Fading Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own, I borrow.

Rating: M for some violence and language

Spoilers: ECW 6/20/06- Edge & Orton vs. RVD & Angle

Pairings: Lita/Randy (eventually), Tommy/Beulah, others to be determined

Summary: Just when she thought all was lost, Lita gets a reminder that she has never been truly alone.

Notes: nothing to add at this time.

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When the doctor came back to discuss the x-rays with Tommy and Lita.. Rob, Beulah and Randy found themselves back in the waiting area. Granted, they hadn't gone willingly and Lita seemed reluctant to let them go…especially since she had still been in the Legend Killer's lap. But, the doctor had remained firm, reminding them that this information was reserved for family members only. And it was while they were waiting that Rob's curiosity kept getting the better of him… the normally calm and collected man near pestering Randy about his exact connection to the redhead. But, Randy refused to say anything, Beulah having to sit between the two men to keep Rob from bothering the younger man.. Not that it had helped the situation much, but, at least when she was sitting between them she could easily reprimand Rob for his childish antics. Still, the trio found themselves waiting longer than they wanted to.. All of them sending concerned looks down the hallway, hoping that Tommy would appear…and that Lita would appear. If the redhead appeared they knew they could just leave, but if it was just Tommy, they would more than likely be at the hospital longer. It was while they were waiting that Dawn showed up.. The brunette requesting to speak with Beulah first, the two women moving to another part of the waiting area. And while they talked, Rob watched them.. The blond man's forehead furrowing slightly as he took in Dawn's appearance. From what he knew of her, it looked like Dawn had just gotten out of bed.. The woman dressed simply in jeans and an old sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She wasn't wearing much makeup, if she was wearing any at all. With Rob's attention pre-occupied, Randy turned his attention back to the object in his hand. Once Lita had retrieved the necessary items from her wallet, she had given it back to Randy…the young man knowing she really wouldn't mind if he looked through it. And while he hadn't gone through everything in the wallet the blue eyed wrestler had been more than a little surprised when he found a picture in there. The fact that she kept pictures didn't really surprise him, but the picture he had found.. It was taken in one of those photo booths…Lita had insisted they get their pictures taken.

Randy was shaken from his thoughts when a finger appeared at the corner of the picture. "What do you want now, Van Dam."

Rob shrugged, removing his finger from the corner. "Nothing, just a little shocked that she dragged you through this.. And that you agreed."

Orton shrugged, tucking the picture back into the wallet. "She wanted to go." he replied simply. "Why is that a surprise to you?"

Van Dam rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't say that part surprised me.. It's the part about you agreeing."

"Does it bother you that much that I'm friends with her?" Randy wanted to know, annoyance in his blue eyes, "or that I used to be friends with her?"

The older man shrugged, "well that all depends.. Are you friends with her or were you friends with her?"

Randy looked confused at that, "what the hell do you mean by that?"

"Simple," Rob said, running a hand over his dark blond hair, "are you friends with her or were you friends with her and trying to re-gain her favor or something?"

Randy rolled his eyes, "I'd like to consider myself her friend but.. She pushed me away…shut me out for awhile. But, that doesn't mean I didn't want to be there for her."

"I can understand that," the older man shook his head, "but that still doesn't explain everything."

Orton smirked, "well. Then I guess you just have to wait, don't you? I don't need to explain myself to you Van Dam, the only thing you really need to know is that I'm here for her."

Rob started to reply to that, only to shut his mouth when Dawn and Beulah came back…the two women looking nothing short of drained.

"Rob…Randy," Dawn greeted the two men in turn, "Beulah already filled me in on what happened.."

Van Dam cleared his throat, glancing down the hallway before he caught Dawn's gaze. "We don't know what's been going on…but, I guess Tommy thought you would."

Dawn smiled tiredly, "I'm not sure how much she'd want me to tell you.. You know how private she is and--"

"Anything would be good Dawn," Rob focused on his hands, "like I said.. We really don't know what's been going on. All we really know is what we just found out tonight."

The former diva seemed hesitant to say anything, "I'm really not sure what you want me to say.."

Beulah sent her a questioning look, "you knew …didn't you?" When Dawn wouldn't say anything, the woman frowned. "Dawn.. Please, I'm not expecting for you to tell us everything…even though that's how you usually are.."

Dawn chewed lightly on her lower lip, making eye contact first with Beulah. "Yes, I knew.. I found out by accident…I wanted to talk to her.. And he was yelling at her in the background. At that time, I thought something was going on…didn't find out what until she called me back."

Beulah nodded slowly, "do you know how long it's been going on then?"

"That was back in November, B.." Shaking her head, the former diva let out a sigh. "For all I know it could've been going on longer. I tried to talk her out of it, told her she could come stay with me if she wanted to but.. Obviously, she didn't take me up on that offer."

Rob frowned, "so even if I was around, I wouldn't have been able to do anything.. I was still out recovering from surgery."

"You can't blame yourself Rob.." She sent a re-assuring smile to the man, then another to Randy. "And don't you blame yourself either, Randy.. We all know how Li can get."

Randy ran his hands over his face, then through his short hair. "Yeah, but that still doesn't mean that--"

"You tried to call her, didn't you?" Dawn interrupted the young wrestler before he could go on a spiral of guilt. "Come on, Randy.. I know Li thinks pretty highly of you so.."

The Legend Killer smirked, "well yeah.. I'm Randy Orton." He rolled his eyes when Dawn sighed, "I did call but.. She never really said anything…always had some excuse about why she couldn't talk."

"So you tried," the former diva said in a matter-of-fact tone, "and that is what counts. Lita puts up walls, we all know that…and sometimes, she shuts out her friends before she shuts out everyone else. It's just who she is and we can't do anything about before, but we can do something about now…and about later."

Rob smiled darkly, "if that involves kicking Edge's ass repeatedly? I'm all for it."

Dawn rolled her eyes, starting to say something when Tommy and the doctor exited the hospital room.. The man looking somewhat perplexed, a small stack of papers in his hands as he made his way down to the waiting area. And first, he greeted Dawn, handing the papers over to Beulah while he handed two other items over to Randy…the Legend Killer placing them back in Lita's wallet, Tommy then met with four sets of questioning eyes.

Tommy ran a hand through his hair, "good news is…her wrist isn't broken, just sprained so Li has to wear one of those splints for a few days.. Ice it and all that good stuff that we know she won't do." He seated himself before he continued, hesitance evident in his eyes. "Bad news, she's already got a cracked rib.. She shouldn't have been out there tonight, shouldn't have been at ringside last night--"

"Is she getting out of here?" Beulah questioned quietly, the woman presuming the redhead would be because of the papers in her hands. "Or does she need to stay overnight?"

"You know how she is.. Li asked for the release papers, signed them with her left hand and that's all there is to it." Tommy shook his head, "I think she should stay overnight but.. It's her call, you know?"

Dawn sent a worried look down the hallway, "where is she staying tonight?"

Randy cleared his throat, "I already told her she could stay with me.. It wouldn't be a big deal since I have a single room."

The former diva nodded without hesitation, "Li has my cell phone number if you need to get a hold of me--"

"Wait a minute," Rob interrupted before Dawn could finish, "I have a single room too.. Li can stay with me tonight."

Dawn shot him an annoyed look, "Rob.. Stop acting like a three year old.. And don't even try to tell me that you haven't been acting like this all night.. I know how you can be."

"I'm just trying to say, Dawn.. We don't even know if she wants to stay with him and--"

"Then we ask her when she gets down here," the brunette said patiently. "And she's not the only one who needs a place to stay." She rested a hand on Rob's arm when he scowled, "look.. I know there's a lot going on that you don't know and that you don't understand but…trust me on this. You aren't the only one who's worried about her, Rob."

Rob held up his hands in mock defeat, "fine.. Have it your way, Dawn. But, since he won't answer my questions, I'd hope that you would."

"To the best of my ability," she promised solemnly, the former diva giving her friend's hand a small squeeze. "She'll be alright Rob.."

Tommy cleared his throat, looking between the two before his gaze settled on Dawn.. "Li wants to see you, by the way."

Dawn nodded easily, tucking back a stray lock of hair as she stood. "I'll head down there now." The brunette did just that, heading down to the room after Tommy had told her which one Lita was in…the woman halting in the doorway before she entered. "Hey girl.."

Lita sent her friend a smile, "hey Dawnie." She gestured to the bed or to the grouping of chairs. "I'm still waiting on that splint thing so.."

"Good thing it isn't broken, huh?"

Lita rolled her eyes, "not like I've actually been wrestling enough for it to matter."

Dawn pressed her lips into a thin line, "well that should change now.. You won't be walking out with him anymore, I'd hope anyway.. And even if you tried, I can think of at least two people who would protest quite vocally."

"You and Tommy?" Lita suggested, a near playful glint in her hazel eyes.

"Try Rob and Randy." The brunette seated herself on the bed, "they're both worried about you, Li.. Not to say that I'm not and that Tommy and Beulah aren't but.. Rob's starting to act like a three year old."

Lita nodded slowly, "Tommy's my big brother, you know, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to find anything out."

Dawn sighed, "Li.. Don't change the subject. They've both been worried about you, but you haven't said anything and--"

"Not now, Dawn." The redhead let out a sigh of her own, "it's already been a long night and I really don't feel like getting into it, okay?"

"Okay," Dawn conceded easily, an arm slipping around her friend's shoulders. "But no more of this, understand? I want to see the real Lita."

Lita offered a weak smile, "I've missed you Dawn.. Not everything that you do, but.. I have missed you."

Dawn rolled her eyes, "I've missed you too… stubborn brat."

The redhead stuck out her tongue, returning the brunette's one armed hug. "Bossy brat."

"So that would make me…?" Beulah questioned from the doorway, "if Dawn's bossy and Lita's stubborn.."

Dawn half shrugged, motioning for Beulah to join them. "We'll think of something…a nice something, so don't give me that look, B."

Beulah rolled her eyes but joined the two on the bed none the less, Tommy walking in an instant after.. Informing them that they were just about ready to go since the doctor was standing outside of the hospital room. And while Beulah and Dawn disentangled themselves from the mini-hug, Lita remained in the room to wait for the doctor.. Tommy gathering the redhead's bags before he went back to the waiting area. And once Lita was ready to leave, she joined the others at the waiting area.. Randy taking the redhead's bags from Tommy while Beulah made sure the after-care instructions were in one of the side pockets. As they made their way to the parking lot, Dawn couldn't help but shake her head at the sight they must have made.. Three current ECW people, one WWE superstar, one WWE diva whom was also a former member of ECW and herself.. Also an alumnus of both ECW and the WWE. But, as odd as they looked, it didn't surprise the former diva too much. She, after all, had been one of Lita's closest friends, while Beulah was also in that circle.. Tommy, of course, had helped Lita get her start in ECW while Rob…well Rob got along with just about anyone. And that left Randy…someone that Dawn really wasn't quite sure about where it concerned a connection to Lita, but she did know that the third generation wrestler cared. To what extent she wasn't quite sure but…as she watched from the corner of her eye, it was obvious that Lita meant a great deal to him…and vice versa. Now Dawn could only hope that Lita would let the walls down and talk to them about what had been going on. Granted, she had a better idea than the others, but it would still be nice to hear it from the redhead herself.