Correction: Bronier = Grenier. I blame the Fink for having an annoying voice and making me not want to listen to half of what he says anyway. Oh, and just a warning. I'm writing this under the influence of painkiller/sleep aid pills, so while I no longer have a headache, I'm not very lucid either. So, if this doesn't make sense...I don't know...I'll write later that it was a dream sequence or something. Anyway, time for Chapter 30.
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Lita felt herself swimming upward back towards consciousness. Her vision was dim and blurry at first. When she broke the surface of being fully wake, it was finally clear. Batista leaned over her.
"No!" she screamed in panic, sitting up quickly. Several hands moved to hold her down again.
"Shhh...calm down; you've had a bad head injury." Wait...that sounded like Rob's voice. But...
She looked around the room. Batista was at her bedside, but everyone else was ECW. Her eyes darted around quickly. None of the other members of Evolution were present.
"What's going on?" she asked suspiciously.
"Dave," Bubba explained. "He grabbed that chair from Triple H and brained him with it before he had a chance to interfere. Orton and Flair scurried out of there pretty quick when he came after them."
Lita looked over at Batista, a little surprised, but smiling. "Thanks."
He shrugged.
"So I guess Triple H knows you're no longer his lackey."
"I suppose he'll figure it out...That is...when and if he ever regains consciousness."
Lita laughed, leaning back a little to relax. "So where do you go from here?"
"Smackdown. Steph'd already offered me a nice deal, and I figured I could get into a good rivalry with one of their big guys, maybe Lesnar or Nathan Jones."
Lita nodded. "Yeah, those would be good matches."
"And, if I ever just felt like kicking the sh*t out of someone, there's this little black-haired cruiserweight I got a bone to pick with. Something Hardy; ever heard of him?"
She feigned trying to remember. "Nope, not really. The name kinda rings a bell, but I guess he just wasn't worth remembering."
Rob actually giggled. She glanced at him, one eyebrow humorously raised. "Anyway," she addressed Batista. "I'm glad you went ahead and made your alliance, or lack thereof, clear now, before I was forced to let my boys fight you just to protect your cover."
"Yeah, I know. I figured Triple H was gonna try to make me knock you out or something, and then I'd blow my cover. Come to think of it, just like tonight."
"Yeah, well, thanks for that."
"No problem. I kinda wanted to whack him anyway."
The other members of ECW appeared a little confused with this exchange. "Wait a minute..." D-von tried to reason. "Y'all were already cool with each other?"
"Dave helped me escape. Even let me knock him out with a big silver platter."
"And you didn't tell us this because...?" Rob asked.
"Y'all would have acted differently towards him, purposefully or not. And he was still working with Evolution at the time, so it would have been a bad deal."
"Gotcha. Well," Rob offered his hand to Batista. "Thanks for looking out for her."
Batista smirked a little as he shook Rob's hand, his eyes suggesting he'd just figured something out. "Not a problem."
He moved to leave. "Wait," Lita stopped him. He paused, looking back over his shoulder at her. "Let us walk you out. Even if Triple H is still out, Flair and Orton will probably try to jump you for what happened."
"Yeah..." he muttered. "I keep forgetting that I can't be fearless anymore."
"You should have been terrified of us."
"Not at all. You all are so loud and so headstrong aggressive that anyone could see you coming from a mile away. You're far too easy to avoid."
"And Evolution is sneaky."
"Exactly."
"Well," she shrugged. "That's why you should let us walk you out."
"Good logic. Let's go then."
Lita, the Dudleyz, Rob, and a still silent Kane followed Batista out. They checked every corner backstage before they turned around it, and were finally out in the parking lot. Batista got in his car and put the key in the ignition to start it. "Wait!" Lita yelled, and crawled under the car. She was gone a few seconds and reappeared. "All clear."
"What were you doing?" Dave asked, though the members of ECW nodded in understanding.
"Checking the brake lines."
"Oh," he shuddered. "To think that's even necessary..."
"Yeah, I know. Well, have a good life."
"You too. I'm sure we'll all meet again. Probably sooner than we realize."
"Like at the next ppv," Lita suggested.
"Yeah. See ya." Batista slammed the car door and sped off, tires squealing.
Lita waved goodbye as he drove off. "Wait a minute," she looked around at her teammates. "D-von, Bubba, where did y'all leave Stacey?"
"In the lockerroom with everyone else," D-von answered.
Lita stared at him. Bubba's eyes widened. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"
"Aw crap," D-von muttered, and sprinted off back towards the lockerroom with the others close behind.
Fortunately they arrived back in time soon enough to avoid any serious damage. Stacey was standing a little shakily, while Tommy was correcting her form holding a kendo stick. "No, it's like this," Raven set down the beer can he'd just taken another swig of, and tried to adjust her hands lower on the weapon. "That way you can swing with more leverage."
"Yeah, but you have less control," Tommy argued. Stacey dazedly tried to follow their argument, apparently already having had a few herself.
"Guys?" Lita asked, stunned. "What'd you do to her."
"Oh, it's okay Li," she slurred. "Rommy and Taven...hee hee hee...I said Taven...are teaching me to be extreme." She brandished the kendo stick drunkenly. Tommy ducked it, and it knocked an unsuspecting Spike directly between the eyes. "Good thing I wasn't wearing my glasses," he muttered irritatibly.
"I sowwy 'pike...I...I feel sick..." Lita rushed forward and caught Stacey as she swooned forward. She shook her head, glaring at Raven and Tommy. "You guys are hopeless."
"Eh, you love us for it."
"I guess that makes me hopeless, too."
She half-dragged/half-walked Stacey to the women's bathroom just in time. Lita grimaced and looked away as Stacey's body rid itself of the alcohol, holding her hair back for her.
"Thanks, Li," Stacey sat back, wiping her mouth with some tissue.
"It's okay," Lita reassured her. "We're just glad you're away from Test and Steiner."
"Me too! I mean, thanks so much for that. That was a really big risk you took."
"Yeah, well, I had to."
"No," Stacey shook her head. "You didn't. I mean, it's not like we were ever really friends before. So why take such a huge chance?"
"I don't know," Lita responded truthfully. "I guess, I knew it would mean a lot to the guys. And I knew you really needed help. So, here we are."
"Thank you so much Lita," Stacey hugged her. Lita looked down at her, a little taken aback. She patted her back awkwardly. "Um, your welcome. Say, Stace?"
"Yeah?"
"Are your bags in the lockerroom?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You happen to have a toothbrush with you?"
"Oops, oh yeah...Sorry about that..."
"It's all good," Lita reassured her. "You're smashed out of your mind right now and won't remember this later to be embarrassed, anyway."
"Okay...cool..."
"Right," Lita pulled her to her feet. She brought Stacey's bag out of the lockerroom for her and helped her stand up as she brushed her teeth. "Okay, let's get you back to the hotel so you can crash."
"Yeah...I'm sleepy."
"At least you won't be a very annoying roommate," Lita muttered. "Since you'll be passed out."
She brought Stacey back into the lockerroom. "Guys, a little help? I know she doesn't look big as a minute, but she's starting to get heavy."
Bubba scooped her up while Rob giggled. "'Big as a minute'? Your southern roots are showing."
"So?" Lita shot back. "Nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, that's big talk coming from the white guy who fights like he's Japanese. How many kung fu movies were you a stunt double in again?"
"How hypocritical, mi luchadora," he teased.
"Okay, okay, es suficiente (That's enough)," Rey broke it up. "Lita, Rob, ustedes luchan como novios. Son muy obvios." (Lita, Rob, you two fight like lovers. You're very obvious.)
Lita blushed. "Can it, Rey."
Everyone else just blinked at them.
"Would you guys *please* stop doing that?" Lance begged.
"You know, you could just learn spanish," Lita pointed out.
"I'm Canadian. My only second language is butchered French."
"Um, guys, I hate to interrupt this oh-so-important debate, but she's dead to the world, and I think we need to get her back to the hotel so she can sleep it off," Bubba informed them.
"Oh yeah. I'd almost forgotten about drunk girl," Lita mused. "Okay then, let's load up and get out of here."
They dragged Stacey and their luggage out to their two rental SUVs. Tommy drove one carrying himself, all three Dudleyz, Stacey, Stevie, and Raven. Lita drove the other with Rob riding shotgun, Lance, Justin, Rey, and Kane.
The guys all groaned when Lita cranked up the radio on a Sheryl Crow song. "Enough with the angry, Lillith Fair chick music!" Justin griped. Lita sang along loudly and offkey just to annoy them.
"'Cause you can't change the way I am! Are you strong enough to be my man?" Lita wailed.
"Enough!" Rob changed the station and the sounds of smokey blues filled the Explorer.
"Tell me no lies. I don't know about you; I don't know about you..."
Lita smirked at him. "You're a Bowie fan?"
"Can we listen to something that isn't completely weird?" Justin whined.
Lita switched the radio off. "Happy?"
"Very," the four guys chorused from the backseat. After a long and merciful silence, they pulled up into the hotel parking lot. Rob pulled Lita aside as she got out of the vehicle, letting everyone else go on up ahead of them. "Yeah?" she asked hesitantly.
"I wanted to ask you about something."
"Rob, I'm sorry, I'm just not ready..."
"No, no, not about that," he looked awkwardly away from her. "I was wondering why you didn't offer to Batista to stick with us. You know we could have accepted him after he helped you out so much."
"No, I couldn't do that. Dave's a great guy, but I don't know how well that would have gone over. And I want the team to be unified."
"Who would have had a problem with it?"
"Mostly Kane," she stated bluntly. "Having another big guy come in, one who'd saved me when he couldn't it? I just don't know how that would've flown."
Rob smiled, shaking his head. "You're so smart, Li. You see this stuff that everyone else would've missed. You always know what's going on in everyone else's head, like how you thought to try to save Stacey for Bubba and D-von tonight. How do you know this stuff?"
"Womanly intuition," she teased, somewhat seriously. "That's why they put me in charge."
"You put yourself in charge," he countered.
"And you wouldn't have it any other way."
He sighed, pulling her against him in a flirtatious hug. He ran his fingers through a strand of her hair, fiddled with it. "I wouldn't have you any other way than exactly as you are."
Lita rested her forehead on his shoulder, smiling. "Don't go making me forget why I can't be with you yet."
"I'm sorry," he released her. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait forever."
She laughed. "God, that's corny."
"Yeah, well," he shrugged, blushing. "It sounded a lot better in my head."
Lita patted Rob's cheek. "Go get some sleep. If little boy doesn't get a nap he's gonna be all grouchy and confused."
"Always confused, but never grouchy," he replied. "But hey, it's cool. If you're trying to get rid of me I understand."
"I'm trying to go get some sleep of my own. It's been a long night."
"I hear ya'. Well, good night then," he hugged her timidly.
"'Night Rob."
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So, I hope y'all weren't expecting that outcome for the match. A lot of the reviews I got suggested everyone thought Steiner and Test would win but no, it was not to be. Plus I'm having a really hard time writing Stacey since she doesn't have any real acting skills and therefore not much of a personality on the show. Sorry, that's unfair. She's really not that bad, especially considering she just entered the business by being a Nitro girl. Anyway, I'm rambling. Catch y'all later.
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Lita felt herself swimming upward back towards consciousness. Her vision was dim and blurry at first. When she broke the surface of being fully wake, it was finally clear. Batista leaned over her.
"No!" she screamed in panic, sitting up quickly. Several hands moved to hold her down again.
"Shhh...calm down; you've had a bad head injury." Wait...that sounded like Rob's voice. But...
She looked around the room. Batista was at her bedside, but everyone else was ECW. Her eyes darted around quickly. None of the other members of Evolution were present.
"What's going on?" she asked suspiciously.
"Dave," Bubba explained. "He grabbed that chair from Triple H and brained him with it before he had a chance to interfere. Orton and Flair scurried out of there pretty quick when he came after them."
Lita looked over at Batista, a little surprised, but smiling. "Thanks."
He shrugged.
"So I guess Triple H knows you're no longer his lackey."
"I suppose he'll figure it out...That is...when and if he ever regains consciousness."
Lita laughed, leaning back a little to relax. "So where do you go from here?"
"Smackdown. Steph'd already offered me a nice deal, and I figured I could get into a good rivalry with one of their big guys, maybe Lesnar or Nathan Jones."
Lita nodded. "Yeah, those would be good matches."
"And, if I ever just felt like kicking the sh*t out of someone, there's this little black-haired cruiserweight I got a bone to pick with. Something Hardy; ever heard of him?"
She feigned trying to remember. "Nope, not really. The name kinda rings a bell, but I guess he just wasn't worth remembering."
Rob actually giggled. She glanced at him, one eyebrow humorously raised. "Anyway," she addressed Batista. "I'm glad you went ahead and made your alliance, or lack thereof, clear now, before I was forced to let my boys fight you just to protect your cover."
"Yeah, I know. I figured Triple H was gonna try to make me knock you out or something, and then I'd blow my cover. Come to think of it, just like tonight."
"Yeah, well, thanks for that."
"No problem. I kinda wanted to whack him anyway."
The other members of ECW appeared a little confused with this exchange. "Wait a minute..." D-von tried to reason. "Y'all were already cool with each other?"
"Dave helped me escape. Even let me knock him out with a big silver platter."
"And you didn't tell us this because...?" Rob asked.
"Y'all would have acted differently towards him, purposefully or not. And he was still working with Evolution at the time, so it would have been a bad deal."
"Gotcha. Well," Rob offered his hand to Batista. "Thanks for looking out for her."
Batista smirked a little as he shook Rob's hand, his eyes suggesting he'd just figured something out. "Not a problem."
He moved to leave. "Wait," Lita stopped him. He paused, looking back over his shoulder at her. "Let us walk you out. Even if Triple H is still out, Flair and Orton will probably try to jump you for what happened."
"Yeah..." he muttered. "I keep forgetting that I can't be fearless anymore."
"You should have been terrified of us."
"Not at all. You all are so loud and so headstrong aggressive that anyone could see you coming from a mile away. You're far too easy to avoid."
"And Evolution is sneaky."
"Exactly."
"Well," she shrugged. "That's why you should let us walk you out."
"Good logic. Let's go then."
Lita, the Dudleyz, Rob, and a still silent Kane followed Batista out. They checked every corner backstage before they turned around it, and were finally out in the parking lot. Batista got in his car and put the key in the ignition to start it. "Wait!" Lita yelled, and crawled under the car. She was gone a few seconds and reappeared. "All clear."
"What were you doing?" Dave asked, though the members of ECW nodded in understanding.
"Checking the brake lines."
"Oh," he shuddered. "To think that's even necessary..."
"Yeah, I know. Well, have a good life."
"You too. I'm sure we'll all meet again. Probably sooner than we realize."
"Like at the next ppv," Lita suggested.
"Yeah. See ya." Batista slammed the car door and sped off, tires squealing.
Lita waved goodbye as he drove off. "Wait a minute," she looked around at her teammates. "D-von, Bubba, where did y'all leave Stacey?"
"In the lockerroom with everyone else," D-von answered.
Lita stared at him. Bubba's eyes widened. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"
"Aw crap," D-von muttered, and sprinted off back towards the lockerroom with the others close behind.
Fortunately they arrived back in time soon enough to avoid any serious damage. Stacey was standing a little shakily, while Tommy was correcting her form holding a kendo stick. "No, it's like this," Raven set down the beer can he'd just taken another swig of, and tried to adjust her hands lower on the weapon. "That way you can swing with more leverage."
"Yeah, but you have less control," Tommy argued. Stacey dazedly tried to follow their argument, apparently already having had a few herself.
"Guys?" Lita asked, stunned. "What'd you do to her."
"Oh, it's okay Li," she slurred. "Rommy and Taven...hee hee hee...I said Taven...are teaching me to be extreme." She brandished the kendo stick drunkenly. Tommy ducked it, and it knocked an unsuspecting Spike directly between the eyes. "Good thing I wasn't wearing my glasses," he muttered irritatibly.
"I sowwy 'pike...I...I feel sick..." Lita rushed forward and caught Stacey as she swooned forward. She shook her head, glaring at Raven and Tommy. "You guys are hopeless."
"Eh, you love us for it."
"I guess that makes me hopeless, too."
She half-dragged/half-walked Stacey to the women's bathroom just in time. Lita grimaced and looked away as Stacey's body rid itself of the alcohol, holding her hair back for her.
"Thanks, Li," Stacey sat back, wiping her mouth with some tissue.
"It's okay," Lita reassured her. "We're just glad you're away from Test and Steiner."
"Me too! I mean, thanks so much for that. That was a really big risk you took."
"Yeah, well, I had to."
"No," Stacey shook her head. "You didn't. I mean, it's not like we were ever really friends before. So why take such a huge chance?"
"I don't know," Lita responded truthfully. "I guess, I knew it would mean a lot to the guys. And I knew you really needed help. So, here we are."
"Thank you so much Lita," Stacey hugged her. Lita looked down at her, a little taken aback. She patted her back awkwardly. "Um, your welcome. Say, Stace?"
"Yeah?"
"Are your bags in the lockerroom?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You happen to have a toothbrush with you?"
"Oops, oh yeah...Sorry about that..."
"It's all good," Lita reassured her. "You're smashed out of your mind right now and won't remember this later to be embarrassed, anyway."
"Okay...cool..."
"Right," Lita pulled her to her feet. She brought Stacey's bag out of the lockerroom for her and helped her stand up as she brushed her teeth. "Okay, let's get you back to the hotel so you can crash."
"Yeah...I'm sleepy."
"At least you won't be a very annoying roommate," Lita muttered. "Since you'll be passed out."
She brought Stacey back into the lockerroom. "Guys, a little help? I know she doesn't look big as a minute, but she's starting to get heavy."
Bubba scooped her up while Rob giggled. "'Big as a minute'? Your southern roots are showing."
"So?" Lita shot back. "Nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, that's big talk coming from the white guy who fights like he's Japanese. How many kung fu movies were you a stunt double in again?"
"How hypocritical, mi luchadora," he teased.
"Okay, okay, es suficiente (That's enough)," Rey broke it up. "Lita, Rob, ustedes luchan como novios. Son muy obvios." (Lita, Rob, you two fight like lovers. You're very obvious.)
Lita blushed. "Can it, Rey."
Everyone else just blinked at them.
"Would you guys *please* stop doing that?" Lance begged.
"You know, you could just learn spanish," Lita pointed out.
"I'm Canadian. My only second language is butchered French."
"Um, guys, I hate to interrupt this oh-so-important debate, but she's dead to the world, and I think we need to get her back to the hotel so she can sleep it off," Bubba informed them.
"Oh yeah. I'd almost forgotten about drunk girl," Lita mused. "Okay then, let's load up and get out of here."
They dragged Stacey and their luggage out to their two rental SUVs. Tommy drove one carrying himself, all three Dudleyz, Stacey, Stevie, and Raven. Lita drove the other with Rob riding shotgun, Lance, Justin, Rey, and Kane.
The guys all groaned when Lita cranked up the radio on a Sheryl Crow song. "Enough with the angry, Lillith Fair chick music!" Justin griped. Lita sang along loudly and offkey just to annoy them.
"'Cause you can't change the way I am! Are you strong enough to be my man?" Lita wailed.
"Enough!" Rob changed the station and the sounds of smokey blues filled the Explorer.
"Tell me no lies. I don't know about you; I don't know about you..."
Lita smirked at him. "You're a Bowie fan?"
"Can we listen to something that isn't completely weird?" Justin whined.
Lita switched the radio off. "Happy?"
"Very," the four guys chorused from the backseat. After a long and merciful silence, they pulled up into the hotel parking lot. Rob pulled Lita aside as she got out of the vehicle, letting everyone else go on up ahead of them. "Yeah?" she asked hesitantly.
"I wanted to ask you about something."
"Rob, I'm sorry, I'm just not ready..."
"No, no, not about that," he looked awkwardly away from her. "I was wondering why you didn't offer to Batista to stick with us. You know we could have accepted him after he helped you out so much."
"No, I couldn't do that. Dave's a great guy, but I don't know how well that would have gone over. And I want the team to be unified."
"Who would have had a problem with it?"
"Mostly Kane," she stated bluntly. "Having another big guy come in, one who'd saved me when he couldn't it? I just don't know how that would've flown."
Rob smiled, shaking his head. "You're so smart, Li. You see this stuff that everyone else would've missed. You always know what's going on in everyone else's head, like how you thought to try to save Stacey for Bubba and D-von tonight. How do you know this stuff?"
"Womanly intuition," she teased, somewhat seriously. "That's why they put me in charge."
"You put yourself in charge," he countered.
"And you wouldn't have it any other way."
He sighed, pulling her against him in a flirtatious hug. He ran his fingers through a strand of her hair, fiddled with it. "I wouldn't have you any other way than exactly as you are."
Lita rested her forehead on his shoulder, smiling. "Don't go making me forget why I can't be with you yet."
"I'm sorry," he released her. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait forever."
She laughed. "God, that's corny."
"Yeah, well," he shrugged, blushing. "It sounded a lot better in my head."
Lita patted Rob's cheek. "Go get some sleep. If little boy doesn't get a nap he's gonna be all grouchy and confused."
"Always confused, but never grouchy," he replied. "But hey, it's cool. If you're trying to get rid of me I understand."
"I'm trying to go get some sleep of my own. It's been a long night."
"I hear ya'. Well, good night then," he hugged her timidly.
"'Night Rob."
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So, I hope y'all weren't expecting that outcome for the match. A lot of the reviews I got suggested everyone thought Steiner and Test would win but no, it was not to be. Plus I'm having a really hard time writing Stacey since she doesn't have any real acting skills and therefore not much of a personality on the show. Sorry, that's unfair. She's really not that bad, especially considering she just entered the business by being a Nitro girl. Anyway, I'm rambling. Catch y'all later.