Title: And Then He Said

Author: Kori/justagirl8225

Disclaimer: I own not.

Rating: G

Spoilers: Give me a break

Summary: She wasn't even sure why she was there, but she just had to see him to see if things had changed...

Pairing: Lita/Jericho, implied Trish/Jeff

Warnings: None

Notes: Challenge reply, first line of the story must be He hadn't seen her in three years, not since he'd told her he loved her and then said goodbye. And author is very aware that Chris left in 2005… I'm changing that to 2004 to fit the plot. Thank you in advance for reading and don't forget to tip your waitress on the way out.

He hadn't seen her in three years, not since he'd told her he loved her and then said goodbye.

That thought stood out the most for her as she continued to debate on whether or not she was going inside.

She'd arrived that evening feeling nervous and she really shouldn't have been that way, not at her best friend's birthday party- and yet, she was nervous.

He always did have that effect on her.

Lita had stood there in the rain staring at the house in front of her. A house that she had been in quite often, for that matter; almost what she would consider her second home.

His arms had once been the same.

Her clothing clinging to her body, skin chilled and hair matted to her face; she almost supposed the world was crying for her.

He had ignored her tear stained face, the night he walked away.

Closing her eyes, she tried to rid her mind of that night… he had claimed not to care and she had said the same.

She had been lying of course and a part of her wanted to believe he had been too.

But he had been serious and held by his word that he wouldn't see her anymore, that he wanted to start over. A life that she didn't factor into, a life that she couldn't complicate.

And then he had said something to her, something that she had thought that she would never hear again.

Those three little words had given her false hope as she would later learn because right after he'd told her he loved her…. He said goodbye.

And as she recalled those words now, those two short sentences; she came to the realization that they hurt equally.

Back then she had always felt that the 'I love you' hurt more because she had loved him. But then, after many late nights talking with Trish or having coffee at 3:00 am in the morning with Jeff… Lita came to the conclusion that the 'I love you' would always mean more because they had been in love.

It had been the goodbye that had frozen her in place; it had been the goodbye… said with such finality to it that she had found it hard to believe he had ever loved her at all.

Because while optimists wanted to believe that love never dies…. Goodbye's are forever.

This was why, when she'd left Trish's house or the café where she met Jeff; they had never said goodbye.

But he had told her goodbye and he had sounded like he had meant it…. And for the longest time, she had believed him.

She had tried to forget about him as he had forgotten about her, but it was all in vain because everywhere she was- he was too.

Not physically there, but he didn't need to be; because he was still in her heart and in her mind.

And that was why, when the rain stopped falling on her but continued to fall on the world; when that familiar cologne brought her crashing back to reality…. She had been surprised once again.

Standing outside on the sidewalk, the house still before them; he had turned to her and cupped her face with one hand. And the words he had said to her, she would remember forever.

For the first time in three years, Chris Jericho told her he loved her and her heart almost broke when he paused… Lita expecting for him to tell her goodbye once more.

But instead of saying goodbye he had kissed her … and then he had said hello.

- FIN -