Disclaimer: I own nothing that is recognizable.
Spoilers: None
Summary: When things start taking their toll on Lita, will one night be enough to help her forget? Or will she look back with further regrets?
Notes: Nothing that hasn't been said, enjoy!
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It wasn't really the fact that she was walking in the dark, nor was it the fact that she walking along a two lane road. What did disturb her was that, no sooner had she reached the top of the hill, did the skies decide to open. And of course, it would be her luck that the shirt she was wearing was worn…and of course, white. But at that moment, Lita decided she didn't really give a damn if her shirt was soaked through…all that mattered now as getting gas so they could get out of there. Of course, the thought didn't cross her mind to call Jeff, Victoria or Rob when she finally reached the gas station; but Lita wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that the gas station attendant was leering at her or if she was starting to get cold. Whatever the case, once she had what she had come for; she turned around on heel making her way back as quick as she could.
John blinked, getting out of the car when she reappeared. "Don't take this the wrong way, but…you look like a drowned sewer rat."
Lita glared, quite shoving the gas can into his arms. "Just shut up…alright? I am not in the mood."
"Sorry…" John shrugged, valiantly averting his eyes from the drenched Diva. "Umm…how much was it? I can pay ya half or something."
Lita rolled her eyes, "Just forget it okay? I'm gonna sit in the car now…where it isn't pouring buckets."
John nodded in response, turning his attention instead to getting the gas in the car.
Meanwhile inside the car, Lita's teeth started to chatter. And she knew that it wouldn't take that long to change…but she didn't exactly expect for John Cena to get back in the car when she was peeling her shirt off.
"I'm sorry.." John started instantly, a hand flying up to cover his face.
Lita rolled her eyes in spite of it all, whacking him across the chest with her wet top. "You act like you haven't seen a woman in her bra before."
John peered through his fingers, "I have.."
Lita just shook her head, reclining the seat so she could reach the clothes she had tossed in the back. "Looks like you're the drowned sewer rat now…"
John rolled his eyes, peeling his shirt off then. "Well it is kinda raining out there."
"No shit John…I thought it was just my imagination, come to think of it? All I needed was my little umbrella and a rain coat so I could recreate 'Singing in the Rain. " Lita rolled her eyes, her fingertips just grasping her shirt when John's wet shirt connected with her backside. "That…was uncalled for."
John snickered, tossing his shirt in the backseat. "If it'll make you feel any better…here." He turned sideways in the seat. "Go ahead."
Lita snorted, yanking her shirt overhead as she resettled in the seat. "No thanks."
John raised a brow, "You mean…no spanks."
Lita just shook her head, hazel orbs averting valiantly. "So…there was a phone booth at the gas station."
"Did you let them know where we are?"
"No."
"Why?"
The redhead shrugged, wringing out her hair over his lap. "It wasn't my top priority at the time…sorry."
"So…"
"We still have two options, but either way…we really should head up to the gas station to call."
"Right."
Lita made a face, "So are you just gonna sit there? Or did Jeff's car gain the ability to start itself?"
"Just thinking."
Lita raised a brow, "About?"
"The fact that your backyard…either turned into a mini-Woodstock with all them drunk people…or your house is a mess because all them drunk people are trying to rush inside."
Lita shrugged, "Whatever…either way I was expecting a mess. I wouldn't really expect for things to stay pristine, ya know?"
"That's true." John shrugged it off, starting the car then. "So…any thoughts?"
"On?"
"What to do…"
"Not really."
He nodded, "Okay then…"
"We should just head back…I'm pretty sure Jeff's passed out somewhere, which leaves just Vikki and Rob to keep things under control."
"That makes sense."
"But on the other hand…"
John raised a brow, keeping an eye out for the gas station. "Why does that sound like trouble?"
"If we don't head back…Vikki and Rob can clean up the mess."
"Even though it's your house…"
"Which I left them in charge of…"
"They ain't gonna appreciate that."
"No." Lita conceded easily. "But I wouldn't have to deal with the sight of drunken ex best friend with her hands all over an equally drunk ex boyfriend."
"Point." John conceded as he finally spotted the gas station. "Um…do you want me to make the call?"
"Nah…I can handle the ole pervert behind the counter." Lita shrugged nonchalantly, unbuckling the seatbelt as soon as the car stopped. "If I'm not back in five minutes? Wait longer."
John blinked, hesitating a moment before deciding to just let well enough alone. And he would have remained there, if a pick up truck full of drunken youth hadn't pulled up beside the car. He could already see Lita growing uncomfortable with the gas station attendant leering at her…and judging by the youth that piled inside…things had the potential to get ugly.
"Look, Vikki…we ran into car trouble alright?"
"I thought you were just picking up soda and ice…which by the way," The raven haired Diva let out an exasperated sigh, "Jeff has been asking for…between asking for his blankie."
Lita snorted, "He's that drunk, eh?"
Victoria snorted, "You spend way too much time with Chris and Chris."
"Whatever, look Vikki…I'll um.."
"Are you coming back?"
"If we can get the car out of the ditch…"
Victoria sighed, "Alright…Rob and I will keep an eye on things here…and if you're not back in time, we'll get things straightened out for you."
"You're the best Vikki.."
"You really owe me Li."
"I know…well look, my quarter is about to run out…I'll call you when we're at a motel or something."
Lita turned, to find not only the gas station attendant leering at her, but three scraggly looking young men.
"Hey baby…" One of the slurred, leaning against his friend for support.
"Excuse me.."
"What's the rush?"
"I really need to get going, so if you could just be nice dogs…and run along?"
"Awww…she doesn't want to play."
"Look, I don't really feel like kicking your ass…even though I know I could…so why don't you just move and I'll be on my way."
"Feisty…" He licked his lips, lazily giving her the once over. "I like that in a woman."
"Too bad, she ain't your woman."
Undaunted, the youth didn't bother to turn around. "Get your own."
"I have my own…and you're looking at her." John stated as he stood behind the youth. "So why don't you get your punk ass away from her, before I throw you away from her."
This time, he turned…his brows raising in shock. "I uh--"
"You were saying?"
He winced…and John smiled.
"Go…but before you do?" John raised a brow, crossing his arms over his still bare chest. "Apologize."
"Right, I was just uh…about to do that…sorry for bothering her..."
"Apologize to her."
"I'm sorry."
"Now go."
Lita rolled her eyes, pushing past the remaining little group. "Thank you honey."
John rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around her waist. "What have I told you about getting into trouble, huh?"
"I know I know…" Lita sighed overdramatically, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Especially since you just finished serving that prison term from what you did to that last guy…"
The gas station attendant snorted abruptly, "Can't you read?" He raised a brow, leaning against the counter. "No shirt, no shoes…no service."
"We're going." Lita reassured with a toss of her hair. "Sorry for the trouble."
"Smart ass city punk." The attendant muttered as the pair exited. "Just out to start trouble."
Lita shook her head, the two making their way back to the car in silence.
"Tell me something," John began as he opened the door for her. "Do you always manage to find trouble?"
Lita rolled her eyes, slipping inside the car. "I don't find trouble…it finds me."
John snorted in disbelief, shutting the door once she was settled.
"I could've handled them you know." Lita informed him once he settled in the driver's seat.. "I'm perfectly capable of putting rowdy and reckless idiots in their place."
"Did you see them?" John raised a brow, "That probably would've encouraged them."
Lita shrugged, "Nothing I haven't been able to handle…"
John just shook his head, starting the car then. "You could've just said thanks."
Lita was silent a moment, before she leaned over; kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you…even if I didn't need your help."
"Ya know, all I was trying to do…was prevent a little bloodshed." John shrugged, "But whatever…did you at least get a hold of Victoria?"
"Yup.." The redheaded Diva nodded, "I told her that we ran into car trouble and the car got stuck in a ditch."
John raised a brow, backing out of the parking spot. "And Jeff?"
"Is in one of his incoherent babble stages." Lita shook her head, turning up the radio. "Which means, he'll never remember that we borrowed his car."
"Stole."
"Borrowed."
"Stole."
"Borrowed, with permission so it's not stealing."
"When you borrow from someone who's drunk?"
"So? We're looking out for his best interests…I can't let him drive home drunk."
"So, where to now?"
"Damned if I know…"
John rolled his eyes, "Well do you feel like going back?"
"Not yet…" Lita admitted easily, "And Vikki already agreed to clean up if we aren't back in time so…"
"Then I guess we just keep driving."
"That sounds about right, unless you have a better idea."
"Well it's not like I live here, so…"
"I'm well aware of that." Lita pursed her lips in thought, "We could go bowling…"
"Bowling?"
"That's what I said."
"Alright…that's better then driving around aimlessly."
Lita grinned impishly, "Technically we aren't doing that."
John rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant…so, tell me? Where do I go?"
"Umm…" Lita squinted as they came to an intersection, "Up to the next light and then turn right."
"You been there before?"
"No…but Jeff and I were planning on it."
"You two must be really close."
Lita blinked, "Where did that come from?"
John shrugged, "Just a guess."
The redhead shrugged in turn, "He's probably the closest friend I've got…I mean, Matt and I hit it off romantically, but Jeff and I? We just clicked from the moment we met."
"So I've gathered."
A wistful smile crossed her features, "He just understands me…sometimes so much that it scares me, but at the same time, I don't know what I'd do without him."
"I never got the chance to really know him," John admitted easily. "But he seems pretty cool."
Lita nodded, "Jeff is just Jeff…I mean, there's really no other way to describe him. One minute he can be so serious and then the next so completely childish that you never would've guessed you were dealing with the same person."
"I will say…from what little I do know? He and Matt ain't anything alike."
Lita snorted, "That's for damn sure. Matt's always been more organized, more in control of things…like scheduling stuff so far in advance just to be on the safe side. While Jeff just lets things come and go as he pleases." She shrugged then, staring out the window. "Even when Team X-Treme had their live for the moment attitude? It was more of Jeff than it was Matt."
"A free spirit."
"Exactly."
"Like you."
"I guess…"
"Which makes me wonder, how you and Matt ended up together in the first place."
Lita shrugged, "You don't choose who you fall in love with or who you get attracted to, and even if you could? Life would be pretty boring, don't you think?"
"True enough," John conceded, a glance sent to his right then. "Is that the place?"
"Yeah…that's it." Lita turned her attention from the window, offering a half smile.
"Well let's go then." John turned the wheel of the car, veering into the parking lot.
Lita merely nodded, the redheaded Diva falling silent as the car was subsequently parked. Silence curtained the two as they made their way inside, broken only when John paid for the rental shoes. Lita protested that she could easily pay for the tacky, clown shoe knock offs; while John argued that it was the least he could do. At any rate, John ended up paying; the two soon finding themselves selecting a suitable bowling ball before they made their way to a nearby lane.
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Review Responses:
Together: lol, normally those three things really wouldn't belong in the same sentence…(but then again, where it concerns Britney Spears) eh whatever. I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
Latisha C: why indeed? Some things, the world will never know. I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
Litachk9: The night's still young, so who's to say? Hehe. I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
LittleKnux2008: Don't sweat it, lol. I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
Randy-john-lover: It could've been worse (ponders how much worse…hmm..) I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
Xokittyjunox: Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
CNIMBWM: It's been a darn persistent muse…lol. I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
Myth: I figured I was tormenting John enough in another story of mine so…had to give him a break somewhere. I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the review!
