I learn to live alone and move on with my life.
There's a million things that I can do to occupy my time.
I can wake each morning, I can go about my day
I can bumble through my words until I find a few to say.
But the hardest thing I've had to do since we been apart
Is learning how to deal with all this pain inside my heart.
'Cuz I…

Chorus:
Don't know how
Don't know how
Don't know how not to love you
I don't know how
Don't know how
Don't know how not to love you

I can work all day or I can hang out every night.
I can do the wrong things and pretend that they're all right.
I can make believe that every thing is cool
And put on the face that covers up the lies of a fool
But I…

Chorus

You said that time would ease the pain
But I still hear your voice whisper my name.
Since you've been gone my world stands still.
You said I'd forget, but I never will.

Chorus

I can write a song to make the whole world laugh or cry.
I can use some words to paint a vivid picture in your mind.
I can use my hands to wipe the dust off this guitar
And let the music that I'm playing take my mind off my heart.
But I…

Chorus

You said that time would ease the pain
But I still hear your voice whisper my name.
Since you've been gone my world stands still.
You said I'd forget, but I never will.

Chorus 2X


Dave stood watching Randy and his new friends. Regal, Benoit and Shelton were all standing with him with their heads bent together talking. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was being said. The question was did the others really have Randy's best interests at heart? He couldn't stop worrying about Randy. He couldn't stop thinking about him or yearning for him or needing him. With every day that passed the mistakes he had made became clearer and clearer and yet every second he spent with Paul compounded each one of them. It was like some vicious cycle. He'd lost Randy because he'd done Paul's dirty work for him. He lay awake every night because he didn't have Randy with him. Yet every time Paul came up with a plan he went along with it because he didn't see anything left for him, which just led him back to the reason he'd lost Randy to begin with.

"They are watching you," Ric said coming up behind Dave. "You better be careful during your match tonight." Dave didn't even bother responding. He didn't even care anymore. He deserved whatever they dished out. He deserved whatever pain Randy inflicted. He deserved his trip to nothingness. He deserved his emptiness and loneliness. Getting up Dave walked off not knowing eyes followed him.

"Are you here or off with that fuckin' oaf?" Shelton asked angrily and Randy turned his eyes to Shelton. He hadn't liked him when they were in OVW. He hadn't liked them when they were on Smackdown. He hadn't liked him when he was in Evolution. He didn't like him now. Regal he respected and valued his knowledge of Paul. Benoit he respected for what he had accomplished in his career, but none of them were friends, none of them were lovers, none of them offered the connection he'd had in Evolution.

Not bothering to respond to Shelton Randy walked off ignoring the calls from Regal and Benoit. Walking past Ric he ignored the smug look on his face trying to resist the urge to punch him. Alone he made his way out to the ring knowing that the practice sessions were over and there would be no one there. Getting in he walked around the edge running a hand over the ropes thinking. He knew that look on Dave's face. He knew the pain his former lover was suffering. He just had no clue what to do about it.

"You know that's a heavy load you're carrying," Randy heard and turning saw Shawn Michaels perched on one of the turn buckles. "You should feel more at ease now that you have people watching your back and yet some how you look more miserable than ever." Randy didn't bother responding. He had never been one to try and hide his thoughts, which was one of the reasons tricking Paul the night the older man had demanded him to turn over the belt had been so easy. Everyone in the back knew that he was miserable, but most of them didn't know why. They assumed that he was upset over losing his belt. They were mostly fools.

Shawn sighed and hopped down crossing the ring to where Randy was standing. "You know the happiest time in my life was in DX with Paul. No matter how many friends I have made since none of them can compare to what we had. Paul and Joanie and myself were this unstoppable force not because of our scheming or cheating but because we had this… connection that you don't find every day. No matter how it ended or what has happened between me and Paul since I miss what we had, I miss that connection I had in DX."

Randy found himself nodding as he watched the older man. "I keep thinking that I am gonna spend the rest of my life wondering what if…" Shawn nodded sighing. "Kid I do that every day. I wonder what if my back hadn't quit. What if I had paid more attention to his career? What if I had stayed a little longer? What if's will kill ya slowly and painfully. They will eat at your gut and steal your good memories." Randy nodded again before asking the question he had yet to decide how to answer. "So what do I do now?"

Shawn sighed and looked around to ensure they were still around before continuing. "You have an advantage that I didn't. I mean let's face it. It isn't really Paul or Ric you miss and Evolution wouldn't hold such a draw if it wasn't for Dave. So you have to decide what he means to you. What is he worth? Is he more important than your career and getting the belt back or is your career more important than anything else?"

Randy looked off at some point beyond Shawn as he answered the question. "Before I met Dave my whole life was about my career and making my daddy and granddaddy proud of me. I wanted to make sure that everyone would know the name Orton, but now… The moment I met Dave things changed, my focus shifted, my heart wanted something else. I mean don't get me wrong… I still wanted my career and my belt and to have my family remembered along with the Harts and the Guerrero's, but… I wanted him with me. I wanted success for him as bad as myself. I wanted his name to be as important as mine. I wanted the gold around his waist as much as mine. I wanted his time in the spotlight. I wanted… Damnit I wanted it to be about US. You know Paul is a fool."

Shawn snorted and shrugged. "Tell me something I don't know." Randy nodded. "I would have given him that belt in a second if it meant he'd let Dave free from Evolution. Now he's pissed me off so not only am I gonna take my motherfuckin' belt back, but I'm gonna steal his Enforcer right from under his nose." Shawn smirked at the determination on Randy's eyes. "Have your cake and eat it to, Kid?" Randy shrugged. "If I can and if not I will just fuckin' steal his Enforcer and watch someone else steal the belt. Every fuckin' day I watch Dave die a little more inside. I can see it in his eyes. I can tell by the way he acts in the ring and does Paul's little deeds. I can't let Paul kill who he is. Paul doesn't deserve that power."

Shawn nodded smiling softly. "How are you gonna accomplish this?" Randy sighed shrugging again. "Well there is only so much I can do right now. I mean I gotta idea, but I don't know how to do it. Even if it works though I can't do anything unless…" Randy looked down at the ring. "I mean he didn't believe in me man. Fuck his siding with Paul. He didn't think I could do it. He didn't think I was good enough. He… he didn't believe in me man." Shawn watched Randy sympathetically. "I know. But you gotta remember that he was under Paul's spell if you will. If Paul is the King of the World, not to steal CJ's gimmick, but if he is and he can't beat Benoit then neither can you. You can't look at it like through your eyes instead you need to look at it through his. I mean hell you're third generation and you still got caught by Paul. Someone like Dave who is walking into this just some fan don't stand a chance. It wasn't really a matter of he didn't believe IN you it was just more of he was too blinded by Paul to think anyone could do something Paul couldn't."

Randy considered Shawn's words then smiled. "I don't suppose you have the stroke to get a match made for me do ya? CJ is willing." Shawn raised an eyebrow intrigued and nodded led Randy to the back.

Later that night Dave walked into his room without bothering to turn on the lights and crawled into bed pulling the covers over his head. Closing his eyes he pulled a memory of Randy up and clutching the covers pretended that he was sleeping and ignored the pain in his heart and the tears on his cheek. He was dying without Randy and he knew it. He knew it and didn't have any way to fix it. So instead he lay in the bed he would not find sleep in and remembered all the things he would never have again.

Read Story #3 Rescue Me