In A Breath
By Kyizi
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the WWE, the story is mine.
Rating: R, for violence and rape
Summary: Christian turned his back on his brother, on his career and on his company, was it really all because he was jealous of his brother's success? Or was he trying to escape from something…or someone?
Spoilers: Up to and including Vengeance.
Setting: This starts the day before Vengeance, but we will be taking a trip back in time every now and again.
Feedback: Always appreciated
E-mail: kyizifanfic@hotmail.com
Yahoo! Group: KyiziFic
Notes: This idea came into my head after reading Karen U's fic, "It Only Hurts" where she gave Jericho a reason for being, well, an ass, I began to wonder if maybe Christian had a reason…
(Matt and Lita aren't dating in this one and they're both at Vengeance backstage for the purposes of this fic!)
~x~x~x~x~x~
Part Fifteen
~x~x~x~x~x~
Lita rubbed at her eyes as she crossed the room, sitting next to Torrie. She reached out an arm, laying it over the blonde's shoulders, startling her out of her reverie.
"How is he? How's Christian?"
Lita sighed, trying not to remember the haunted looks on Edge and Christian's faces when she had been in the small room. "They're…together."
Torrie smiled slightly before breaking down. Lita pulled the woman into her arms and just let her cry. "I knew Edge would help, I knew he would, but Christian wouldn't let me tell him, wouldn't tell him himself. I tried to get him to talk about it, but I knew Edge was the only one he'd talk properly with. But Christian knew that himself, and he didn't want to talk."
"Torrie," Lita said, pulling back to look into the girl's face. "I still don't understand where you fit in to all of this."
Torrie looked at the ground, seeming to not want anyone to meet her eyes. "I, well…he saved me." She laughed a little. "A man who needed so much saving himself, and he saved me from them. He got me out of the Alliance, said I needed to keep away from them or they'd keep hurting me. At first, I didn't realise that he wa talking from experience. I didn't know. But…but he kept Shane and the others away from me and he protected me…and we fell in love." Torrie smiled and looked up at Lita.
"I know it's not the romance everyone dreams of. We're both broken in a way, but he put me back together. I guess he helped me where I can't help him. Because he got me away, I couldn't do the same for him. All I could do was fix him up when he'd let me and hold him when he'd let me…and always love him."
"Oh my, God." Lita stood up, glancing at Matt and Jeff, who had also been listening to the conversation. "Torrie what did you mean when you said you couldn't do the same for him? You said you couldn't get him away. Torrie, is this still happening? Is…is Christian still being…hurt?"
Torrie looked away for a moment before turning to look Lita straight in the eyes. Her tears were falling again as she nodded. "Yes."
* * *
It had seemed like hours since Christian had finally let himself go, had finally let himself cry. Edge didn't know when he, himself had stopped crying, but he knew that if his eyes were any indication, then Christian's eyes must be red raw, swollen and painful.
There was a gentle tap at the door, and Edge could fell Christian tensing in his arms. He gripped his brother tighter and turned to look, thinking it was just Lita returning with coffee or something.
He got a surprise when the door opened and both Lita and Torrie entered. He still didn't know what role Torrie had to play in this whole thing, but he figured that she meant a lot to Christian and vice versa, if she actually knew all of this. Christian pulled back a little and smiled up at Torrie, and the look in his brother's eyes confirmed Edge's suspicion.
"Hey," Christian said softly, and the pain in his voice almost broke Edge's heart all over again. His throat was dry and scratchy from crying so much. Torrie took one look at him and launched herself into Christian's arms as Edge stood up, indicating for Lita to join him. She looked worried and he wanted to know why.
"What's up?" he asked her softly as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I-I don't know how to tell you this, or even if I should but…"
"Lita, I think I should." They both turned to look at Torrie as she turned back to face Christian. "I'm so sorry, sweetie, but they had to know."
"It's okay," Christian said softly. "You only did what you thought was best."
"I know, and that's why they had to know it was still happening."
"What?"
Edge was barely aware that he and Christian had spoken in unison. "It's still happening?" He looked at his brother's shell shocked face. "Chris, it's still happening?"
"I had to tell them, Christian, they can make it stop, they can-"
"No!" Christian yelled, trying to get out of the bed. "You can't have. He'll-he'll-"
"He'll never hurt you again. Who is it, Christian?" Edge gripped his brother's shoulder, unaware as to when he had even moved from Lita's embrace.
"No!"
"I promise you, he'll never hurt you again, now-"
"It's not me I care about!"
Edge stared into his brother's eyes in shock. "What-what do you mean?"
"You have to leave, Eddie, you have to get out of here and protect…you just have to leave."
"Oh my, God." Edge took a deep breath. "Mom. That's why you said there had been an accident. You weren't trying to make me hate you; you were trying to warn me. And I missed it again."
"You have to get out, you have to…I won't let him hurt her, I-"
"What does he have on her?"
"What does he have on her?" Christian laughed wildly. "A gun, Edge. He has a gun on her. He can't have his perfect reputation ruined by having anyone find out, now can he? So he needed some leverage. And a gun on you and mom was the best way to-"
"On me?" Christian didn't reply and Edge tightened his grip on his brother's shoulders. "Who is he, Christian? Who did this to you?"
"I can't, I-"
The door opened and Christian saw the Hardy brother's for the first time. They closed the door quickly and Edge noticed that they both looked a little unsure and worried. At first Edge thought it was that they might be worried how Christian would react to them being there, but he wasn't so sure.
"What?" he asked.
"Well, I don't know if it's important or anything," Jeff started. "But, William Regal is at reception looking for Christian."
~x~x~x~x~x~
End of Part Fifteen
~x~x~x~x~x~