A/N: Next chapter up!! R and R as always, and thanks for your reviews
everyone.
Samantha
**************
Taking Over Me.
Lita walked into the meeting several minutes late.
As soon as she entered, Eric turned his attention to her.
"Lita, so lovely of you to join." He told her, sarcasm dripping from every word.
She twisted her wrist, glancing at her watch. "I'm three minutes late."
"What the hell were you doing on SMACKDOWN?" He snapped at her. "Your contract signs you to RAW. I can sue you, and Paul Heyman for this."
"I didn't wrestle." Lita told him. "My contract states that I'm only allowed to wrestle on RAW, or at pay-per-views. It doesn't say anything about appearing on SMACKDOWN, which I did for one night, with a visitor's pass. I valeted one match because Rey, John, Scotty and Rikishi asked me to."
Eric looked shocked at her words.
"I had a nice break though, thanks for asking." She continued.
"I don't suppose you moved all of your crap." Matt said to her.
"I completely moved house." She told him, not caring that every superstar on RAW was staring at her. Lita turned her attention back to Eric. "Eric, I want to go on leave." She told him.
"You want to what?" He asked.
"I want some time off."
"How long?" Eric looked shocked by her request.
"At least eight months." Lita told him.
"Just eight months? Only eight months?" Eric asked her. "What the hell am I meant to say to that?"
"Yes." Lita answered without hesitation. "You're meant to say 'yes'."
"What the hell do you want eight months off for?"
Lita turned away from him, to look Matt straight in the eyes. "Do you remember how when you wanted to ask me something, how happy I was? It wasn't just because I thought you came here because you loved me. It was because I had something to tell you, Matt."
"What could you possibly..." Matt began, his V.1.0 Mattitude arrogance showing through.
"I'm pregnant." She cut him off. "I was going to tell you that we are going to have a baby." She bit her lip.
"Lita," The look on Matt's face had changed completely. "Hold on..." He grabbed her arm, which she shoved away angrily.
"I've told you not to fucking touch me Matthew." She snapped at him, then turned back to Eric. "If you're not going to let me take leave, then I quit. But, if I quit I will never come back to RAW. Not for any reason ever."
Lita, please." Matt tried again.
"Just don't Matt." She told him. "I wasn't enough for you before, and now I don't love you."
"Please."
"I moved out Matt. I'm even living with someone new, an old friend. Everyone I've told is really excited about the baby. Especially Jeff. He, Rey and John have already christened themselves 'uncles'. Gil and my parents couldn't be happier either."
"Who the fuck are you living with?" Matt demanded.
"He lives about three houses up the road." She answered. "And don't you dare stand there, trying to interrogate me about what I'm doing with my life!"
"You moved in with Jeff." He stared at her.
"I almost moved in with Rey. I'm still deciding where I'm going to stay." She told him, simply to torment him.
"You will not have my kid in fucking Mexico!" Matt told her.
"So now you've got something against people who are from Mexico?" She shot back. "Thanks Matt. It's nice to know that I wasn't good enough because I wanted to be competitive, and now, I wasn't good enough because I have Mexican origins."
"Could you just stop this." Matt grabbed her shoulders, shaking her hard, which earned him a hard slap to his right cheek as she fought to free herself from his grip.
She stood there, almost shaking for a moment before Matt took another step towards her.
"Lita, you have..."
"Do not even think about touching her again." Jeff moved between his brother and his best friend.
"What the..." Eric began.
"You can't go around treating people like crap Matt. She's carrying your child for Gods's sake." Jeff interrupted Eric to speak to Matt, then turned to Lita. "Are you okay?"
As he spoke John and Rey walked into the room. At once Rey saw the look on her face and moved to stand beside her. John on the other hand hugged her, linking his arms gently around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder, making her feel completely safe.
She stared at Matt for several seconds, then looked at Eric, tears sparkling in her hazel eyes.
"I quit." She told him.
"You quit?" He asked, a little surprised by her behavior, and by the appearance of Jeff, Rey and John.
"I quit." Lita repeated, her voice choked with emotions that she was trying to contain. "Are you deaf? I quit. I'm not working here any more."
"What are you going to do then?" Eric asked her, still shocked at the words leaving her mouth.
Lita simply burst into tears, and turned to sob into John's shoulder. He hugged her more tightly and spoke quietly into her ear, trying to calm her, then shook his head at Rey.
"We'll take her out to the car, try to calm her down." Rey told Jeff, smoothing one hand over Lita's hair.
Jeff watched, shaking his head as the two men led her out of the room.
"You had to push her!" Jeff rounded on his brother. "You have no fucking idea what you've done to her, do you? She barely sleeps, only eats when we sit her down at the table, and even though you've treated her like shit, she still can't hate you. Do you have any idea how many times she's cried since last week? Or how many days we've sat with her, just curled up on the couch because she feels to sick to even move?" He shook his multi-colored head in disgust. "Being Version 1 is all that matters to you isn't it Matt? Or should I say 'wasn't it', because we both know you've always wanted kids, but I won't blame her if she tells you she never wants to see you again."
"Jeff..." Matt tried to speak, but Jeff cut him off.
"Don't come down to my house, and don't call Matt. You make me sick." Once he'd finished speaking the younger Hardy stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
**********
"How's she doing?" Trish asked softly as she and several of the other divas spotted Jeff, Rey and John.
"She's doing what she always does." Jeff shook his head sadly. "Just keeping busy, trying to pass the time. She's been playing that same song for more than an hour now."
The small group looked over to where Lita sat at the piano in the hotel lobby.
"You don't remember me but I remember you
I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you
But who can decide what they dream and dream I do..."
"I could just kill him." John said softly, "Not just for this, but for everything he's done to her."
"We all could." Stacy said quietly. "Even Scott and Drew are mad at the way he's treated her."
"She's just got to pull through it in her own time." Jeff shook his head. "She'll get there in the end. Lita always does."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."
"Why is she singing this? How can she still 'believe in him?'" Molly asked. "You'd think that she'd be so angry at him for what he did."
"I think she's more angry at herself." Rey said quietly, still watching her as she played. "She doesn't trust a lot of people, and she trusted him, but he's betrayed her again."
"Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?
You saw me mourning my love for you
And touched my hand
I knew you loved me then."
"I still... I don't understand why she sings about him." John shook his head.
"It's not about Matt." Stacy told him softly, so as not to disturb Lita's playing. "It's about finding someone, the guy that pulls at your heart even though you're not quite sure he exists. It's about that one perfect guy you've dreamed about since you were a little girl."
Trish nodded. "That one guy you'd give everything up for, because you just know deep inside that he's one for you."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."
"So she's just thinking about the perfect guy?"
Trish and Stacy both nodded, remaining silent, just watching her.
"When you think about it, we really do go to great lengths to find 'the one' for us." Rey shook his head. "I wish I could make it easier for her. I hate seeing her like this."
"I look in the mirror and see your face
If I look deep enough
So many things inside that are just like you are taking over."
"You hate seeing her like this." John countered. "It's like she's just drifting. Sometimes she doesn't even occupy a room, it's like she's just a shadow, there for a little while. I miss my best bud."
"We all miss her." Trish shook her head. "I just hope she's going to be okay."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me
"She's got the baby." Jeff told them. "If Lita doesn't want to be okay for herself, she'll be okay for her baby. Because there's something that needs her to be okay."
"How does that work?" Molly asked.
"Say you walked in there, crying your eyes out because you'd just had a fight with your boyfriend. She'd be up so fast, trying to take care of you that you would be shocked to see it was the same woman." Jeff answered. "She'd be okay because you needed her to be. She'll be okay soon. Lita will see that we need her soon, then she'll be fine."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."
"I hope you're right." Trish said softly. "Because I think she's going to need a lot of support, from a lot of different people to get through this. Breaking up with someone she's been with for so long is hitting her really hard. But now she's also got a baby on the way to worry about. That would be daunting for anyone."
"She's got all of us." Rey said softly. "I think we can bring her through it."
"You're taking over me..."
************
"Come on babe." John told her gently. "You know that he's not worth it."
Lita sniffled, her big hazel eyes staring up at him, looking lost and alone.
"It's going to be okay you know." He reassured her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.
"I know." She rested her head on his shoulder, the same pained expression on her face. "I just can't help but think about what I'm taking away from him."
"From Matt?" John sounded confused.
"This baby." Lita gestured to her stomach. "I know that he's always wanted kids, and now after all this time, after work, and being financially stable, and me recovering from my broken neck, and us both being financially stable we're not even on speaking terms."
"Lita..."
"I hate that he's betrayed me, and I hate the way he treated me. But I don't hate him." She curled up against John, and just let him hold her, rocking her gently to try and help her calm down.
"Don't worry." He told her gently. "I love you, even if he doesn't, I'll always love you." John moved her gently, lying her down on the bed.
Lita's eyes fluttered opened and closed and he knew how tired she was.
"Sleep now beautiful." John told her. "I'll always be here when you need me."
Samantha
**************
Taking Over Me.
Lita walked into the meeting several minutes late.
As soon as she entered, Eric turned his attention to her.
"Lita, so lovely of you to join." He told her, sarcasm dripping from every word.
She twisted her wrist, glancing at her watch. "I'm three minutes late."
"What the hell were you doing on SMACKDOWN?" He snapped at her. "Your contract signs you to RAW. I can sue you, and Paul Heyman for this."
"I didn't wrestle." Lita told him. "My contract states that I'm only allowed to wrestle on RAW, or at pay-per-views. It doesn't say anything about appearing on SMACKDOWN, which I did for one night, with a visitor's pass. I valeted one match because Rey, John, Scotty and Rikishi asked me to."
Eric looked shocked at her words.
"I had a nice break though, thanks for asking." She continued.
"I don't suppose you moved all of your crap." Matt said to her.
"I completely moved house." She told him, not caring that every superstar on RAW was staring at her. Lita turned her attention back to Eric. "Eric, I want to go on leave." She told him.
"You want to what?" He asked.
"I want some time off."
"How long?" Eric looked shocked by her request.
"At least eight months." Lita told him.
"Just eight months? Only eight months?" Eric asked her. "What the hell am I meant to say to that?"
"Yes." Lita answered without hesitation. "You're meant to say 'yes'."
"What the hell do you want eight months off for?"
Lita turned away from him, to look Matt straight in the eyes. "Do you remember how when you wanted to ask me something, how happy I was? It wasn't just because I thought you came here because you loved me. It was because I had something to tell you, Matt."
"What could you possibly..." Matt began, his V.1.0 Mattitude arrogance showing through.
"I'm pregnant." She cut him off. "I was going to tell you that we are going to have a baby." She bit her lip.
"Lita," The look on Matt's face had changed completely. "Hold on..." He grabbed her arm, which she shoved away angrily.
"I've told you not to fucking touch me Matthew." She snapped at him, then turned back to Eric. "If you're not going to let me take leave, then I quit. But, if I quit I will never come back to RAW. Not for any reason ever."
Lita, please." Matt tried again.
"Just don't Matt." She told him. "I wasn't enough for you before, and now I don't love you."
"Please."
"I moved out Matt. I'm even living with someone new, an old friend. Everyone I've told is really excited about the baby. Especially Jeff. He, Rey and John have already christened themselves 'uncles'. Gil and my parents couldn't be happier either."
"Who the fuck are you living with?" Matt demanded.
"He lives about three houses up the road." She answered. "And don't you dare stand there, trying to interrogate me about what I'm doing with my life!"
"You moved in with Jeff." He stared at her.
"I almost moved in with Rey. I'm still deciding where I'm going to stay." She told him, simply to torment him.
"You will not have my kid in fucking Mexico!" Matt told her.
"So now you've got something against people who are from Mexico?" She shot back. "Thanks Matt. It's nice to know that I wasn't good enough because I wanted to be competitive, and now, I wasn't good enough because I have Mexican origins."
"Could you just stop this." Matt grabbed her shoulders, shaking her hard, which earned him a hard slap to his right cheek as she fought to free herself from his grip.
She stood there, almost shaking for a moment before Matt took another step towards her.
"Lita, you have..."
"Do not even think about touching her again." Jeff moved between his brother and his best friend.
"What the..." Eric began.
"You can't go around treating people like crap Matt. She's carrying your child for Gods's sake." Jeff interrupted Eric to speak to Matt, then turned to Lita. "Are you okay?"
As he spoke John and Rey walked into the room. At once Rey saw the look on her face and moved to stand beside her. John on the other hand hugged her, linking his arms gently around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder, making her feel completely safe.
She stared at Matt for several seconds, then looked at Eric, tears sparkling in her hazel eyes.
"I quit." She told him.
"You quit?" He asked, a little surprised by her behavior, and by the appearance of Jeff, Rey and John.
"I quit." Lita repeated, her voice choked with emotions that she was trying to contain. "Are you deaf? I quit. I'm not working here any more."
"What are you going to do then?" Eric asked her, still shocked at the words leaving her mouth.
Lita simply burst into tears, and turned to sob into John's shoulder. He hugged her more tightly and spoke quietly into her ear, trying to calm her, then shook his head at Rey.
"We'll take her out to the car, try to calm her down." Rey told Jeff, smoothing one hand over Lita's hair.
Jeff watched, shaking his head as the two men led her out of the room.
"You had to push her!" Jeff rounded on his brother. "You have no fucking idea what you've done to her, do you? She barely sleeps, only eats when we sit her down at the table, and even though you've treated her like shit, she still can't hate you. Do you have any idea how many times she's cried since last week? Or how many days we've sat with her, just curled up on the couch because she feels to sick to even move?" He shook his multi-colored head in disgust. "Being Version 1 is all that matters to you isn't it Matt? Or should I say 'wasn't it', because we both know you've always wanted kids, but I won't blame her if she tells you she never wants to see you again."
"Jeff..." Matt tried to speak, but Jeff cut him off.
"Don't come down to my house, and don't call Matt. You make me sick." Once he'd finished speaking the younger Hardy stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
**********
"How's she doing?" Trish asked softly as she and several of the other divas spotted Jeff, Rey and John.
"She's doing what she always does." Jeff shook his head sadly. "Just keeping busy, trying to pass the time. She's been playing that same song for more than an hour now."
The small group looked over to where Lita sat at the piano in the hotel lobby.
"You don't remember me but I remember you
I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you
But who can decide what they dream and dream I do..."
"I could just kill him." John said softly, "Not just for this, but for everything he's done to her."
"We all could." Stacy said quietly. "Even Scott and Drew are mad at the way he's treated her."
"She's just got to pull through it in her own time." Jeff shook his head. "She'll get there in the end. Lita always does."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."
"Why is she singing this? How can she still 'believe in him?'" Molly asked. "You'd think that she'd be so angry at him for what he did."
"I think she's more angry at herself." Rey said quietly, still watching her as she played. "She doesn't trust a lot of people, and she trusted him, but he's betrayed her again."
"Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?
You saw me mourning my love for you
And touched my hand
I knew you loved me then."
"I still... I don't understand why she sings about him." John shook his head.
"It's not about Matt." Stacy told him softly, so as not to disturb Lita's playing. "It's about finding someone, the guy that pulls at your heart even though you're not quite sure he exists. It's about that one perfect guy you've dreamed about since you were a little girl."
Trish nodded. "That one guy you'd give everything up for, because you just know deep inside that he's one for you."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."
"So she's just thinking about the perfect guy?"
Trish and Stacy both nodded, remaining silent, just watching her.
"When you think about it, we really do go to great lengths to find 'the one' for us." Rey shook his head. "I wish I could make it easier for her. I hate seeing her like this."
"I look in the mirror and see your face
If I look deep enough
So many things inside that are just like you are taking over."
"You hate seeing her like this." John countered. "It's like she's just drifting. Sometimes she doesn't even occupy a room, it's like she's just a shadow, there for a little while. I miss my best bud."
"We all miss her." Trish shook her head. "I just hope she's going to be okay."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me
"She's got the baby." Jeff told them. "If Lita doesn't want to be okay for herself, she'll be okay for her baby. Because there's something that needs her to be okay."
"How does that work?" Molly asked.
"Say you walked in there, crying your eyes out because you'd just had a fight with your boyfriend. She'd be up so fast, trying to take care of you that you would be shocked to see it was the same woman." Jeff answered. "She'd be okay because you needed her to be. She'll be okay soon. Lita will see that we need her soon, then she'll be fine."
"I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you
To live, to breathe, you're taking over me."
"I hope you're right." Trish said softly. "Because I think she's going to need a lot of support, from a lot of different people to get through this. Breaking up with someone she's been with for so long is hitting her really hard. But now she's also got a baby on the way to worry about. That would be daunting for anyone."
"She's got all of us." Rey said softly. "I think we can bring her through it."
"You're taking over me..."
************
"Come on babe." John told her gently. "You know that he's not worth it."
Lita sniffled, her big hazel eyes staring up at him, looking lost and alone.
"It's going to be okay you know." He reassured her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.
"I know." She rested her head on his shoulder, the same pained expression on her face. "I just can't help but think about what I'm taking away from him."
"From Matt?" John sounded confused.
"This baby." Lita gestured to her stomach. "I know that he's always wanted kids, and now after all this time, after work, and being financially stable, and me recovering from my broken neck, and us both being financially stable we're not even on speaking terms."
"Lita..."
"I hate that he's betrayed me, and I hate the way he treated me. But I don't hate him." She curled up against John, and just let him hold her, rocking her gently to try and help her calm down.
"Don't worry." He told her gently. "I love you, even if he doesn't, I'll always love you." John moved her gently, lying her down on the bed.
Lita's eyes fluttered opened and closed and he knew how tired she was.
"Sleep now beautiful." John told her. "I'll always be here when you need me."