Disclaimer: I don't own any person, place or thing that you may recognize.

Summary: To get through their final year of graduate school, all they had to do was survive. How hard could that really be?

Characters: Lita, Trish, Mickie, Victoria, Lilian, Maria... guys will include Hunter, Randy, Jericho, Jeff, Edge. Others are being considered. Pairings are being debated.

-x-x-x-

Lita Dumas swept her hair back from her face, settling on the unopened box in the living room. "So, who's idea was it to move out of the dorms again?"

Trish Stratus shrugged, "umm.. Vicki? Or maybe Lil?"

Lita arched an eyebrow, "which explains why neither one of them are here, helping us unpack."

"Well, when most of this stuff is ours.." Trish shook her head, blonde locks pulled into a ponytail. "If you want to take a break, let's take a break."

The twenty four year old easily nodded her agreement, moving from the box to sit on the floor. "I mean, don't get me wrong.. This house is great but.."

"I know Li," Trish bit her lower lip, dark eyes assessing the mess that was their living room. "If we don't get a fifth room-mate.. We'll have to take on extra jobs to pay the rent."

The redhead nodded, "Vicki said she was going to take care of that, right?"

"Yeah, last she told me anyway. I think she said something about her cousin moving to the city." Trish bit her lower lip in thought, a habit she had picked up from her life long best friend. "If it all comes down to it, we can advertise on campus."

Lita snorted, "I'd rather take my chances with putting an advertisement in the Sunday paper."

Trish arched an eyebrow, "oh like that would be any better.. Do you know how many perverts would answer an ad like ours? I mean, come on Li.. We're four single women, living in one house."

"Right, because that just screams orgy every weekend." Lita smirked, "we could even sell tickets.. Bring the wife and kiddies... Come, see the show."

The blonde woman tossed a dust rag at her friend, "Li.. that was just wrong."

The redhead shrugged it off, "chalk it up to brotherly influence... But honestly Trish.. We're graduate students."

"And your point would be?"

"In high school, I dated.. My first two years of college I dated." Lita made an open gesture with her hands, "and by the time my third year was over? I bounced back to being a dateless nerd. I spend most of my free time studying when I'm not working."

Trish let out a sigh, "well yeah but.. I haven't fared much better."

Lita made a face, "that's because all the guys you dated were jerks."

The blonde woman opened her mouth to argue, only to shut it...a thoughtful look on her face before she nodded. "Men. Do I know how to pick 'em."

"Or not, in the many cases of 'my date sent me running away in fear'."

Trish released her blonde locks from the confines of the ponytail. "Well.. This is a new year."

"Actually? The new year started in January.. Remember the party we had to--"

"Smart ass." Trish flipped her hair over her shoulder, "as I was saying.. This is a new academic year. In fact, it's our last year...we just need to get through this year and then we have our Master's degrees--"

"And a lot of student loans.."

"So it'll all be worth it." She pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. "Break is over, let's get back to work."

Lita grumbled under her breath about best friends actually being slave drivers.. The two women getting back to the unpacking they had been in the midst of.. Granted, they had gotten quite a bit done already, but they still had to unpack everything for the kitchen, go grocery shopping and get their rooms ready.. And as the day went on, both Lita and Trish couldn't help but wonder...just where were their room-mates?

-x-x-x-

Trish set her cell phone back on the charger, their pizza would supposedly be there in half an hour but.. One could never be too certain about that. Still, she and Lita had managed to get most of the boxes in the living room unpacked, they were still waiting on the moving truck to get there with furniture but...they had managed to accomplish a lot that day. And there was still no sign of their room-mates. Both Lilian and Victoria had promised they would be at the house today, but, so far...there had been no sign of either woman.

"Li? Someone's at the door."

"Can't you get it? I'm trying to figure out how to fit this stupid stereo.."

"Lita, please?"

The redhead scowled at the door, complying with her friend's request anyway. "If this person isn't bearing something edible? They aren't setting one foot in this house." She wiped her hands on her shorts, peering through the stained glass before she opened the door. "Where have you been all day?"

Victoria Varon made a face, "stuck at work.. My boss took it upon himself to have me cover Sherri's section."

"Ouch," Lita stepped back from the door, "do you have food?"

The taller woman grinned, "better.." She gestured behind herself, "meet our fifth and final room-mate."

Hazel eyes swept past her friend, taking in the woman who stood behind her.. She didn't look too threatening.. "I'm Lita."

The blonde woman smiled, "Mickie."

"I'd say have a seat but.. we're still missing a few key pieces of furniture." Lita canted her head towards her friend, "have you heard from Lil at all?"

Victoria shook her head, "I think she got stuck at Student Affairs."

The redhead shuddered dramatically, "I never want to deal with that old dragon again." A blink, "why is she at Student Affairs? Is she transferring out of the program or something?"

"I have no idea, Li." Victoria set her purse on the floor, "as I said.. I think she got stuck there, but I don't know if she did."

"Right," the redhead offered Mickie a smile, "I'd offer food or something to drink but.. The pizza guy hasn't gotten here yet and we haven't had the chance to go grocery shopping today."

Mickie waved it off easily, "no worries.. if I can survive off of instant noodles and tap water for most of the academic year, then I can survive anything."

Trish grinned from her spot in the kitchen, "well that's perfect.. We had to live like that for most of last year."

Victoria gestured between the two, "Mickie.. That's Trish Stratus, the redhead is Lita Dumas and we obviously know each other.. The fourth room-mate is Lilian Garcia." She nodded back to her cousin, "this is my cousin, Mickie James."

"Should any wierd guy fall asleep on our doorstep, it'll be Lita's half brother."

"Highly annoying and perverted half brother," Victoria amended for Trish, "but he's harmless.. For the most part."

Lita rolled her eyes, "Hunter is going to kill you both for that."

Victoria arched an eyebrow, "you say it yourself, all the time."

"Well yeah, but, that's because we're related."

Mickie smirked, "he sounds just like my next door neighbor.. Back home, anyway."

Lita beamed, "good.. Then you'll be able to keep him in his proper place."

"Then that would be Victoria's closet," Mickie stated solemnly, "or Victoria's bed."

"Mickie!"

Lita and Trish exchanged a look, the blonde woman speaking first. "I think you're gonna fit in just fine."

End Prologue

Note: this is yet another story that I have up at my fic. journal. For the most part, the plot will stay the same but other things (such as characters) will be revised. I have about five parts of this written so far and hopefully I can pick this one up again. I can't make promises as far as pairings go, but there are ones that I do prefer. Also, can't make promises as to who else will show up in this story, but you never know.