Title: Time and Tide (1/1)

Author: AngelicTorture.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one you recognise.

Distribution: Litafics on LJ. anyone else, ask and you shall receive.

Rating: PG13

Pairing: Lita?

Notes: this was inspired by a 2 second shot from the Dr Who episode Doomsday. Thanks to Kristi for proving it wasn't just me this idea made sense to. I blame the angstyness of this on Evanescence; I was listening to them on a loop when I wrote it.

Summery: Why was she standing on a beach in the freezing cold? For him of course…

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Lita walked slowly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. It was cold today, far too cold for her to be here, on a beach at this time of year. The redhead looked around but wasn't surprised not to see him yet, in fact she wouldn't be too surprised if he didn't show up at all. She smiled a little as her Labrador, Bracken tried to chase the waves, not that there were many of those, the water stretching out in front of her looked calm.

It had been a year since she'd last seen him but she still remembered every word he said, the look in his eyes when she told him she was leaving, the way he begged her to change his mind. Eventually she'd agreed to meet him here, exactly one year from that day.

Flashback

Lita's hands were shaking as she made her way to his hotel room. She'd already said goodbye to everyone else, but she couldn't put this off any longer. They hadn't been together long, only for a few months but she knew he was already head over heels for her and if she was honest with herself so was she but she was leaving.

She'd seen so many relationships like theirs break under this kind of strain, as much as people tried to kid themselves everyone knew long distance relationships rarely worked and she couldn't put him through the pain of finding out theirs wasn't going to work.

She took a deep breath and knocked quietly on his door. She heard the lock click before he pulled the door open.

"Hey Red" he grinned and kissed her cheek while her heart broke.

"Hi baby…can I come in?"

"You know you don't have to ask babe…" he stepped aside and let her into the room.

"Baby, sit down, I need to talk to you…" she said barely above a whisper.

He sat down on the bed, the redhead sitting next to him.

"Have you got everything ready for tomorrow?" he asked.

Lita sighed, not wanting to say what she had to say.

"Baby…I've been thinking a lot these past few weeks, about us…what's gonna happen to us…"

"I know it's gonna be difficult at first Li but we'll get used to it…" he said, a hint of desperation in his voice like he knew what she was about to say.

"No baby…we won't. I can't do it…I can't be with you if I'm never gonna see you…"

"Li, I'll make time for you…whenever I have time off I'll spend it with you"

"When was the last time you took time off? I know what your schedule's like, that isn't gonna get any less busy after I leave…" tears were shining in the soon to be former divas eyes.

"No Li, I promise we can make it work…please Li…I love you, please don't give up on us…"

"I'm not giving up on us…I'm just being realistic…there's still so many amazing things you're gonna do in your career…you don't need me waiting at home for you…holding you back…" she felt tears spill down her cheeks.

"None of these amazing things are gonna mean a thing if you aren't there to share them with me…why are you doing this to me Li?" he asked, almost pleading with her.

She couldn't look at him, didn't want to see the tears she knew were streaming down his face; she didn't want to know this was hurting him even though she could hear it in his voice.

"I'm doing this for you baby…because I love you…"

"If you loved me you wouldn't be breaking up with me…"

The redhead stood up to leave, a barely muffled sob escaping her lips as he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Please don't go Li…"

Hazel eyes looked into sad blue.

"I have to…" she whispered.

"No you don't…you don't have to go, you don't have to leave me…but if you really want to go then I guess I cant stop you…" he let go of her hand.

"I'm so sorry baby…I do love you…" she sobbed as she started to walk to the door.

"Li…do one thing for me, please?"

She sighed and nodded.

"Meet me, exactly one year from now, this exact time on our beach…if you can look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me, you don't feel anything for me, that you haven't thought about me every day then I guess we'll both know we weren't meant to be together…"

She nodded again, taking one last look at him before leaving his room.

End of flashback

She hadn't even spoken to him again since that day but she'd done as he asked; now she just had to wait for him. She threw Bracken's ball for him and checked her watch before she heard his soft voice behind her.

"Li?"

She turned and looked at the man she hadn't seen in a year, the man she had never stopped loving, the man who'd been in her thoughts constantly for 365 days.

"John…"

"I love you Li…don't ever leave me again…"

She ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"I won't John…I'm never gonna let you go again…"