Author's Note: I can't say I'll be updating as often over the next week. My best friend is flying in from Oklahoma tomorrow, so I'll probably be spending as much time as possible with him while he's on spring break. (me=very happy) So, forgive me in advance, okay? Please? Plus, I'm really sorry this took so long to update, but for some reason my computer wouldn't let me log into the website. Alas.
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Amy made a decision as she was packing her things to check out of the hotel the next morning. It was confirmed as she found herself looking both ways down the hall before she left the room. She was going to tell Scott about Hunter. She didn't have a choice. She couldn't keep living in fear.
She found herself looking back over her shoulder as she checked out at the front desk. She stiffened when she saw Hunter standing in the lobby, but assured herself he wouldn't do anything; there were too many people around. She felt him looking at her, but she could see in her peripheal vision that he had not moved.
She picked up her bags, and walked quickly out to the rental car that would drive her to the airport.
Amy called Scott as soon as she had settled in back at home.
"Hello?" he answered.
Upon hearing his voice, Lita broke down completely. She tried to answer, but her voice seemed to have stopped working, and all she could do was cry.
"Amy?" The concern in his voice only made it worse, and she began to sob.
"Amy?" He was practically screaming. "What's wrong? Calm down, okay? Just tell me what's going on. Where are you?"
"I'm at home," she choked out. "Everything's fine...I mean, right now. It's...it's such a long story."
"I've got time."
She took a deep breath, and began her story.
"You remember a year ago...when I got a little banged up..."
"I've never forgotten," he answered, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to suppress the rage he felt coursing through him. What he didn't tell her that he wanted to, was that she'd been more than just "a little banged up". She'd been beaten, and badly.
"Well," she continued on. "You know I never told you how it happened because, I guess I thought it was an isolated incident, and I didn't want you to try to do something and get hurt..."
"It's my business to decide whether or not I want to risk injury."
"I know...but I just couldn't stand the thought of you getting hurt because of me, but...let's not get into this again, okay? Let me finish the story before you get all mad again."
"Yeah, I'm sorry," he answered softly.
"Okay...so don't freak out just yet..." She took another shaky breath. It was like reliving all of the pain and shame all over again. "Hunter-"
The hiss as he drew in his breath angrily was audible even over the phone.
"...Hunter cornered me backstage one night and came on to me. I think he'd been drinking, but anyway, I shot him down, and he got mad...and...well, you saw what happened because of it."
"So...what's he done now?"
"He's been threatening me, and following me..."
"I'll kill him."
"Please just let me finish?" she whispered.
"There's more?" He sounded completely shocked.
"He caught me out in the parking lot last night." This was so hard. She knew Scott would fly off the handle, but she had to tell him. She had no one else to go to, and she couldn't keep feeling so alone in this. "He promised he'd see me last night. He got my extra room key, and used it to break in."
"What happened?" Raven's voice was total iron, but she could hear his fear for her underlying it.
"I'd gotten out before. I didn't want to take any risks, so I got another room. I was actually in the room next door, so I heard everything that happened."
"No one was in there, so how could anything have happened?"
"He's crazy. I mean it, he's really crazy. He totally trashed the room. Everything. He was in there at least two hours. I don't know what he'll do now. I don't want to go to the show Monday. I can't face him."
On the other end of the line, Scott was literally shaking with fury and terror. She was in danger, though at least now she would finally acknowledge it. She was in danger and...she needed him.
"I'll be there for you," he thought to himself, but instead just asked her quietly, "What city are you going to be in next?"
"Bakersfield."
"Perfect," he said decisively. "We're in Sacramento two days before. I'm going with you."
"To RAW?"
"Of course." His voice left no room for argument.
"What-what are you planning to do?"
"Hey," he tried to sound reassuring. "Do I need a reason to want to spend time with my best friend?"
"I know better," she said tiredly, but he could hear a little bit of her old humor coming through. "I'll see you then, I guess."
"Definitely. Be careful. Enjoy your time at home."
"You too. I mean it; you be careful. Don't do anything too stupid at the show."
"Me?" He laughed a little. "Never. Now go get yourself some sleep."
"You should too. Goodnight."
"'Night."
Instead of sleeping, Lita lay in bed a long time, worrying about what Scott would do when he saw Hunter again.
In his own bedroom, Scott slowly put down the phone and looked up. His reflection stared back at him from the mirror. Anger at Hunter and himself for not being there to help boiled over in him, and before he realized what was happening, his fist had shattered the mirror to a thousand pieces.
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Amy made a decision as she was packing her things to check out of the hotel the next morning. It was confirmed as she found herself looking both ways down the hall before she left the room. She was going to tell Scott about Hunter. She didn't have a choice. She couldn't keep living in fear.
She found herself looking back over her shoulder as she checked out at the front desk. She stiffened when she saw Hunter standing in the lobby, but assured herself he wouldn't do anything; there were too many people around. She felt him looking at her, but she could see in her peripheal vision that he had not moved.
She picked up her bags, and walked quickly out to the rental car that would drive her to the airport.
Amy called Scott as soon as she had settled in back at home.
"Hello?" he answered.
Upon hearing his voice, Lita broke down completely. She tried to answer, but her voice seemed to have stopped working, and all she could do was cry.
"Amy?" The concern in his voice only made it worse, and she began to sob.
"Amy?" He was practically screaming. "What's wrong? Calm down, okay? Just tell me what's going on. Where are you?"
"I'm at home," she choked out. "Everything's fine...I mean, right now. It's...it's such a long story."
"I've got time."
She took a deep breath, and began her story.
"You remember a year ago...when I got a little banged up..."
"I've never forgotten," he answered, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to suppress the rage he felt coursing through him. What he didn't tell her that he wanted to, was that she'd been more than just "a little banged up". She'd been beaten, and badly.
"Well," she continued on. "You know I never told you how it happened because, I guess I thought it was an isolated incident, and I didn't want you to try to do something and get hurt..."
"It's my business to decide whether or not I want to risk injury."
"I know...but I just couldn't stand the thought of you getting hurt because of me, but...let's not get into this again, okay? Let me finish the story before you get all mad again."
"Yeah, I'm sorry," he answered softly.
"Okay...so don't freak out just yet..." She took another shaky breath. It was like reliving all of the pain and shame all over again. "Hunter-"
The hiss as he drew in his breath angrily was audible even over the phone.
"...Hunter cornered me backstage one night and came on to me. I think he'd been drinking, but anyway, I shot him down, and he got mad...and...well, you saw what happened because of it."
"So...what's he done now?"
"He's been threatening me, and following me..."
"I'll kill him."
"Please just let me finish?" she whispered.
"There's more?" He sounded completely shocked.
"He caught me out in the parking lot last night." This was so hard. She knew Scott would fly off the handle, but she had to tell him. She had no one else to go to, and she couldn't keep feeling so alone in this. "He promised he'd see me last night. He got my extra room key, and used it to break in."
"What happened?" Raven's voice was total iron, but she could hear his fear for her underlying it.
"I'd gotten out before. I didn't want to take any risks, so I got another room. I was actually in the room next door, so I heard everything that happened."
"No one was in there, so how could anything have happened?"
"He's crazy. I mean it, he's really crazy. He totally trashed the room. Everything. He was in there at least two hours. I don't know what he'll do now. I don't want to go to the show Monday. I can't face him."
On the other end of the line, Scott was literally shaking with fury and terror. She was in danger, though at least now she would finally acknowledge it. She was in danger and...she needed him.
"I'll be there for you," he thought to himself, but instead just asked her quietly, "What city are you going to be in next?"
"Bakersfield."
"Perfect," he said decisively. "We're in Sacramento two days before. I'm going with you."
"To RAW?"
"Of course." His voice left no room for argument.
"What-what are you planning to do?"
"Hey," he tried to sound reassuring. "Do I need a reason to want to spend time with my best friend?"
"I know better," she said tiredly, but he could hear a little bit of her old humor coming through. "I'll see you then, I guess."
"Definitely. Be careful. Enjoy your time at home."
"You too. I mean it; you be careful. Don't do anything too stupid at the show."
"Me?" He laughed a little. "Never. Now go get yourself some sleep."
"You should too. Goodnight."
"'Night."
Instead of sleeping, Lita lay in bed a long time, worrying about what Scott would do when he saw Hunter again.
In his own bedroom, Scott slowly put down the phone and looked up. His reflection stared back at him from the mirror. Anger at Hunter and himself for not being there to help boiled over in him, and before he realized what was happening, his fist had shattered the mirror to a thousand pieces.