All To Survive
By Kyizi
Timeline: The main change to timeline is that Ivory never left and she was drafted to Smackdown! And Lita wasn't injured. The roster split did happen, hence the two different settings. For now.
Yahoo! Group: KyiziFic
Note: I suddenly realised that there may have been a little bit of confusion in the previous part and figured I should make it clear. Shane is Shane Helms/Hurricane, not Shane McMahon! I know his real name is actually Gregory (isn't it?), but he used Shane Helms as his alter-ego a while back, so this is what name I'm using for him.
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Part Three
"Where is she?" Christian demanded angrily. "She should be back by now." He was pacing back and forth, the rotting floorboards creaking noisily with every movement. "She should be back by now."
"She'll be fine. Lita's always fine."
"Yeah, like she was fine when she almost got caught in the old library? Like she was fine when she nearly got crushed under that bridge? Like-"
"That was your fault!" Jeff cried, jumping to his feet and planting himself in Christian's path. The anger on his face was so strong that Christian jumped back a little. "We've never blamed you for it," he continued in a low voice, "so don't you dare blame her."
Christian nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed at his eyes. "I'm worried."
"I know you are, but she'll be fine. Lita's always fine."
It had become Jeff's mantra whenever Lita failed to show up on time. Not that failing to show up at the appropriate time was something that only happened to Lita, but, being the only real friend Jeff had left, Christian wasn't surprised that he worried more for her. The same was true of Lita whenever Jeff was missing.
They stuck together as a group for the most part, but whatever small hovel they managed to claim as their own when they moved on was always harder to keep than the food they were forced to steal. Three remained behind to guard their beds and one went out to find the food. Christian was not alone in wishing that Lita would always remain behind and let them take turns in going out alone, but she refused to be treated any different than the rest of the group just because she was the only female. Christian only hoped that she was never caught, because, whether she wanted special treatment or not, women were most definitely treated differently when captured by Them. It was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy and Lita had quickly become more than that since the disaster had happened. He hadn't had close friends in a long time. It felt nice.
He placed a hand on Jeff's shoulder and nodded. Lita would come back. She had to come back because the group would fall apart without her.
"Damn it!" The curse was followed by a loud crash and Jeff and Christian jumped, swiveling to look at the large hole that now adorned their wall and the blonde man with his fist in it.
They looked at each other, not quite sure what to say. It was true that Lita had been gone a long time, but neither had expected such an outburst. Not from the one member of their group that seemed to care for no one.
Another sudden movement caught their eyes as the man walked to the exit. "Keep watch," he said and pulled back the crumbling dresser that blocked their door.
"Where are you going?" Christian questioned as he and Jeff followed to the doorway.
The man turned and looked at them with hard eyes. "To get Lita."
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The noises were completely surrounding her now and she had to force herself not to panic. There was an eerie whine, a sort of nature call to alert others to the hunt and she felt tears stringing in her eyes at the thought of what they would do to her when they finally found her.
I will not break. They will not break me. She repeated it to herself over and over. She had seen the after effects before; the women they had left for dead, begging, battered and broken in the ruins that covered what had once been their civilization. It had cut into her heart, but she would not allow that to happen to her. Her friends would not find her in that state, even if she had to kill herself first to avoid it.
A loud bang echoed suddenly through the air, reverberating around her in the enclosed ruins she had sheltered under. Part of the building shook before pain lanced through her right leg as it began to fall. She jumped and her hand brushed against the one thing she had been avoiding thinking about. Her fingers got caught in course hair as she tried to pull her hands away. She tugged again, bile rising in her throat as her pain subsided and visions filled her mind.
Was he a doctor? Was she a Lawyer? Was he happy? Was she content? Was she a mother? Did he have a family? Did they see it coming?
By the time she had freed her hand, tears were coursing down her face as she bit back harsh sobs. Visions filled he mind stronger than before and she knew that it had been a man. He had long brown hair, striking blue eyes and he had been happy. He had a bright yellow electric guitar and a five year old daughter called Melissa that adored him. She lived with her mother in the next state. He hadn't seen her before he died.
She no longer questioned how she knew these things. She did. Since the disaster they had only grown in strength and she hated it. Hated that she could see what had been and what could have been.
Melissa would have been an artist, struggling but happy. She would marry one of her father's friends, a man a lot older than her, but they would have been happy. Three children. A dog. A house in the country. Estranged from her parents for a long time but reunited through her battle against cancer. She would have won. She was-
"Lita."
The harsh voice jerked her from her vision and she swiped at her eyes as she glanced around her. There was a sliver of light to her left and she could see his outline encased with light. He was anything but an angel; cutting, quiet, severe, hard, but at that moment, he looked almost ethereal.
"M-my leg," she stammered and he nodded, working his way under and next to her.
"Grit your teeth."
She nodded. He was going to get her out. The fear subsided. There was something in his eyes that, whilst not warm or friendly, made her feel eternally safe.
He carefully dragged her out from her hiding place, quickly and efficiently. She didn't know how he had scared Them away, but she knew they would be back and in bigger numbers. He pulled her into his arms and she hissed as the cut at the back of her right calf rubbed against his shirtsleeve.
Looking up, she studied his face for a moment. He caught her gaze and she smiled slightly. "Thank you," she said softly. No one was supposed to break their group rules. No one was supposed to leave the other two alone in their chosen home, whatever it was at the time. But he had. He had saved her. "Thank you, Chris."
He nodded and, for a brief moment, there was a light in Chris Jericho's eyes that hadn't been there in a long time.
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Okay, there will be polls opening on both KyiziFic and Karen U's list, KarenFic, to decide on the pairings in this one. I know what I want for Lita, but I think I'll put it to the vote anyway!
Read, review and vote! Go on, you know you want to ;)