Title: In The End
Disclaimer: Short and sweet..I own nada. Title inspired by the song of the same name by Linkin Park.
Rating: R- for language and references to tricky situations.
Spoilers: RAW storyline involving Kane/Lita/Matt, with a twist.
Pairings: Not important..trust me.
Summary: When Lita confronts the father of her baby it only leads to a bigger nightmare.
Feedback: is appreciated
Notes: Well..hmm. Now that I think about it, I'm blending a few nights of RAW into one. Here go, the
Highlight Reel from 7-12-04 is being used now..instead of later. Imagine that this series starts with the 6-21-04 episode of RAW and we'll be peachy.
...
Part Three: Don't Need Anyone
With the Heat tapings half underway, Stacy Keibler could only look on helplessly as her red headed friend paced the length of the shared locker room. To say the air was tense would be the understatement of the year. The long legged blonde sighed, watching the facial contortions of the red head and the way her hands emphazised words only she could hear. If Stacy had to guess, she would gather that Lita was re-hearsing for something. But what?
A sharp knock at the locker room door broke the blonde from her thoughts, but did nothing to cease the pacing at the other end.
Tentatively, the less pre-occupied of the two approached the door, opening it just a tiny bit. "Can I help you?"
"It's just me Stace" Chris Jericho stepped back so the blonde diva could see. "Can I come in?"
Stacy nodded just barely, allowing the man to enter on his own free will. "What's up?"
Chris shrugged, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. "How is she holding up?"
The corners of Stacy's mouth turned down; a soft sigh escaping before she addressed the obvious, "How do you think Chris? Look at her"
The blonde man frowned in kind, troubled eyes following the red heads movements. "Li.." He cleared his throat, waiting for the red head to at the very least acknowledge his prescence. "Lita"
Distant hazel orbs snapped towards his direction, the pacing ceasing for a moment. Her head tilted just slightly, silently acknowledging his being.
"Just thought you should know." Chris sat down on the bench, raking his hands through his hair. "I delivered your message..and the Reel is scheduled for the second half. First up."
Her head bobbed, hands stuffed into her pockets as she turned towards her locker. "..Thanks Chris." She shook her head, straddling the bench, cupping her face in her hands. "Did he give you a yes or no?"
The native born Canadian raised a brow. "I may have been gutsy enough to deliver the message. But there is no way..and I mean no way..that I am sticking around for an answer." He snorted, shaking his head at the diva. "I love ya babe, but not that much."
The corners of Lita's mouth turned up just barely as she turned to face her friends. "So..first on the second half of the night.." She sighed audibly, raking a hand through her hair. "Let's just hope that the sleaze doesn't get it in his mind to put me on the card at the last minute."
"Well if he does that" Chris shrugged just slightly, standing up to join the red head. "Edge and Me will just beat the crap out of him...which reminds me" Blue eyes twinkled with mirth as he turned his attention to the blonde diva. "I was told to ask..if you'd rather call it a night in or go out." He smirked impishly when the blonde flushed just slightly. "He said the choice is yours."
For her part, Stacy took a sudden interest in her nails. "I'll let him know.." She shrugged it off, trying in vain to cease the red tinge of her cheeks. "But..given who the two of you are facing tonight? I'll have to go with the former."
The blonde man scoffed, "Please..those two assclowns will be a walk in the park." He rolled his eyes, leaning back against the lockers. "Randy and Batista are just more of the same..talk the talk but can't walk the walk."
Beside him, the red head barely stiffened. "You are having the highlight reel before your match..right?" One brow raised, her eyes sending an un-clear signal.
"With the commercial break in between, don't worry babe." He squeezed her shoulder re-assuringly. "Those two won't be anywhere near you."
She nodded absently, relaxing a touch. "I'm..gonna visit Shane for a bit." She quirked a tiny smile, gathering her bottled water before she slipped out the door.
Two pairs of worried eyes followed her form before she disappeared from sight. "I'm worried about her Chris" The diva sighed, raking a hand through her long locks. "Normally, I'd say she has everything under control but.."
"Something's not right" Chris frowned, his eyes still trained on the door. "And knowing her..she won't say a thing to us." He inwardly sighed, sitting down once more, his forearms resting on his thighs. "What I wouldn't give to have that nut job Hardy around."
Stacy's brows furrowed slightly, "You mean Jeff..right?"
"Hn" Chris grunted slightly in acknowledgement, becoming lost in his thoughts. "He had a knack for getting through to her when no one else could and vice versa. Those two..just had this understanding of each other."
The diva nodded in comprehension. "I remember..they were near inseperable." A nostalgic smile graced the face of the blonde, as she turned her eyes to her companion. "Do you think, if we could get Jeff here tonight.."
"I dunno Stace" Chris frowned a touch. "But it's worth a shot..if he's not busy. Last I knew, he signed with TNA."
"Well, it's worth a shot to me, I'll pay for his flight down here. It doesn't really matter." The blonde diva frowned. "Lita needs us, whether she says so or not." Determined, the long legged woman stood, digging through the red head's gym bag.
Chris sighed slightly, standing to leave. "Good luck Stacy." With one hand on the doorknob, he touched his free hand to his forehead. "I'll see ya later."
The blonde diva quirked a smile, finally reaching the object of her search. "See ya Chris"
With a small smile, Stacy brandished both Lita's cell phone and her address book.
Lita shifted her weight from foot to foot, filtering out the noise ahead of her; the roar of the crowd as RAW was coming back from commercial break, JR and the King presumably hyping up the remaining night. In the ring, she knew that the rest of the set for the Highlight Reel was being set up and that only meant one thing. Confronting Kane. She sighed inwardly, Lord she didn't want to face this man..but she had to. Edge and Stacy had tried to talk her out of it, coming all the way to the curtains with her just in case. Her gaze flicked back to them now, still huddled incospiciously at the stairs. The troubled diva bit her lip, rehearsing her speech in her mind.
'The third of the night.' She frowned, this night had turned out to be one that she would never forget. 'Let's just hope this one turns out okay.'
An off-handed wave was tossed in the direction of her well meaning friends just as the strains of Love, Fury, Passion, Energy hit the arena speakers. And, with her mask slipped on, she shook of her last minute jitters; bursting through the curtains like the crowd expected.
Once she had slipped into the ring, she wasted not a minute; immediately requesting a microphone from the blonde before her.
"I'm out here to address a few issues. But" She sucked in a breath, raising a brow at the titantron. "Before I go any further..Kane get your big, ugly ass out here now." She stepped forward, leaning on the ring ropes; praying that her act would work.
"What do you think she's doing King?" J.R. exchanged a worried glance with his broadcast partner. "As far as I knew, Lita was the only guest tonight."
"I don't know J.R. but from the sounds of it" King flinches as the pyros go off at the top of the ramp. "We're about to find out"
The red head stepped back from the ropes, waiting until Kane was in the ring before she began. "Now you listen to me and you listen well. I am sick and tired of playing victim in your sick scheme." Hazel orbs narrowed at the man before her, her free hand clenching into a fist at her side. "I'm not going to ask you to leave me alone..I'm demanding you leave me alone." She stepped forward, handing the microphone off to Chris. Her chin lifted defiantly as she spoke in a tone low enough for Kane's ears alone.
"You and I both know full well that this baby..isn't yours." She smirked, tossing her hair in confidence. "Which means, you can either leave me the hell alone, or I'll find a way to make you."
The big red machine smirked, shaking his head at the bold diva before him. His lips curled into a twisted smile as he lowered his face to her ear. "This is far from over Lita. He won't protect you."
She barely flinched, deadpanning back. "Shows how much you know. Not like I need his protecting anyway."
"Mark my words Lita..you're going to need all the protecting you can get." He stepped back, licking his lips before he slid out of the ring; walking backwards up the ramp.
Once he had disappeared behind the curtain, Chris stepped forward; an arm snaking protectively around her shoulders.
"You get back to the locker room quick as you can..Batista, Hunter and Randy could be anywhere."
The red head nodded, shrugging out of his grasp before she too slipped out of the ring. As she stepped through the curtains, she was brought into a spur of the moment group hug with Edge and Stacy.
"Guys" The red head ducked out from beneath the strong arms of the blonde Canadian. "I'm fine okay? I just need to go back to the locker room, take a breather..or get out of here." She forced a smile, waving to them before she made off for the locker room. From the corner of her eye, she saw him; watching her, protecting her? She wasn't sure at that point. All she knew was that she was..at least for this moment; safe.
Chris and Edge exchanged a worried look, the taller of the two re-adjusting the ice pack on his head. From their place outside the locker room door, they could just hear the crash; metal against metal. Stacy had already taken off for the night, heading to the airport to retrieve a very important piece of cargo.
"We have to get in there" Chris frowned, pressing his ear to the door. "Before she really hurts herself or that baby."
"Yeah well, in case you haven't noticed?" Edge gestured to the door. "It's very locked."
"Then why don't you two just knock" A soft, pained voice broke in..a teary eyed red head before them. "Or better yet, why don't you just get me out of here?" Her arms wrapped around her shaky form before she stepped back; silently allowing the two entry.
"Well we had to see the trainers first...get clearance to leave without seeking" Chris rolled his eyes, making quoation marks with his fingers. "Proper medical care"
Lita raised a brow just slightly, her eyes tracing over the bandage on the taller man's head. "Yeah well, you two did have your hands full tonight." She shook her head, tossing items haphazardly inside her gym bag. "But, it appears that my rental car has disappeared with my roomie for tonight."
Chris waved it off, straightening a few chairs. "We just need to get our stuff..then we're heading out." He shouldered the red heads gym bag once it was zipped. "Let's go babe"
The ghost of a smile graced her face as she stepped between the two; mindful of their sore bodies as her arms snaked around them. "Thanks guys"
Lita let out a tired sigh, biding her farewells to both Chris and Edge in the hallway of the hotel. She promised them both she'd call if she needed anything before she ducked into her hotel room.
'Well, no sign of Stacy' The red head tossed her gym bag on her bed, kicking off her shoes. 'Wonder where she is?'
The offending noise of her cell phone broke her train of thought, her brows knitting in confusion at the display panel.
"Why are you calling?" She winced at the hint of pain in his voice. "No..no it's alright. I just-" She sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "What's up?"
She shook her head at herself, laying back on the bed. "I'm not worried about Kane. All talk-" She frowned, rolling her eyes at the ceiling in response to his retort. "Look, can we talk later? I need to shower."
She nodded at the cell phone, gathering her shower supplies and a change of clothes. "I'll talk to you later then." The cell phone was shut with a flick of her wrist, tossed once more into her gym bag as she made her way to the bathroom. Just as she had gotten the water to the perfect temperature, a knock at the door broke into her sanctuary.
'Whomever it is..they best have a good excuse' She frowned, stalking out of the bathroom.
"Whatever it is, it'll hafta wait" She leaned against the wall, not bothering to peer through the peephole.
"For Stacy to pay for a plane ticket for me? I don't think this matter can wait Li"
Hazel eyes lit up at the Southern drawl on the other side of the door. "When did you get here?" She flung the door open, taking in the very welcome site of one Jeff Hardy. "Your hair..it's"
"Plain" Jeff stepped inside, wrapping his arms around the red head as he kicked the door shut with his foot. "I just got here..thanks to Stacy. She called me from your cellphone."
Lita nodded against his chest, holding on to him for all she was worth. "I'll have to thank her later then..but for now" She pulled back, wrenching an arm free to ruffle his hair. "I really need to take a shower."
He rolled his eyes, relenting his grasp. "I'll order us some food..somethin' tells me, we're in for a long night."
She rolled her eyes right back, ducking into the bathroom. "You have no idea Jeff..no idea."
End Part Three.
Note: I had to relieve the mood just a touch for this part. Jeff will play a fairly large part from this point on, although he will still remain on TNA.