CHAPTER 3 - A SPLIT SECOND

Lita shifted uncomfortably in her seat in the diva's locker room. Tonight was the night that the RAW audience would be exposed to the new RAW story line involving the 'legend killer' and the red headed Diva. Lita sighed. She knew she and Randy hadn't gotten off to a good start with this whole story line thing and she knew that it was mostly her fault. OK, all her fault, but there was no way that she was going to admit that. To anyone, that is, apart from herself.

The red head sighed as she stretched her feet out infront of to rest them on the chair directly opposite her. Her boots hitting the steel with a click. She knew she'd been really hard on Randy and some her words that came out of her mouth in Bischoff's office the week before were, she admitted, harsh. She knew that this story line would eventually bring her a place in the RAW spot light (something she'd been craving for for a little over a year now) and the Women's Championship (something she'd worked her whole wrestling career towards!), but the thought of her working with Randy just made her angry. It wasn't like Bischoff knew, but it seemed like her did placing Lita and RANDY ORTON in a romantic story line. It was a completely mismatched relationship. Completely random! She had no idea why Bischoff had decided on this pairing. It sucked! He could have partnered Stacy Keibler and Randy Orton. Now, there's a very cute, good looking couple. Perfect for the RAW spotlight especially when Randy and Stacy already seemed to have a connection. Plus, she knew that Stacy fancied Randy as more than a friend, but Lita refused to talk to Stacy if she ever brought up the 23 year old male in any conversation the Diva's had. Stacy stopped trying to pry answers from Lita and simply decided to avoid Randy Orton's name around the red head at all costs. Bischoff could have partnered Trish Stratus with Randy. Now that was a pair! The two people that Lita despised! Even the people despised them! They were perfect for each other! Both were completely absorbed in themselves, both were arguably attractive, both were relatively in the spotlight and a romantic story line could easily be worked somewhere there. But, NO! Eric Bischoff had chosen Lita! It was just the red heads luck. The only upside was she'd have more air time and she'd just have to keep herself focussed on her real goal. Her real motivation. Her light at the end of the tunnel. The WWE Women's Championship.

"Good evening!" Stacy Keibler smiled as she bounced into the Women's Locker room to see the only occupant of the room being her best friend Lita.

"Hey Stace," Lita replied drawing her mind away from her story line that was due to start tonight.

"How are we?" Stacy asked in her bubbly tone as the blonde started settling herself in for the night "Better than last week, I hope!"

Stacy had been the only other person to see Lita in last weeks state after she had stormed out of Eric Bischoff's office. Lita'd run straight into the Women's locker room to grab her stuff and make a quick exit, but was stopped by Stacy Keibler who was the only remaining Diva left in the locker room as the rest had retreated to their hotel rooms early. Stacy had barricaded the door and refused to let the red head out unless she spilled the beans on what happened.

FLASHBACK

"Stacy, get out of my way!" Lita practically yelled at the blonde standing infront of the door - Lita's only exit out.

"No!" Stacy said firmly grounding herself in the spot between Lita and the door "I'm not moving until you tell me what the hell is wrong!"

Lita swore that she was just about to take the blonde's head off with a quick and hard slap to the face, but Lita thought twice about that move. Lita finally took a huge breath in and out before moving over to a seat in the middle of the locker room. Stacy followed in close proximity. Lita finally got herself settled in a seat and looked the blonde in the eye. Lita simply explained her story - leaving out full details in hopes of getting this over and done with - and soon after stood up hoping to just leave it at that, grab her stuff and retire for the night. Stacy Keibler had other plans as she grabbed the red heads forearm and sat her back down again.

"I honestly don't understand you Lita," Stacy said simply as she shook her head slightly "Why is this such a big deal for you? You've had to deal with these things before. I mean with and Matt and everything."

"That was different," Lita said stating her case, however weak it really was.

"Why?" Stacy questioned the red head.

"Because," Lita said trying her best to avoid another question and the name Randy Orton.

"Because it's Randy?" Stacy asked looking intently at Lita for her response.

Lita made no response. Not a gesture, nor words. She simply sat there feeling Stacy's chestnut orbs boring a gaze into her.

"I don't get it!" Stacy said leaning back in her chair and crossing her long legs "What is it about Randy that you don't like? And, don't give me that bullshit about him being in Evolution, cause I sure as hell know that that ain't the reason, Li!"

Lita was shocked at Stacy's vocabulary. It was only when Stacy was either really pissed off or really frustrated that she starting using that kind of language. Stacy was usually pretty clean cut when it came to words, but Lita could tell this was no time to joke about something like that. She knew Stacy was serious and she knew Stacy wanted answers, but she couldn't give them to Stacy. Not yet at least.

"It's nothing, honestly," Lita lied quietly, sure that Stacy heard her response.

"It's not nothing, Li!" Stacy said as she returned to her caring and nurturing self "There's something you're not telling me about this whole thing. Who can you tell if you can't tell me, you're best friend?"

Lita looked up to meet Stacy's eyes.

"No one," Lita simply replied as she stood up and left the room.

Stacy made no attempt to catch up to the diva. She didn't even make an attempt to call out after her. Stacy knew something was wrong and that Lita was keeping something, but Stacy didn't dare venture further into it. At least not tonight.

END FLASHBACK

"Yeah, I'm good," Lita simply replied as she snapped out of last week's mind frame.

"Good," was Stacy's only reply before there was a clear knock at the door.

Stacy paused minute to look at Lita giving her 'we'll-talk-later' look before calling out to the person on the other side of the door.

"Come in," Stacy called out as she removed a pink halter neck from her bag and inspected it.

Lita looked towards to the door to see a nervous looking make stagehand peep his head into the Women's Locker room, obviously scared to come in any further. He adjusted the headset around his head and cleared his throat before looking down at his clipboard once more.

"Miss Dumas," the stagehand said addressing the redhead.

He waited before Lita gave him an acknowledging nod before continuing. At the words of 'Miss Dumas', Stacy turned around to face the stagehand also and as he continued to shift uneasily, you could tell that he'd noticed the extra set of female eyes on him.

"Mr Bischoff wanted me to tell you that you need to be in the EMT's room in 5 minutes," the stagehand said "And he also said to be dressed and ready for your first scene with Mr Orton."

Lita tensed at the name Mr Orton. Lita finally nodded.

"Thank you," Lita said forcing a smile towards the stagehand before he disappeared closing the door behind him.

Stacy looked at Lita, but Lita didn't return the look. Lita simply headed for the door and disappeared into the corridor.

Lita looked down at her attire as she walked the cold corridors of the backstage area. Wrestling boots, khaki cargos, black tattered double layered tank. Hair: for the first time in weeks down and around her shoulders. She dressed the way Bischoff had suggested in order to avoid at least argument tonight. She really wasn't in the mood for arguments tonight, but she knew that one would arise anyway. She would think it strange if she wasn't involved in at least one tonight. Lita turned another corner and arrived at the EMT's room. She took a deep breath and composed herself. Just try and be civil. You don't have to smile continuously at him or made him feel like his presence is godly, but just be civil. In fact, don't speak unnecessarily to him at all. Problem solved. Avoid chit chat and only speak your lines! You save face, you save an argument and you avoid a replay of last week. Lita smiled. That was the way she decided she'd handle tonight's situation. She touched the door handle and fully expected to see just the lighting, wardrobe, camera and sound crew busily at work, Eric Bischoff standing in the background with Randy Orton, but what was behind the door was an entirely different story.

Lita opened the door and froze as it shut behind her. She was right for one thing: there they were busy at work. Camera, light, sound and wardrobe all busily at work. Adjusting their machines and gadgets, adjusting the lighting, doing a sound check and setting the scene. There was Randy Orton over in the corner of the room getting his wardrobe fixed up by some girl he was obviously flirting with. She, as usual, was smiling and blushing slightly at his little charming comments about 'how beautiful she looked tonight' and 'how much he'd like to take her out sometime and get to know the beautiful person behind that beautiful complexion.' She knew him through and through. A playboy til the very end. She shook her head and rolled her eyes before her hazel orbs landed on a scene she didn't expect to see. Wouldn't you know it, where ever Randy Orton was so was Evolution. They were the last people she wanted to see right now. There was Batista sitting looking bored on a seat in the corner, and there was Hunter and Ric as usual arguing with the RAW GM, Eric Bischoff. Lita closed her eyes and composed herself again. Reminding herself not to speak unless absolutely necessary.

"Lita!" Bischoff smiled greeting the diva "Excellent."

Bischoff looked her up and down. Lita shuddered to think at what he was thinking.

"Good... appropriate dress... hair... I don't think we need any more make-up..." Eric said commenting on Lita as his eyes travelled all over her "Know you're lines?"

Lita simply nodded. She then caught a glimpse of Hunter looking frustrated and angry as usual. She simply looked away and back at Bischoff waiting for his instructions.

"OK, then we're good to go," Bischoff said addressing everyone in the room.

The whole room fell silent as they listened to their boss.

"Right," Eric said when he was sure he had everyone's attention "We've got 1 take to do this and we're on in 2 minutes after the tag-team match-up between Regal and Taijiri versus La Resistance, and then we cut straight to a commercial break"

Everyone remained in silence as Eric continued.

"OK, does everyone know where they have to be and when?" Eric asked looking around the room.

He saw a couple of nods and no shaking heads so he took it as his cue to continue. Lita could feel Randy's eyes on and started to shift uneasily. Randy's sure enough were on her as he noticed her presence in the room. He smiled politely at the annoying wardrobe girl as she finally left his side. He prayed that this scene would go smoothly. He didn't want another argument with Lita like last week, so he decided it best he not speak to her unnecessarily.

"Right, places everyone!" Bischoff instructed as everyone in the room moved to their allocated positions for the scene.

Lita moved to the door and Randy moved infront of the camera and seated himself on the EMT's table. A small EMT came and stood beside him. Both waiting for the signal to start acting. They both waited nervously, wanting this to be over and done with as fast as possible. Lita started going over her lines again and again in her head and her positioning. She only had one go at this scene and she didn't want to stuff it up. She knew that she didn't want to embarrass herself infront of Evolution and she didn't want to embarrass herself infront of Randy again for sure. She didn't want Eric to yell at her afterwards if she stuffed up either, and she was sure he wouldn't yell at her in a private meeting in his office. She was sure that he'd yell at her as soon as the cameras stopped rolling. Infront of everyone standing in this room right here. For her pride and dignity she couldn't allow that to happen. She just hoped that Randy wouldn't ad lib and make the scene more uncomfortable than it was already going to be.

"And we're on it," the camera man started "5."

Lita started controlling her breathing.

"4," he continued.

You can do this. Lita was thinking to herself.

"3,"

It's going to be OK.

"2,"

Ready

"1,"

Set

"And action," her camera finished as the red button lit up on the main camera focussing on the scene infront of it.

Randy yelled in pain as the EMT tried to move his shoulder. His shoulder had been previously rammed into the steel ring post in his match prior to with Tyson Tomko.
"Watch it mate!" Randy yelled at the EMT.

"I'm sorry Mr Orton, but I'm trying to help!" The small EMT stated back as he continued work on Randy's left shoulder.

Randy made faces of pain as the EMT did so.

Go.

Lita ran onto the set, her eyes focussed on Randy.

Oh My God, I can't believe I'm doing this.

"Oh My God, Randy!" Lita exclaimed as she came into view of the camera. Her voice sounding concerned at Randy's misfortune, when really if it was for real, she couldn't be happier. "Are you OK?"

Randy looked at her. She played well. He thought to himself which almost made him forget his next line.

"Yeah," Randy said adjusting himself to face the red headed Diva "I'm good."

Randy sent Lita a smile which she returned. She then placed a hand on the 'legend killer's' arm.

"I was really worried about you," she said not meeting eyes with Randy "I was really worried you got really hurt tonight."

Randy looked at her and smirked. A cocky smile was finding it's way across his face. She wanted more than anything to punch his face in at that moment, but she couldn't.

"Really?" Randy questioned the diva's words "Why?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt," the diva replied justifying her previous words "I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"I didn't know you cared," Randy replied looking the red head straight in the eyes.

He suddenly became aware that the hand she had put on his arm hadn't been in the script, and it had somehow remained there. He didn't know if it was for factual effect, or for other reasons unknown.

Blue orbs were fixed on her hazel ones. She blushed slightly.

"I do care, Randy," she replied as she fixed the gaze "I do care."

The two smiled at each other.

"And cut," the director yelled.

Lita quickly broke the gaze and soon realised her hand was still on his arm. Her eyes shifted and caught Randy's eyes. She wore an expressionless face and for a split second Randy contemplated saying something when the red head immediately removed her hand and eyes from the 3rd generation superstar. She quickly stuffed her hand in her pocket and made her way towards the door. Before Randy could clear his head and think twice she had already disappeared out of the EMT's room. Randy sighed to himself as he touched his arm. He had seen a different side to Lita that evening. A side that he hadn't seen before, and it was then and there he knew the mixed thoughts that he had been juggling in his head for some time was true.

Lita could feel a tear trickling down her cheek as she briskly walked away. Not only was she walking away from the scene and the EMT's room, and Randy Orton, she was walking away from her past. A past she refused to face right now, or ever! This was the reason she had run for so long. Why she'd hid from Randy. She wanted to escape her past. She wanted to leave it far behind and Randy was just a constant reminder of that past. This story line was going to eat her up inside, slowly and painfully. Maniacally torturing her delicate soul. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she continued walking until she reached the parking lot. The red head simply reached for her keys in her pocket as she made her way towards the car. It pained her to think about it, but every time she saw Randy she would feel that sharp pain in the bottom of her stomach and she'd start shaking. She hated him for it. For making her feel like this. She hated Randy Orton for bringing tears to her eyes.

A/N: Read and Review Please! Thanks very much to all people who have reviewed the story so far! I hope you're all enjoying it! Keep reviewing and I'll keep updating for y'all! Hugs, Mrs Bridget Orton! xoxox