title: Unexpected Redemption
author: Tempest
email: tempest@thatbitch.com
disclaimer: I don't own any persons or personas recognizable from the WWFE. They are owned by Vince McMahon, Titan Sport, and whoever else. I don't make any money off these works. This is strictly for entertainment purposes only. No copytight infringement intended.
author's notes: Based around 11/29 Smackdown. :D I thought the whole Kane sitting Lita back on the rope after she attempted the hurricarana on him was insanely cute. My ending sucks, but hey can't win them all. :D

* * * * *

"Look at everything I've done for the team..."

Those words stuck in Lita's mind as she made her way to the ring with the Hardy's. Matt and Jeff were about to face Kane and The Big Show for number one contendership for the tag team titles. Over the past couple of weeks, Matt had become increasingly annoying. His ego had suddenly started to rival Christian's. He also seemed to take comfort in blaming his brother, Jeff, for things. Everything lately had become Jeff's fault. Lita had stayed out of it at first, who was she to interfere with a family affair? But then she came to the conclusion that it was more of a team affair since it effected them as a whole. She started to take up for Jeff much to Matt's chagrin. Lita and Matt had many arguements in private about her taking Jeff's side over his, but all she was doing was standing up for what was right. No matter how much he didn't want to admit it, Matt was being unreasonable.

What had he done for the team,exactly? She didn't really see any evidence of his superb leadership skills. He had botched more than a few matches up including her title match against Trish and Jeff's match against Christian. There were a lot of small things that could have been avoided, but just the same they had cost them matches. Was that what he had to contribute to the team? Somehow, he always managed to blame someone else for his mistakes. She snapped out of her thoughts as Kane's music blared through the arena. Matt had scheduled this match. *Kane and The Big Show, this should be fun. Smart one, Matt.* She thought sarcastically as Kane made his way to the ring. The Big's show music started up and Jeff, Matt, and Lita cleared the ring. The match started with Matt and Kane facing off. Matt looked ridiculously small compared to Kane.

As the match wore on, Lita started to muse on the two men Matt and Jeff were facing. The Big Show thought he was a lady's man. No diva was safe from his corny pick-up lines and atrocious breath. The women all but ran from him when they saw him coming their way. Lita remembered and encounter she had not to long ago with him.

"If I told you that you had a nice body would you hold it against me?" Show said to Lita after cornering her in the hall.

"Nice one, Show." Lita said rolling her eyes at him. When was the last time she had heard that 7th grade, perhaps? She walked around him and made her way up the hallway.

"You didn't answer my question." He called after her. She ignored him and kept on her way. Most of the women didn't humor him with an answer. There were a polite few who did like Molly, who was no longer with them - not that Lita particularly cared. Then there were some women who told him where he could shove his pickup lines like Jackie, who had told Big Show in no particular terms to go fuck himself.

Kane was a different story. She didn't know much about him. He wasn't a very sociable person, he rarely talked. In fact, she never saw him until it was time for his matches. She wondered what kind of person he really was. What had he done before the WWF? What would he do after? Where had he been? What places had he seen? He was mysterious in a way that intrigued her. It was rare to see him without his brother. Now that The Undertaker had turned heel, where did that leave Kane? He was a powerful wrestler. While Matt's high flying aerial assaults presented a problem for Kane, they weren't nearly as devastating as Kane's power attacks. She watched in fascination as Kane shrugged off most of Matt's blows.

Things turned into chaos as Matt and Jeff teamed up on Kane. The Big show stormed into the ring to help his fallen comrade. Matt and Jeff went for the double suplex, but either they forgot how big The Big Show really was or they were just plain crazy. The Big Show blocked it and suplexed the two men like it was nothing. Then, Show went to hit the Matt and Jeff, but fell outside the ring. *How graceful, Show.* Lita thought as a laugh threatened to boil over. Kane then started working on the Hardy's. Lita saw that as her oppurtunity to help her team out. She climed the ropes dutifully and waited for Kane to get into the right position. When he got just where she wanted him, she jumped on him attemptin a hurricarana. It was unsuccessful though. What in her right mind made her think she could have actually pulled that off?

He caught her and sat her safely back on the ropes. Lita stared at him astonished, she had been afraid that he was going to powerbomb her. He pulled away from her not saying a word. Then the next thing she knew she was flipping over the turn buckle.

"Shit." She cursed as she hit the floor hard.

She wasn't sure how the match ended, but she knew that Kane and The Big Show had came out victorious. They were going on for tag team glory while Matt nursed his wounded pride. Matt and Jeff helped her backstage. She told them she didn't need to see an EMT. Once they entered into the dressing room. Matt immediately started berating Jeff for causing Kane to knock Lita over the ropes. So, that's what happened.

Matt and Jeff argued more as she rubbed her neck. She was tiring of them arguing. Then something happened that she would have never expected. Jeff challenged Matt to a match at Vengence, and Matt accepted. What the hell was going on? Were their problems that irreconcilable? Jeff stormed out the room leavimg Matt and Lita alone.

"What a loser." Matt said trying to comfort Lita.

"Matt, you and your brother are about to go one on one with each other at Vengence. Now isn't the time for you ego to get in the way. He's your brother not soome loser you just happened to meet. He's your family, he's your blood. What the hell are you doing?"

"So, you're taking his side again. I should have known that you would." Matt complained planting a fist in one of of the lockers.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. You've been hard on him these last few weeks. You're forgetting that this is a team, not Matt Hardy's ego trip. I've never seen you act so selfish." Lita said calmly. His face turned a bright shade of red. She knew things were going to turn ugly if one of them didn't leave. "Look, I'm going outside to get some air."

She left out of the room. She heard a loud crash come from the room, she shook her head sadly. So, what was the fate of Team Extreme now? She walked outside the arena. She pondered over the events of the night. The person who overshadowed all her thoughts was Kane. He hadn't been the cold uncaring machine, she thought he was. He had taken his time to pick her up and sit her gently back on the turnbuckle. She even felt him pat her leg as if to applaud her efforts to try and take him down. She could still feel his the heat from his touch. It sent goosebumps up her spine. She wondered what it would be like him and her alone, naked. Her tanned skin contrasting with his beautiful smooth pale skin, his huge arm encasing her, they're bodies bonding together as one, trascending the boundaries of love and time.

She wondered what he looked like behind the mask. Had Tori seen his face during the time that they were together? What had she thought of it? Did it make a big difference to her? She knew that he had been burned as a child, so he hid his face ashamed. She wondered what it would be like to touch the rough crevices of his scars tenderly, running her fingers softly along the ridges and valleys. What was she thinking? Where had these thoughts come from? What happened in there was nothing more than a kind gesture from someone who had been labeled a monster. He wasn't a monster, though. Would a monster have given a second thought to her well being? She hugged herself and walked back towards the arena. Time to go back in and get caught up in the team drama, again. She sighed angrily. She was just sick of it all.

She saw a hulking figure standing in the shadows making her forget about her problems with Matt and Jeff. Kane. His back was turned towards her. She chewed on her lip as she tried to decide what to do. Should she just go back in the arena or should she talk to him. Her heart told her one thing, her mind told her another. Matt would be furious, if he caught her talking to Shane. But if she didn't talk to him, how would she ever get to know him? She walked over to Kane, slowly.

"Kane?" She said putting a hand on his arm. He jumped, obviously surprised by her being there. She tilted her head and smiled at him. Forget Matt, she was going to follow her heart, and her heart was telling her to get to know Kane.