-"

"Oh no. There will be none of that! You hit a girl! Molly is right to be furious." Bryan pulled Brandon up by his ear like he was eight and dragged him away.

"I think he's grounded," Molly said with a laugh.

"This is bad... We don't tolerate domestic violence in the company," Paul said.

The wheels in Molly's head began turning. "I have an idea for Creative," she said.

"Shane's in charge right now, not me. Talk to him."

"I will." Molly got in touch with Shane and they met up an hour later. After explaining what had happened, Molly listened to Shane's reply.

"Damnit... He's the Golden Child, the promised son of Brie Bella and Bryan Danielson," Shane said. "We can't just fire him..."

"Anger management... In-patient."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"Tell him it's that or he gets fired."

Shane paused. "It's unusual behavior for him... The trauma of the shooting may have pushed him over the edge."

"See? In-patient therapy is a good idea."

"How do we explain this without the fans turning on us?"

"Simple." Molly smiled at her plan. "New Legacy is on top of the roster right now. We're undefeated. I want him humiliated, Shane. I want to have him lose and have Keith kick him out because of it."

"Molly, none of you are even back at work except for Lucas and Brandon."

"We'd all go back to help Trixie."

"Tell me more."

"We can have, I don't know... Lucas and Brandon tagging, and have them lose because someone comes out and beats Brandon up. A low-carder. And Keith kicks him out for being beaten by someone so seemingly insignificant... Then we bring that same low-carder into New Legacy to take his place."

"New Legacy is made up of legacies, Molly. We can't let just anyone join."

"Well, he is a legacy, Shane."

"Who is?"

"Danny ."

"Danny who?"

"Huber."

Shane seemed to be trying to figure out who she meant. "Huber... Luke Harper's kid?"

"Summer Rae's kid," Molly corrected him. "Danny never publicly claimed who his parents were on screen. We don't have to bill him as Harper's."

"Molly, Danny Huber was low-carded for a reason. He has a major temper problem. He's a public relations nightmare waiting to happen. We can't afford any more bad press."

"He's different with Trixie. He saved her life. Twice. And while Brandon the Junior Goat was busy beating the shit out of him and ignoring Trixie's pleas for him to stop, Danny stopped."

"Okay, fine. I can appreciate that, but he can't be in New Legacy."

"He has just as much right to be there as any of us do."

"The fans barely remember his mother... I'm not trying to be unkind, but Summer Rae is irrelevant. Harper is a much bigger name, but we can't use him. Not now. Danny will never get over with fans as a legacy."

"He will if you write him as Trixie's protector. Everyone loves Trix. She's his ticket to getting over."

"Protector? From what?"

"Brandon."

"Kayfabe? Like we work in their issues?" Shane paused, then something seemed to click. "We could do another Tyson Kidd and Nattie angle... He loses, he blames her, he's an ass, it gets physical... She's the company sweetheart, just like Nattie was. It could work... I like it. Talk to the others. If they all agree to come back, we'll make it happen."

Molly smiled. "I knew you'd like my idea. I'll make it happen. We'll all agree... For Trixie." She knew it was true.

TRIXIE

She was dizzy and still bleeding a bit as she collapsed on the outside of the fountain she'd run to. Trixie had always found that fountain soothing, and she desperately needed it now.

She didn't feel any shock when someone sat beside her, and she knew who it was without looking up. "Danny..." she said softly.

Danny tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. He looked at her head and whispered, "God, Trixie..." Then, in one swift motion, he pulled off his t-shirt. Trixie was very confused as she looked at his topless body. Even with a head injury, she took in how muscular Danny was without a shirt on. She also noticed several old scars and a couple of new bruises.

Things began making more sense as he ran the shirt under the fountain water before applying some pressure to her head. It hurt, but she knew it was necessary. The bleeding stopped quickly, and Danny wet the shirt again before wiping away some of the blood on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You aren't the one who should apologize," Trixie replied. She felt tears in her eyes as she noticed her arm had a hand-shaped bruise forming. "I thought I loved him... I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot. You're a girl who happened to fall for a dick. That's not your fault. You can't help who you fall for."

She leaned her head against his bare shoulder. Her stroked her hair. "It's okay," he said gently. She allowed him to comfort her until she felt better.

"Can you take me home?" She asked.

"You should see a doctor first," he replied.

"I'm okay."

"Trixie... Your head was bad. Concussions suck and are dangerous if not taken care of."

She nodded. He was right. "Okay... Stay with me?"

"Sure. I owe you company for a hospital visit anyway."

She felt safer with Danny by her side. The doctors checked her out. After a couple of hours, they decided she had a mild concussion, but nothing serious. They told her to wait twenty-four hours before returning to the ring.

Not a problem, she thought. She wondered if she'd ever be ready to go back, especially now that her stablemate was her ex-boyfriend.