Title: Unrequited (2?)
Rating: at the moment PG, or whatever ffn's equivalent is
Content: sap, angst
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters mentioned herein, and no disrespect meant
Summary: Lita is falling. Will someone catch her?
Author's note: I wrote this before I heard about Eddie. I'm gutted, and my thoughts are with his family and friends. I don't know how best to go on with writing this, given that I'm setting it in the current environment. I just don't like the thought of using Eddie's death as a plotline, or for any form of entertainment purposes. I'll probably end up referencing it somehow, but only when I can work out how to do it in a respectful way. RIP Eddie. You'll be missed. Anyway, on with the fic, and thank you so much for the reviews, you know they always put a smile on my face, good or bad!

"Will you meet me at the airport Li? That way I can avoid getting a rental."

"Of course," Lita's voice softened as she spoke to her good friend. "Just let me know what time and I'll be there." She sighed, wistfully. "I've missed you Randy."

"I've missed you too angel," Randy could only wish that she missed him in the same way that he missed her, but for now he'd take whatever he could get. "We've got three full days, yeah? And we're on the same flight over to London too, I think."

"Yeah, as far as I know."

"Cool. Well, I'll let you know what time I land and see you at the airport then."

"Yeah," Lita brightened her voice a little, "see you soon babe."

"See you soon darlin'."

Randy was, by nature, an impatient person. He wanted to be with Lita right now, not in a few days time. He wanted to be with her as much for himself as for her.

He was exhausted by the time his plane landed. It was pretty late and it had been a long day. Randy had had only one day at home to do all of his packing and paperwork for the Europe trip, so he'd been rushing around before flying out to see Lita. It was worth it to see her though, worth it to feel her arms around his neck, to hold her close. It was worth the extra work and extra stress and he'd do it all ten times over for that feeling.

"I'm so glad you're here."

Randy knew that she was. He saw the mask she wore, he saw the reality. He saw how close she was to falling apart. He knew that it was only a matter of time until she did.

"Want me to drive?"

She nodded, her eyes already clouding over with tears. She'd tried to stay strong all day, all week, all year. With him there, she didn't have to. With him there, she didn't have to be what they expected. She could just be what she was, and what she had become.

"Talk when we get there, yeah?"

She just nodded, again. She didn't trust herself to speak.

The ride was silent. Lita stared out of the window, seemingly lost in her thoughts, while Randy concentrated on getting them home as quickly as possible. Tiredness gone, he was willing to stay awake all week if she needed him to. He got her home pretty quickly, considering, and barely were they inside the door when she threw herself back into his arms, this time removing the mask and removing the façade of strength. He slammed the door behind them and led her to the den, pulling her down onto the sofa beside him and wrapping his arms around her. He didn't have to say anything; he didn't have the words to say. He knew all she needed from him, and all he could give right now, was this physical comfort. She would speak in her own time.

After a while the shaking of her body subsided, and the room became silent. Randy did nothing, just stroked her hair, kept her close. She felt reassured by his presence, by his understanding, by him just being him. He knew her, which was perhaps the most reassuring thing. To not have to explain, to not have to justify, it meant an awful lot. She could just talk, or say nothing, and he wouldn't judge.

"I needed that," she looked up at him and forced a smile. "Sometimes I'm real good at bottling it all up."

"You can bottle it up too much you know," Randy did worry, as Lita had always been proud of her inner strength, she had always hated relying on others for anything. Events had served to break down that inner strength though, and much as she wanted to be independent, wanted to be strong, she just wasn't any more. Not while she was fragmented, not while she was broken.

"I know. That's why I needed to see you so badly. I knew you'd understand."

"I do."

"You always do," she sighed, reluctantly standing up. "That's why I miss you when you're not around."

"Smackdown's not the same without having you around either. Stacy and Christy are nice girls but the concept of a serious conversation is completely beyond them. I wish you'd been traded over instead."

"Me too. I hate him you know. After everything… the way he's acting about it… what did I see in either of them?" In that flash of anger there, that was the real Lita. She was still in there somewhere.

"People change," Randy didn't want to speak for either Matt or Edge. For one thing, he had no idea what was going through their heads, and for another, he didn't want to come across as apologising for them or speaking for them. He knew that there was wrong done on all sides, but he really couldn't understand why things had turned out the say they had.

"That's the understatement of the century." Lita fell silent for a moment, "is he happy with Ashley, do you know?"

Randy was a little surprised at the question. Lita's tone confirmed to him that she still had deep feelings for Matt, and his heart sank a little. He would be honest with her though, as he always was, "he seems to be. He kind of avoids me, I think he knows we're friends."

"I'm glad he's happy."

"You'll be happy too you know. It won't be this way forever."

The redhead stood up and went to look out of the window. "Maybe it's karma. It's just… he's happy, Edge is happy… me, what do I get? I'm the slut who ruined two relationships and a friendship."

"Don't say that about yourself darlin'," Randy walked over to her and put his arms around her waist, "I know it's unfair, but you'll get through this."

"It hurts, you know. I could handle it if it was just my character the fans were chanting 'slut' at, but it's not, it's me, and no matter what, that hurts. I could be the strongest person in the world and I still would flinch every time I heard that."

"Oh Li," Randy hugged her tighter, "they don't know you and they don't understand."

"You're the only one that does. I don't even think I know myself any more."

"You do babe, you're just a little lost right now. You'll find yourself again."

"Aw, Randy," she reached up and brushed his cheek with her hand, "how come everything you say makes sense and makes me feel better."

"My only purpose in life is to make you happy," he replied, only half joking.

"Well, you must be starving, so allow me to do something for you. Fajitas?" The mask was back up, less strong than before, but still there. At that moment, she was still relying on that mask to keep herself together. Although with Randy she could be herself, she was so unsure about who she was now the mask was the only thing she felt secure about, the only image she felt safe projecting. She knew he saw beyond it though.

"Sure, your fajitas are always great, and you're right, I am starving." He saw the mask go back up, but didn't comment for the moment. She would talk again when she felt ready. "You don't have to cook though, we can get a take out."

"No, I want to." She walked off to the kitchen, knowing he'd follow.