In This Together

Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.. Title inspired by the song, We're In This Together by Nine Inch Nails

Rating: M, to be on the safe side, for language and violence

Spoilers: Vengeance 2006, specifically Edge vs. RVD

Pairing: Lita/Cena

Summary: She never expected to need someone who was supposed to hate her..

Notes: reply to a challenge sent through the extreme evolution yahoo group. Challenge premise: Edge blames Lita for his loss to RVD at Vengeance - he blames her because he missed the spear and hit the chair she set up, he doesn't think she interfered enough earlier in the match, etc.. this may be a one shot, it may not be. I'm not entirely sure yet.. For the plot sake, I'm putting the ECW Lumberjack match before the WWE Championship match.. Writing style is a tad different..

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Lita cringed as the door to the locker room closed, Edge starting to pace a bit before he turned a hardened gaze towards her, the pacing continuing after that. And maybe he had a right to be angry….or maybe he didn't. the point was, he was very angry.. And that anger was directed at her. But that wasn't different.. Whenever the blond man would get this way, his target was always her. It didn't matter what set him off, it could be a match or not getting a title shot, but he would always take out his anger on her. But it hadn't always been like that.. There had been a time when Lita thought it would never go beyond his verbal lashing. And then he had gotten a taste of title gold. Things had started to change after that point, the belt becoming more important to Edge.. But when he had lost the belt, it had been her fault. Whenever he lost a match, it was her fault… when she didn't interfere enough for him, when her eyes lingered too long on an opponent.. He always found something wrong, some reason to 'justify' his targeting her. The first time it had happened, he had said he was sorry…that he wouldn't do it again.

And like a fool, she had believed him, convinced that no one would believe her and that no one would give a damn about her.

It hadn't stopped there of course…from that point on, it had gotten worse.. To the point where Lita found herself making excuses for not being able to compete in matches at the house shows, the diva almost getting caught when she started taking the FU at the house shows.. John Cena, of all people, showing some concern for her well being offering to help her if she needed it.. And she had brushed him off, told him it was nothing.. At least he had taken it a little bit easier on her from that point on, though his words betrayed his actions.. The then champion still spewing the same string of insults.. But at least he had tried, kept it to just those harsh words.. If she could, she would go back to that day, take back her words. But she couldn't and now…it was time to face the music.

Edge stopped his pacing, turning towards her again. "I should be champion right now, Lita." In mere seconds he had closed the distance, his hands coming up to rest on the wall, pinning her in place. "But, because of your stupidity, I lost the damn match!" The diva cringed as he pounded his hands against the wall, "you know how much that title means to me ..and you ruined it!"

"I'm sorry," she said meekly, turning her face away when he laughed bitterly.

"Sorry?" His hands closed over her arms, shaking her roughly as he yelled. "I lost the match because of you, I'm not champion because of you and all you can say is your sorry? I'll show you fucking sorry."

Lita bit down on her lower lip to keep herself from screaming, knowing that would only make it worse, one of Edge's hands connecting harshly with her right cheek.. The diva soon finding herself facing the wall, one arm wrenched painfully behind her back. "Please…stop… I'll talk to McMahon and--"

Edge brought his knee into her lower back, "and you think that'll make it all better Lita?" The blond man stepped back a bit, one hand still holding her arm behind her, the other reaching for his bag. "I think I've been taking it to easy on you."

"Baby, please I can--"

"Don't you fucking 'baby' me you stupid bitch." He released his grip on her arm, turning her around quickly, his belt now in hand.. Edge smiled darkly when he saw the fear in her eyes, "oh don't worry, I'm not going to do that yet.. You still need to be punished."

Lita whimpered as he turned her back around, ripping at her shirt in his haste to expose her skin.. And this time, she couldn't stop the scream from escaping her mouth as the first lash came across her lower back.. Another scream escaping as the second lash came. .the diva preparing herself for another when the door to the locker room was suddenly kicked open.. An enraged John Cena soon entering the room, heading straight for Edge…the diva slumping down to the floor, curling into herself as the West Newbury native unleashed his own assault. The redhead was unaware that Cena was victorious in this exchange, curling further into herself as footsteps approached.

"Lita.." John shook out his hands, his knuckles starting to bruise a bit, some of Edge's blood visible. "Hey.. Look, I ain't gonna hurt you, alright?"

Hazel eyes flashing with fear, the diva shook her head. "He'll stop me.."

Cena smirked in spite of the situation at hand, "I doubt he's gonna be moving anytime soon, Red." And when she still wouldn't move, the blue eyed wrestler sighed. "I tried to help ya out before and you wouldn't let me. This time, I ain't taking no for an answer."

Lita tentatively glanced up at him, her arms wrapped around her upper body. "You aren't supposed to care," she whispered to him.

John frowned, removing his shirt, holding it to her…helping her put it on. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

She averted her gaze, not wanting to look at the man who had just saved her.. "you're supposed to hate me."

"Look, we can argue 'bout this later, alright? But right now, you're coming wit' me." He tossed a glance back to the pile of bags in the room, "which ones are yours?"

"The pay-per-view isn't over yet--"

"Fuck the pay-per-view, I already done my part, you've already done yours." His expression softened a bit at the fear still visible in her eyes, "just tell me which bags are yours so we can get the hell out of here, okay?"

After a moments hesitation, Lita nodded.. Pointing out her bags to Cena, the man gathering her things quickly before he returned to her side, reaching a hand out to her..

"I ain't gonna hurt you, Red."

She stared up at him for a long moment, trying to gauge the sincerity in his eyes…her hand slowly reaching out, fingertips brushing over his palm.. The diva shaking visibly as she got to her feet. Lita leaning against him as they left the locker room and an unconscious Edge behind.. Cena starting to question just what in the hell he had gotten himself into.. And how long it had been going on.. The wrestler wrapping an arm gently around her waist to support her as they made their way through the hallways.. John stopping at his own locker room to gather his gear, Lita staring listlessly into space as he did so. The redhead starting slightly when the blue eyed wrestler came into her line of sight, calming a bit when she realized who it was.

"You have a place to stay or was you rooming wit' that no good piece of shit?"

"I don't have a room," she replied quietly, the diva still feeling self conscious around the outspoken wrestler, looking away when he slanted a glance over.

"Look Red, any man that treats his girlfriend like that ain't a man in my book." And when she said nothing, Cena shook his head. "I got a single room tonight, so you can stay with me…or if you have friends--"

Lita let out a short laugh, "I don't have friends anymore.. Either because they chose to or because he wanted it that way."

John stopped for a moment, setting down the bags he was carrying. "Well that changes tonight, 'cos now you got me."

"This isn't over yet," she told him quietly, hazel eyes flashing again with fear before her head ducked. "He'll come after me tomorrow and--"

"Then he'll hafta deal wit' me again." Aware that she was hurt, but not really knowing where, Cena hesitantly put his hands on her shoulders, "you ain't doing this alone anymore, Lita." Carefully, he cupped her face in his hands gently forcing her to look at him. "Last time I tried to help ya out, you told me to fuck off.. That ain't gonna happen this time, got it?"

Lita nodded slowly, "got it.."

John nodded in turn, his hands leaving her face to grab the bags again, "it's gonna be different now."

The diva only nodded again, Cena reaching out for her hand, only to stop himself with a shake of his head.. Lita surprising him when she grasped his hand, the two making their way to the parking lot in silence.

The end?