Matt, Jeff, and Lita
"Rescues and Leftovers"
"My anger DWELLS inside of me
I'm taking it all out on you…"
- "Having A Blast" ~ Green Day
She winced inwardly as he spewed another insult in Spanish at her. She really had become a bother to the guy, obviously, with her now more frequent accidents. She just stood there, looking like a scalded dog, her eyes dropped. She didn't like when he was like this, but what could she do? If she left him, she would have no one left..
He refused to let her talk to anyone else. Isolated, she had no choice but to stick by the man that now was helpfully berating her for messing up. She sort of felt stupid, yes, that was it. If he called her stupid, she must be, right?
"Lita, are you listening?!" he growled in his thick Mexican accent. She nodded feebly, not lifting her gaze. She knew if she did she would get a hand across the face.
"Si." she replied in a small voice. She let out a cry as she was suddenly smashed back into the wall. He grabbed her by the next, pinning her against it.
"You better not mess up again." he warned. His breath held the stench of liquor. It always did. "I didn't bring you here for you to create more problems."
"I-I'm sorry.." she said, trying to get air down to her lungs. He was really hurting her this time.
"Oh, you're sorry, eh?!" he smiled slyly, letting her go. She barely had time to breath in when a sharp slap flew across her face. The blow left her reeling, and she slammed into the wall again. This time she just sort of slid down until she was basically seated in a fetal position.
The stinging continued as she hit the ground, her face throbbing from the blow. He had done it harder then usual. He must have been really angry. She didn't look up still, for fear that she'd receive an even more face-numbing blow, or even worse, received one of those more rare assaults on her 'other' body parts..
He kicked her. It wasn't as hard as the slap, but she still doubled over, the pain shooting through her body. When will the pain stop...? Through a tangle of fiery red hair, she saw him just suddenly up and stumble out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
That was when she let the tears flow. Slowly but surely her crying turned into complete sobs that wracked her pained body. It hurt her more emotionally then mentally. All the insults, the attacks…it was all so much for her. But, without an ally, what could she do? She could never go off alone, he would surely catch her and hurt her worse then she ever hurt before.
Her sobs weren't receding, but getting louder. All the pain he had been causing her washed out in the flood of tears that was dripping down her face, onto the cold floor. She knew if he heard her crying, he would hurt her for being weak. But at that point, she couldn't help it. She just cried for everything that had happened to her when she decided to go with Essa to the WWF.
And her sobs were pretty loud. In fact, she must have been causing a sound scene because she heard someone step up to the closed door. She froze, hearing the footsteps outside. He was surely going to hurt her now…he must have heard her. Scrambling to a corner, she tried to make herself as small as possible. However, when the door didn't open, she wondered who was outside. Not daring to look, she continued to crouch in the corner, her body still aching from the previous shots.
"Hello?" a voice called out. The voice was foreign to her, strange. She had never heard that voice before. Or did she? "Is anyone in there?" She was shivering, and her fear left her mute and unable to speak. She just stayed frozen there, and especially did when the door slowly opened.
Her hair that was hanging down in the position she was in covered her face, but she saw him. She recognized his face, she had seen him before...but still, untrusting, she remained unmoving. She didn't even twitch when he let out a cry of surprise as she saw her, shivering in her corner.
"Oh my god...are you all right?" he leaned down by her and she recoiled. Essa had told her not to trust Americans, even though she did speak English…
"Leave me alone." she sniffed, her voice low. She tried to lean deeper into the corner when he attempted to see her face. "Go away..."
"What has he done to you?" the man asked, his voice wavering a little. She had never heard that tone of voice before, or at least not since she came to the WWF. "Don't be afraid..." She untensed, but only a little.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered, feeling a tear fall down her cheek.
"I want to know if you're okay..."
"Do I look it?" she suddenly violently pulled up her head, her eyes locking with his. She saw his widen at the red mark that had been placed on her cheek. Still, after the shock, his eyes went to concern. "Now go away!"
"He's hurting you, why are you staying with him?" he asked. She felt helpless in his gaze, unable to shift her eyes away from it. It was so warm and kind.
"Why do you care?" she questioned, her voice still in a meek whisper. "You don't know me."
"I know enough that you have just been abused and was crying louder then a lost kitten in here." he replied. "Why don't you come with me?"
"N-no way!" she realized she had uncurled and was now kneeling lightly on the ground, her entire body facing him. "I'm fine...he was just...mad. I messed up."
"No one deserves to be hit like that." he replied. She looked at him, warily.
"Why do you care?"
"Because I grew up hearing that if someone needs help, you help them." he stood, offering a hand. "Come with me. "
"But..."
"Hey, I can't do anything worse then he's going to do." She eyed him, and realized he was right. Sighing loudly, she slowly reached up and took his hand. He easily pulled her up into a standing position. "My name is Matt." She paused, looking at him with caution.
"Lita." she whispered. He nodded and smiled. "You're...the man who helped me before, right?"
"I told you, I don't like people getting hurt." he paused, looking around. "If you're coming with me, we have to go now. I think your buddy is going to be back soon."
"All right." she agreed softly. Of course, that was the exact moment Essa had decided to burst him. He eyed Matt angrily.
"What are you doin' here?" his voice was a bit more slurred. Before Lita knew it, Essa was suddenly on the ground, holding his head. Matt had picked up a chair and smashed it into his head. She stared at his downed body.
"Come on!" she was numb with shock. "Lita, let's go!" she felt her hand grabbed and she snapped out of it, quickly following him out.
They both ran. By the time they had gotten to where Matt was leading, they were outside, in the parking lot. He jogged over to a car, and she cautiously looked at it. Inside were two figures; both seemed to be familiar to her.
"Hey Matt, whatcha do, pick up a chick?" He opened the backseat door and the lamp in the car flooded the inside of it with light. She saw the two people more clearly--one blonde, and the other...well...red and orange hair.
"Get in." he nudged her along, and she slowly slid into the backseat with the blonde headed one. She inched near the door when it closed, trying to stay away from him.
"What's your name?" the blonde headed one questioned. She didn't respond.
"Hey Chris, leave her alone." She glanced up to see Matt inside the car now, on the driver's side. "She's had a rough night." Chris must have suddenly noticed her now slightly bruised cheek, because his gaze softened.
"I'm sorry." he apologized.
She curled up near the door, staring out the window. They were on the road, and the sights were slowly lulling her to sleep. She slowly let the blackness roll over her, and she fell asleep, right in the car. It was the first good sleep she had for a long time.
***
Her eyes fluttered open. She had no conscious thought of time, but she knew she felt well rested. Glancing right and left at the large, dark room she was in, she realized it had to be nighttime. She sat up uneasily, feeling what was under her. She was in a bed.
But a bed where? She stood, slowly walking to what seemed like an outline of a window and a windowsill. She pulled open the shades, peering outside. The scenery tipped off that she was in a hotel or something. She barely remembered what had happened previously. It was dipping in and out of a dream.
It came in as flashes of memories and left just as quickly. She remembered being picked up, her body lifelessly dangling in the arms of the one carrying her. She didn't have the strength or push to move, so her head simply fell to the side, burring itself into whoever's chest she was being carried by. Another flash of memory found her staring up at a ceiling, and soft whispers were carried to her ears.
"What are we going to do with her?" one indistinctive voice questioned.
"We'll let her stay here until she wants to leave." another voice answered.
Where was she now, though? She had plopped herself on the large enough windowsill, staring out at the active nightlife outside. She leaned her thin frame against one side of the wall, then placed her head against the wall too. She didn't know why, but she felt safe where she was. Actually, she probably felt safe only because she was a distance away from Essa.
"Hi." she jumped at the voice. Peering into the darkness, she suddenly saw a lone figure walk into the light of the moon that was now letting it's pale light in. She remembered him, or at least remembered his hair.
"You're the one who was in the front seat." she whispered. He nodded.
"I'm Jeff, Matt's younger brother." he offered his hand and she shook it. "My brother told me Essa was hurting you?"
"Yeah." she replied, looking down.
"You're safe with us." he smiled, slightly. She could see the faint traces of it with help of the moonlight.
"You guys really shouldn't have these moments at 3 AM." a grunt came from the other side of the dark room. Suddenly the lights came out, and her eyes had to adjust to the sudden assault of sight. Matt had sat up in bed and was looking at them.
"You all right now?" he questioned, looking at Lita.
"Yeah." she nodded slightly.
"You were out for an entire day." Jeff explained. She blinked, staring at him in shock.
"Really?"
"We were getting worried about you. Thought you might have went into shock or something." Matt nodded. "But you're all right now."
"Yup. You must be hungry as hell." She hadn't noticed it, but she was pretty hungry. "Want something?"
"Do you have anything?" she questioned. In seconds she had a basic full course meal of leftovers at her disposal.
"Good?" she nodded to Matt as she ate.
"I didn't get a chance to thank you for helping me." she paused, standing up and putting her food down. "Thank you both...you and your brother."
"It's nothing." Matt shrugged.
"No, really...you guys didn't have too." she seemed much more relaxed after such a long rest. "But now Essa will be after you too..."
"And we'll beat his ass in. You're with us now, he can't touch ya!" Jeff paused, taking a bite of leftovers himself. "That is, if you want to stay with us..."
"All right." she was surprised she said it so fast, but it came out of her mouth without her thinking. She realized that was what she wanted. "If you want me to be."
"Hey, you fly as much as we do." Matt winked. "You'll fit in fine. Just don't leave your food unattended." She stifled a giggle as she realized her food had suddenly disappeared down Jeff's throat. "Welcome to the Hardyz."
It was the happiest she had ever been in her life.
