Lita shot the gaze back at Shane, then lifted her skirts and walked out the front door. When she reached the streets she immediately began running towards the barricades.
Hunter watched her with concern in his eyes. He followed her with his eyes until she was out of sight, and then turned on Shane.
"You bastard," He growled.
Mark helped place the last piece of junk onto the barricade. "It's done," he growled.
"I'm glad you decided to join us," Shannon grinned at the older man.
"Well, I was falsely arrested, and they threatened my family. That just doesn't sit right with me. They're asking for it."
"Why were you arrested?" Jeff asked.
"Some rich bitch claimed I robbed her on her way to Paris. Told McMahon and he had me hunted down for no reason."
"Did you get a name of the person you `robbed'?" Jeff asked.
"Some woman by the name of Lita Helmsley. Her cousin's a guest in the McMahon home."
Matt's face grew dark. "LITA Helmsley?"
"Yes, that's correct," the rebels were shocked to see a red haired woman in a blue ball gown come over the barricade.
"Lita?" Molly asked. "What's going on?"
Mark growled at the girl. "You mean, you're the Lita that had me beaten and arrested?"
"I didn't mean to. I needed to make something up, so I gave them a description I thought no one around here would fit."
"Well, you inadvertently ruined my life," Mark boomed over the girl. "When this is over I may just return the favor."
"Listen, please, I've been hiding for almost a month with the McMahons. They've been trying to keep me from getting arrested."
"You've been hiding?" Matt asked. "We've spent almost a month rotting in prison worried sick about you, and you've been in hiding?"
"Matt, what good would it have done?"
"I can't believe you," Adam broke in. "First sign of danger and you disappear. You really are just a little girl playing a man's game, aren't you? You cowardly little bitch!"
"What did I do?"
"It's what you didn't do that matters," Jeff started on her. "You sit in the lap of luxury while we're nearly starved to death. You talk about being proud of the revolution, but when it counts you deny being a part of it. You saved yourself, you selfish bitch."
"It wasn't just that. I had to help friends."
"Friends? Friends?" Matt yelled. "The friends that did this to you? Who have you done up like some kind of doll? Tell me, did they parade you around Lita? Try to convince you that their lifestyle isn't so bad?"
Lita was near tears. "You know what Matt, maybe it isn't. And yes, you're right, I should have given myself up, should have stood with you. It wasn't exactly my fault that I passed out in the street the night you were all arrested. And I apologize on behalf of the people that took me in and saved my life. Yes, I should have told everyone who I was right after I woke up, I should have come to see you at least, find out how I could help. But just like not all of the people like us want to be involved in the revolution, not all of the richer people believe that we are beneath them. I know of at least three that side with us, and understand what's going on."
"Really?"
"Yes. If they didn't they would have turned me in first chance they got."
"Well, I would myself love to set eyes on these people myself."
"Then look up!" Hunter yelled down at them.
The revolutionaries watched as Hunter and Jericho guided Stephanie down the barricade.
"What are you three doing here?" Lita asked.
"We followed you," Jericho told her. "Figured you and your friends would need help."
"This isn't your fight," Jeff told him. "Leave."
"How many of you here are doctors?" Jericho asked. "If you want to at least live to see dawn, you'll let me stay. I'm a decent shot, and I'll do what I can to fight, but trust me. If you're going to be shot at, you'll need a doctor."
"And I'm not standing for this anymore," Hunter followed. "You shouldn't have been accosted. Hell, I was the one who stopped the beating, remember?"
"For her," Matt reminded him, jealousy creeping into his eyes.
"No, not for me!" Lita broke in. "He's happily engaged, to this woman right here who's...oh, Steph, you can't stay here."
"Why not?"
"The baby," Lita put her hand on Stephanie's stomach. Then, to Hunter, "Take her home!"
"I'm staying," Hunter told Lita.
"You can't abandon her."
"Soldiers leave their wives in times of war. This is war, and this is the side I choose."
Mark sighed. "I'll take her home," he offered.
He held his hand out to her. When she accepted, Mark began guiding her back up the barricade. "I want to straighten out things with her old man, anyway."
As soon as they were gone, Matt threw a gun at Lita. "You remember how to use this thing?"
Lita packed the powder in dropped in the ball, and took her position. Hunter positioned himself beside her. "What you said...before..."
"Hunter, after tonight, no matter what, there is no us. We end, no matter who lives and who dies."
"I can't..."
"Oh, shut up. This is how things work. If things get bad, you leave. You go back to your wife, and you help her raise Jericho's child."
"Lita...please, how I feel about you..."
"You don't. And no matter what you feel, I don't return it. In any way at all. So, just listen to me, she needs you more than I do."
"You know," Tori confessed to Raven later on, "they were kinda hard on that kid."
"You think?"
"Well, she only did what I would have done. I mean, saved her own ass."
"Would you have done that for me?" Raven asked, curiously.
"Please. Me, Mademoiselle use them and lose them? Ha! Never. I come first, like it or not."
"So...why didn't you turn me in when we were in Glasgow?"
"You weren't a threat yet," Tori coyly assured him.
"I think it was more."
"I think you're full of yourself," Tori finished loading the rifle. "You think I, Le Chat Noir, actually fell for you?"
"I think you, Le Chat Noir, have bought into your own image."
"Raven..."
"Yes m'am?"
"Just shut up and kiss me before we're out of time."
The gunfire began.
Shannon was the first to take a bullet. He caught it in the leg, and Jericho managed to pull it out and wrap the wound. Gregory took one next; Molly held his hand the entire time he was being treated. It was around two AM and they were all still alive.
That was when they ran out of ammunition.
"I could get more," Hunter offered. "If I could get to Steph's place, there's plenty."
"There's no way you would make it," Matt reminded him.
"And you care?"
"Well, if you're going to risk death for us, I guess I can be a little nicer. But you'd never make it out of here."
"Yes he will," Lita told them.
"Lita, I don't care what you say..."
"No, he will, because I'm going to distract them."
Hunter watched her with concern in his eyes. He followed her with his eyes until she was out of sight, and then turned on Shane.
"You bastard," He growled.
Mark helped place the last piece of junk onto the barricade. "It's done," he growled.
"I'm glad you decided to join us," Shannon grinned at the older man.
"Well, I was falsely arrested, and they threatened my family. That just doesn't sit right with me. They're asking for it."
"Why were you arrested?" Jeff asked.
"Some rich bitch claimed I robbed her on her way to Paris. Told McMahon and he had me hunted down for no reason."
"Did you get a name of the person you `robbed'?" Jeff asked.
"Some woman by the name of Lita Helmsley. Her cousin's a guest in the McMahon home."
Matt's face grew dark. "LITA Helmsley?"
"Yes, that's correct," the rebels were shocked to see a red haired woman in a blue ball gown come over the barricade.
"Lita?" Molly asked. "What's going on?"
Mark growled at the girl. "You mean, you're the Lita that had me beaten and arrested?"
"I didn't mean to. I needed to make something up, so I gave them a description I thought no one around here would fit."
"Well, you inadvertently ruined my life," Mark boomed over the girl. "When this is over I may just return the favor."
"Listen, please, I've been hiding for almost a month with the McMahons. They've been trying to keep me from getting arrested."
"You've been hiding?" Matt asked. "We've spent almost a month rotting in prison worried sick about you, and you've been in hiding?"
"Matt, what good would it have done?"
"I can't believe you," Adam broke in. "First sign of danger and you disappear. You really are just a little girl playing a man's game, aren't you? You cowardly little bitch!"
"What did I do?"
"It's what you didn't do that matters," Jeff started on her. "You sit in the lap of luxury while we're nearly starved to death. You talk about being proud of the revolution, but when it counts you deny being a part of it. You saved yourself, you selfish bitch."
"It wasn't just that. I had to help friends."
"Friends? Friends?" Matt yelled. "The friends that did this to you? Who have you done up like some kind of doll? Tell me, did they parade you around Lita? Try to convince you that their lifestyle isn't so bad?"
Lita was near tears. "You know what Matt, maybe it isn't. And yes, you're right, I should have given myself up, should have stood with you. It wasn't exactly my fault that I passed out in the street the night you were all arrested. And I apologize on behalf of the people that took me in and saved my life. Yes, I should have told everyone who I was right after I woke up, I should have come to see you at least, find out how I could help. But just like not all of the people like us want to be involved in the revolution, not all of the richer people believe that we are beneath them. I know of at least three that side with us, and understand what's going on."
"Really?"
"Yes. If they didn't they would have turned me in first chance they got."
"Well, I would myself love to set eyes on these people myself."
"Then look up!" Hunter yelled down at them.
The revolutionaries watched as Hunter and Jericho guided Stephanie down the barricade.
"What are you three doing here?" Lita asked.
"We followed you," Jericho told her. "Figured you and your friends would need help."
"This isn't your fight," Jeff told him. "Leave."
"How many of you here are doctors?" Jericho asked. "If you want to at least live to see dawn, you'll let me stay. I'm a decent shot, and I'll do what I can to fight, but trust me. If you're going to be shot at, you'll need a doctor."
"And I'm not standing for this anymore," Hunter followed. "You shouldn't have been accosted. Hell, I was the one who stopped the beating, remember?"
"For her," Matt reminded him, jealousy creeping into his eyes.
"No, not for me!" Lita broke in. "He's happily engaged, to this woman right here who's...oh, Steph, you can't stay here."
"Why not?"
"The baby," Lita put her hand on Stephanie's stomach. Then, to Hunter, "Take her home!"
"I'm staying," Hunter told Lita.
"You can't abandon her."
"Soldiers leave their wives in times of war. This is war, and this is the side I choose."
Mark sighed. "I'll take her home," he offered.
He held his hand out to her. When she accepted, Mark began guiding her back up the barricade. "I want to straighten out things with her old man, anyway."
As soon as they were gone, Matt threw a gun at Lita. "You remember how to use this thing?"
Lita packed the powder in dropped in the ball, and took her position. Hunter positioned himself beside her. "What you said...before..."
"Hunter, after tonight, no matter what, there is no us. We end, no matter who lives and who dies."
"I can't..."
"Oh, shut up. This is how things work. If things get bad, you leave. You go back to your wife, and you help her raise Jericho's child."
"Lita...please, how I feel about you..."
"You don't. And no matter what you feel, I don't return it. In any way at all. So, just listen to me, she needs you more than I do."
"You know," Tori confessed to Raven later on, "they were kinda hard on that kid."
"You think?"
"Well, she only did what I would have done. I mean, saved her own ass."
"Would you have done that for me?" Raven asked, curiously.
"Please. Me, Mademoiselle use them and lose them? Ha! Never. I come first, like it or not."
"So...why didn't you turn me in when we were in Glasgow?"
"You weren't a threat yet," Tori coyly assured him.
"I think it was more."
"I think you're full of yourself," Tori finished loading the rifle. "You think I, Le Chat Noir, actually fell for you?"
"I think you, Le Chat Noir, have bought into your own image."
"Raven..."
"Yes m'am?"
"Just shut up and kiss me before we're out of time."
The gunfire began.
Shannon was the first to take a bullet. He caught it in the leg, and Jericho managed to pull it out and wrap the wound. Gregory took one next; Molly held his hand the entire time he was being treated. It was around two AM and they were all still alive.
That was when they ran out of ammunition.
"I could get more," Hunter offered. "If I could get to Steph's place, there's plenty."
"There's no way you would make it," Matt reminded him.
"And you care?"
"Well, if you're going to risk death for us, I guess I can be a little nicer. But you'd never make it out of here."
"Yes he will," Lita told them.
"Lita, I don't care what you say..."
"No, he will, because I'm going to distract them."