A/N: Firstly, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read, reviewed or enjoyed the last chapter - I spotted a few new usernames on the notifications and I am so overwhelmed with happiness that we have some new readers!

This chapter has been sitting waiting for me to finish it for over a week now but, due to illness, I wasn't able to get it just right. Hopefully, I've managed.

As always, please, please leave me any feedback you have but, most importantly, please enjoy.

It was the smell which hit her first – that combination of apple shampoo and smoke and something she had never been able to put her finger on, something heady and earthy which had become so uniquely Jeff. As his scent lingered behind him, Lita pushed herself from the stool, stumbling as she chased after him. How many times had she sat in the back of some beat up rental, Jeff's head on her lap as he dozed, Matt humming along tunelessly to the radio? He had been as much of a brother to her as he had been to Matt, once. "Jeff please," she called as she ran into the lobby. "It's not what you think!"

As he turned to face her, Lita felt a sharp pain in her chest, her heart beating so fast that she was sure he could hear it too. She hadn't thought about him in months, she realised, hadn't given him a second thought other than comparing Evolution to Team Extreme on occasion. She hadn't thought about how much she'd missed him. "And what do I think?" he asked, his face blank. His hair was shorter than when she'd last seen him, his eyes brighter and more alert and he was wearing a shirt she didn't recognise – it looked like a creation of his – but other than that he looked exactly like he always did - like home.

"I…I don't know," she admitted, though she knew it couldn't have looked good. Not from where he stood. "But it's not… He was upset." It was a weak response and she knew that anyone else would have challenged her, said something scathing or rude in response, but not Jeff. He simply stared and, somehow, that was worse. "I know that to you, well… I know Randy isn't exactly an angel," she attempted, glancing back over her shoulder to where the younger man sat. Randy was ignoring the situation going on in the lobby and had already ordered another drink.

"I watched him almost murder my brother." Jeff responded, an eyebrow raised, and Lita winced.

"At my request," she added, sure that this wasn't what he wanted to hear. For a second, he looked as though he wanted to respond, but what he was going to say, Lita never found out. Instead, he shrugged, nodding as though she'd made a valid point. Jeff knew Matt better than anyone, fought with him more than anyone, and Lita wondered if perhaps, deep down, he was on her side. "He's not like the others," she said, dropping her voice. "I know Hunter is… problematic. And Ric and Dave are, well, you know…"

"Problematic," Jeff laughed. "That's one word for Hunter, alright."

"But Randy, he's not…He's not so bad."

"I don't like it, Lita." It wasn't the response she'd hoped to hear – for a few seconds, she had forgotten the look on his face when she'd saw him in the doorway and had hoped he would accept her explanations, vague though they were, and wrap her in his arms the way he used to when she and Matt would fight, stroking her hair and telling her everything would be okay. He did none of those things.

"I like your hair," she attempted to change the subject and alleviate the silence, willing herself not to cry as she stepped closer, reaching out to touch it. Shorter, bluer, freshly dyed. "It suits you. You look… You look good, Jeff."

"Five months sober. I was hoping I could have a talk with Bischoff, see about getting my job back. Figured I could come congratulate the new Women's Champion while I was here."

Lita's eyes filled with tears then, her heart hammering so hard against her chest that it physically ached and she was sure it would leave bruising, if it was at all possible. He'd gotten clean, he'd worked so hard, and she hadn't even been there for him. She had been too busy with her own problems. But now he wanted to come back… She could make it up to him. The thought died instantly. No I can't, she reminded herself. It's Evolution, all for one and one for all. They would never allow Jeff near. "I'm not the one who needs congratulating," she said finally, aware that she had taken too long to respond. "That's amazing, Jeff, really. I…I hope Bischoff lets you sign for Raw. He'd be insane not to –"

"Look, I'm gonna go." Jeff shifted his weight from one foot to another, his eyes drawing from Lita to the bar and back again. "I'm going to leave you to….that." It was hard not to show her disappointment and could only nod in response. That was it? That was all he could say? "Well, I'll see you around…" He didn't wait for a response, heading towards the elevator and Lita's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, watching as he headed inside, the metal doors closing and hiding him from sight.

She should have gone back to Randy but the weight of the evening seemed to press heavy on her shoulders. A lot had happened in the last twenty four hours and it seemed inevitable that, should she return to the bar, she would somehow add to the chaos. Following Jeff, she took the elevator to her floor and returned to her room, shrugging off her jacket and heading straight to bed, fully dressed.

Walking to the limousine never seemed to get easier for Lita and every Monday seemed to bring another level of anxiety with it. The high heels felt all wrong on her feet, even if she was no stranger to them, and she gave a small tug on the hem on her skirt as she exited the elevator. The outfit had been Hunter's idea, conveyed via text message, and while she understood the point of it, she was already regretting agreeing. "Well look at you - all dressed up, huh," Ric's voice echoed throughout the parking lot as she neared the vehicle and she turned to see the eldest member of the faction beaming at her, his own title belt gleaming at his shoulder. "Turn for me, let me take it all in."

Lita rolled her eyes dramatically, though she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the ridiculousness of it all. Ric clapped theatrically, announcing that no diva had ever looked better and, as her cheeks pinkened, she reached for the limo's door. "You seem in a good mood – no hangover?" she asked, interrupting his cheerleading.

"Not for the Nature Boy. Nothing can spoil tonight!" he responded, rolling his shoulders and tugging at his cuffs to show just how fighting fit he was. "It was a good night though – you missed out. You and the kid have a good one?" His words dripped with implication and Lita slipped into the limousine without answering, tugging once again at her skirt.

"I left him at the bar," she responded, once Ric had joined her in the empty car. "He, uh, I don't think he wanted any company…" Trailing off, Lita chewed on the inside of her lip. Where had he ended up, she wondered, if he hadn't met up with the other guys? Had he stayed in the bar until they turfed him out? Had he gone back to his room alone? That last question made her more than a little uncomfortable and she was keen to change the subject, even if it was a conversation she was having with herself. "I saw Jeff last night."

"Jeff?"

"Hardy. He's hoping to come back to Raw," she explained, wondering why she was even telling Ric this.

"He's a distraction," Ric replied without hesitation, shuffling along when the door opened, so that Hunter could take his place. "If he gets a contract you can guarantee he's going to want gold at some point. And if that happens…."

"Who's this?" Randy and Dave appeared in the doorway, each sliding into the luxury car with ease.

"Jeff," Lita sighed. "He's back. He…He might be. I saw him last night."

"You missed out on our celebrations so that you could see Hardy?" Hunter sounded oddly serious, given that she had only missed a few drinks and Lita shook her head, not wanting to fight. Not tonight.

"I was in the bar with Randy and he showed up," she replied. Shut up, shut up, shut up. None of them need to know this. "He wasn't exactly pleased to see me."

"Good," Hunter replied with a tone of finality. "Like Ric said – if he comes back he's going to start sniffing around that Intercontinental Title and we can't have you questioning your loyalties, can we?"

"I wouldn't," she replied, though she couldn't quite bring herself to meet Hunter's eye. If he'd said any of the other titles, perhaps she wouldn't have felt so conflicted. But he hadn't. "I was just saying…"

For the first time, she looked up at where Randy was sitting, sprawled languidly across the leather seat. His dark blue shirt lay unbuttoned towards the top and she hated that her eyes lingered on the expanse of chest which showed. "What time did you leave the bar?" she asked, causing a small smile to play at his lips.

"Not long after you abandoned me," he replied, completely unabashed when she caught the way he was staring at her legs. "Without any company, drowning my sorrows wasn't so fun…So I paid my tab and headed up to my room. To plan."

"To plan?" Ric replied, reminding Lita that they weren't alone. For a split second, she had forgot the other three, forgot all about everyone else as she focused on the heat of gaze.

Randy's eyes flickered across to Riches, fully removing her from the moment. "Yeah, I did a lot of thinking last night and I just kept coming back to one thing."

"And that is?" Everyone was interested now and even Dave leaned forward just a little to hear better.

"I'm going to end Mick Foley's career."

Randy's plan had been vague at best, and Lita zoned out, knowing that by the end of the night it would be fully fledged and already set in motion. She couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for Mick – he really had brought it on himself – and she focused on staring out of the window, already annoyed that Randy was no longer focused on her. It was ridiculous, she knew, but the way he'd stared at her before he'd launched into his dramatics had caught her off guard. She'd liked it, liked how obvious he was, like he didn't care if anyone saw… God, she thought, how did I end up here?

It wasn't quite their usual locker room, but as Lita looked out from the skybox, staring out across the sea of fans, she couldn't exactly complained. It had been Hunter's idea, of course - only the best, for the best - and when they finally made their presence known in the ring, he wanted them to look their best too. It was all about the luxury, the extravagance. The things Lita had never thought to want, before, but as she stood by the glass in her expensive dress, her title belt lying on the couch beside her, she felt oddly at home. Even if her shoes did pinch a little.

"Not a better view in the house," Randy said, moving to stand behind her. The other three had instantly busied themselves - Hunter ordering himself a 'well deserved' drink for his night off, while Dave and Ric headed off to speak to Bischoff about getting Randy added to their match against Rob and Jericho. With a number one contender's match for the Women's Championship later that evening, Lita too was free to enjoy her night and doing it from up here would warrant no arguments from her. She wanted to be a fighting champion, to prove that she really was the best. But tonight? Tonight she just wanted to be here. Away from the stress of Trish, of Jeff, of anything else that the world seemed ready to throw her way. "Except maybe my view in the limo."

It was quiet in the skybox but Hunter was on the other side of the room and could never have heard him. Lita's eyes still flickered to the World Heavyweight Champion to ensure he was busy with the waitress. "Shut up," she responded, shaking her head, her red hair tumbling onto her shoulders. Perhaps it was in her mind, but she was certain that her cheeks' reflection in the mirror were equally red.

"Seriously. You look incredible," Randy continued, his voice lower than before. "Sorry if I got you in trouble with Hardy last night." It sounded genuine and Lita tilted her head, turning slightly to get a better look at him. "What? He looked pissed."

"He thought we were…You know." It was so incredibly childish of her, she knew, to not even say that it must have looked like they were together, and she ran a hand through her hair. "Well, he didn't say it exactly. But I could tell…" She didn't know what she wanted him to say – perhaps to ask what was so wrong with that, to tell her that he'd felt the spark when she'd touched his hand – but she hadn't bargained for his response, and she almost flinched at this words.

"If it came to it – who would you choose?"

"What?"

"If Jeff gets his contract, if he comes back and I have to face him for my title," Randy began, watching her with a keen interest. This close, she could see all the freckles which dusted his chest, a tiny red mark where he'd no doubt nicked himself shaving. All she could smell was his cologne, strong and expensive and so different to the scents she'd associated with Jeff. "Who would you choose? Me or him?"

Lita swallowed, willing her hands to stay by her side as she deliberated. She had to fight the urge to reach up and trace his jaw with her fingers and she took a deep breath, horrifying herself with the weight of the honesty in her words. "I'd choose you."