"Kane, you just passed the place..." Lita teased as he flung his cell phone on the jump seat narrowly missing Spike.
"Aw..." He grumbled pulling the most reckless U-turn Lita had ever seen.
"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled, clutching the side of the truck so she didn't slide into him. "Why are you trying to kill us?" She panted.
"What? We're in Detroit. Everyone drives like that." He said innocently, steering the big Dodge into a spot in front of the hotel's revolving door. It was broken.
"Wow..." Lita said unenthusiastically. "It looks like those Hertz people got you the four star gig." Kane's brow came down to meet his nose.
"Hmmm..." He mumbled, one eyebrow rising. "I guess we get the full Detroit experience." He joked and hopped out of the truck. Lita grabbed the dog and followed him.
The two wandered into the lobby and after a brief conversation at the desk, grabbed their keys and headed for the elevator.
"What time is it?" Lita yawned rubbing her eyes as the lobby doors closed behind them.
"It's a little after ten." He said shifting the bags around so he could push the button for their floor.
Suddenly, the doors opened and they were met with a group of the weirdest looking people they'd ever seen.
Lita stepped closer to Kane as the group boarded the elevator with them.
"Hey, aren't you...you know..." One of the kids started, all the silver in his face flashing in the dull elevator lighting. Kane turned and faced him. The poor kid got paler. "I mean...you...you're Kane aren't you?" He finally finished shifting his weight from foot to foot making his shiny vinyl pants creak.
Lita stifled a giggle.
"Yeah...actually I am." He chuckled blushing softly under his mask.
"Whoa... No way..." Another starry-eyed girl said as she pushed a lock of purple hair behind her ear.
Lita could no longer contain herself. She pressed her face into Kane's shoulder shaking violently with laughter.
"What was your first clue kid?" She wheezed trying to get a grip on her laughter. "It was the mask wasn't it?" Kane elbowed her in the ribs.
"So what's there to do around here?" Kane asked hesitantly as the little would be vampires stared slack jawed. Finally, the purple haired fairy girl spoke up.
"There's a club here in the hotel. That's where we're going tonight." She smiled sweetly, her thick black eye make up lifting with it.
"A club?" Lita asked. "Really?" The fairy girl nodded. Suddenly, the doors opened on their floor.
"It's the unmarked door by the parking lot." The fairy girl offered as the doors slid shut again.
"Kane, can we go?" Lita asked as they searched for their room. She was as giddy as a schoolgirl. "It's been so long since I've gone out. Matt never wanted to go anywhere. "Pleeease?"
"If you really want to, yes, I will go out in public with you." He laughed. "What are we going to do with Spike?" He asked rubbing between the small dog's ears.
"He'll be okay alone in the room for a couple of hours, I'm sure." She said unlocking their door.
"Well..." Kane started. "It is Detroit." He sounded slightly uncomfortable.
"What should I wear?" Lita asked absently as she dug through her travel bag. Kane flopped onto one of the beds.
"Judging from what those kids were wearing, I'd say black would be a good choice."
"Ha Ha big man..." Lita said dryly as she pulled out her clothes and walked into the bathroom to change.
"Don't take too long, I've got to do my hair." Kane said raising his voice an octave and affecting a lisp.
"That...was horrifying." Lita said seriously from the other room. Kane could only laugh.
The big man got up off the bed and grabbed his bag looking for something suitable to wear. He'd never been in a club so the dress code itself was making him nervous.
"I don't have anything to wear to a club." He grumbled.
"Sure you do, you've got lots of black." Lita said as she emerged from the bathroom.
"Wow, you look great." He blurted looking her over. Lita blushed and hugged her scantily clad middle.
"This is just something I used to keep in my bag in case Matt ever decided he wanted to be social. I can't believe it still fits." She chuckled. "Now c'mon, I wanna go play." Kane nodded and after giving Spike explicit instructions to guard the place, they walked out the door.
The two of them walked out a glass door and into a parking lot. This had to be the place. There were people, dressed in black (of course), heading from all directions toward a nondescript, unmarked door.
Kane snorted.
"Maybe you should go... I don't know if I should leave Spike alone." He waffled.
"Oh no you don't. This will be good for you." Lita said pulling him by the arm.
"I'm no good with people..." He whined. "I...oh my god..." Kane stopped dead in his tracks.
"What? What is it?" Lita asked, concerned about the change in his voice.
"Look at that." He whispered in awe, pointing.
"I can not believe this..." She gasped; staring at a car she'd seen only a couple of times but knew immediately.
Kane tip toed slowly over and peered into the black Trans Am's window. It was hers all right, her gym bag and ring gear were strewn across the back seat.
"Lita...I don't...I can't go...I..." He stuttered and tried to swallow past the lump in this throat and the knot in his stomach.
"This is exactly why we're here." Lita said soothingly, trying to bolster his courage. "Robin must be in that bar. Let's go find her so you two can straighten all this out." Kane nodded shakily. He was light headed. Taking a deep breath, he leaned on the fender to try to relax.
"Hey man, you want to get off that car?" Kane looked up to see where the voice was coming from. A tall man in a long black coat stepped out from between two cars.
"Sorry, I uh...got dizzy for a second." He muttered noticing a flashlight and a walkie-talkie. "You work here I take it?" The bouncer ignored him.
"Look, I know who this belongs to and she'll kill you if she sees you touching it." The soft-spoken bouncer said plainly. "Then she'll kill me for not killing you myself."
"You know Robin then?" Kane asked before he could help himself. The bouncer was taken aback.
"Everyone does..." He laughed.
"Thanks...I...uh... won't tell if you won't." Kane said standing to his full seven feet and holding out a hand to the other man.
"I don't want to deal with her, she's crazy. It looks like I don't want to have to deal with you either. I never saw you." The bouncer laughed pocketing a particularly evil looking knife Kane hadn't noticed earlier and reached out shaking the big man's hand. Kane smiled in spite of himself. For some reason, he liked this guy.
"I'm Kane." He said feeling awkward talking to him without introductions. The bouncer laughed again.
"Funny, that's what they call me around here."
"C'mon big man, let's take care of this so we can have some fun." Lita said filling an uncomfortable silence. Kane nodded and made a short good bye to the bouncer before walking toward the door.
"I'm really glad you came up tonight." Sasha said smiling as she passed a drink across the bar. "Everyone's been missing you since you quit to go on tour."
"Yeah, I actually missed this rat hole too." Robin said smiling as she watched her friend work. "It's kinda nice not to have to worry about what's going on anymore." She giggled waving to a couple of people she hadn't seen in months.
"That's right, rub it in." Sasha laughed quickly then turned her attention to a fairly attractive man at her bar.
Robin let her eyes fall over the familiar sights and smiled. She'd worked in this place for years before she was picked up by the WWE. It was home to her, even after the long absence.
"Hey Robin..." Sasha's voice held a hint of warning. Robin followed her friend's eye line to the front door.
"No. No way..." She said in disbelief. "What the hell is he doing here?"
"Is that who I think it is?" Sasha asked. Robin nodded and ducked behind a pillar.
"Sasha, don't let him see me." Robin said as she poked her head out. Her friend nodded.
"Wow, he's really is seven feet tall isn't he?" Her friend mused as she winked over at Robin.
"What is he doing in my bar?" Robin growled suddenly angry that he managed to violate her safe haven.
"It's a free country my dear. He can go wherever he wants."
"You are no help at all, you know that?" Robin said shooting her friend a look that could shatter glass. "I'm going to hide. If he asks, you have no idea who I am." Sasha gave her a thumb's up and Robin pushed her way through the crowd toward the dance floor.
"Hey, this isn't so bad." Kane said to Lita as he looked around. "I'm not even the only one wearing a mask." He laughed and pointed at a bad rendition of the phantom of the opera as it walked by.
"I'm going to go get a drink. Will you be alright without me for a minute?" Lita asked caringly. Kane nodded smiling and waved her off toward the glowing red bar.
"Grab me a beer." He yelled over the din of voices. Lita nodded and weaved her way through the throng of bodies huddled around the bar.
"Hey!" Kane turned around to find the voice. "Look down." He did as he was told.
"Oh, hi. Sorry about that." He said to a tiny pixie girl with short dark hair.
"It's okay, you're like two feet taller than me." She smiled engagingly and Kane couldn't help but smile back. "I need you to do me a favor."
"Oh yeah, what?" The big man chuckled.
"Move, you're blocking up my doorway." She said seriously.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He smiled and stepped back and to his left, plopping down into a chair behind her.
"My name's..."
"Kane." She finished for him smiling ear to ear. Something about this little woman made him blush.
"So do you have a name or do I have to guess?" He said teasingly.
"Tanya." She said shooting him a lopsided grin. "What're you doing here? I thought you guys weren't scheduled to be her until next week."
"Yeah well... I'm early. Texas gets old." He found himself liking her too. It was becoming clear to him that Detroit didn't quite deserve its reputation.
"I've gotta get back to work. Nice meeting you though." She said.
"Definitely." Kane returned and meant it. On impulse, he hugged the little girl, picking her up off her feet. Tanya squeaked and blushed when he set her down.
"Right..." She chuckled. "I'll see you around, I'm sure." She patted him on the arm and, flashlight in hand, headed into the crowd.
Kane shook his head as she disappeared into the crush of bodies.
"Making friends?" Lita teased as she handed Kane his beer.
"I guess so." He laughed and downed a good portion of it. "Any sign of her?" He asked. Lita shook her head apologetically. "Maybe we missed her."
"I think we'd have seen her leave." She said. Kane shrugged and set down his empty bottle.
"C'mon, let's see the rest of this place." He said hooking her arm and plowing through the crowd.
They rounded a dark corner and were suddenly assaulted by the dance floor. Kane flinched and squinted as the lights flashed violently above their heads.
It was a sea of half naked bodies, some bouncing, some flowing, and some so far off the rhythm of the music that watching them made Kane nauseous.
"These kids make me feel old..." He yelled to Lita. She didn't seem to hear him. He sighed and patting her on the shoulder, walked off marveling at all the dancers.
It was nearly impossible to distinguish one person from another as they twisted and writhed to the pounding music. Frustrated, Kane made his way up a short flight of stairs to a balcony where he had a view of the whole floor.
From that vantage point he caught a glimpse of Lita dancing. She was surrounded by a group of boys who didn't quite look old enough to shave. Kane couldn't help but grin.
"Looking for someone?" Kane heard distinctly over the howl of the music. He looked over startled by the all too familiar red hair. Kane couldn't speak. All he saw was the hair in the flashing lights.
"Are you okay?" She asked. Kane blinked. No, it wasn't her but the resemblance was remarkable.
"Yeah... sorry..." He was blushing under the mask. The red head leaned closer to hear him over the song. Kane yelled louder but it didn't help much. The girl grabbed his arm and pulled him somewhere quieter.
"I said..." She started once they were off the dance floor. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Actually I am. How'd you guess?" He muttered almost embarrassed to admit it.
"You've got that look about you." She said waving her arms around him playfully as she looked up at him. Kane squirmed. He hadn't realized he looked that desperate.
"I've got to find a woman..."
"Whoa there big guy... Not from here you don't." The red head said cutting him off. "These women are uh...let's just say it's better if you don't find out." She made a face that reminded him entirely too much of Robin.
"You really look a lot like her. When you walked up, I thought you were her." He admitted, astounded by how much this woman looked like Robin. He stared openly at her sparkling brown eyes.
"You're looking for Robin then..." She said matter-of-factly.
"Uh... Yeah... How'd you know?" He asked stunned.
"We always get mistaken for each other. I'm used to passing people off to her."
"Have you...seen her?" He asked sheepishly.
"Tonight?" She asked. Kane nodded. "I think she's here somewhere. Try Sasha at the bar, that's her roommate."
"Great, thanks." He said brightly. The girl nodded briefly and pulled a huge flashlight off her belt. She gave him a playful smile and clicked it on, using it to clear her way back toward the bar.
"Geez, everyone works here." He mused as he started back toward the front of the club.
"Sasha!" Robin whispered from behind a pillar.
"What?" Her friend conspiratorially whispered back.
"Have you seen him?"
"Who, big and scary?" She teased? Robin nodded. "Not since he came in the door."
"Maybe he gave up and left." Robin said glancing around and finally emerging from behind the beam.
"I haven't seen him leave." Sasha said cautiously glancing to both ends of the bar.
"Good, maybe he just ran out or something." She breathed.
"Robin, why don't you just talk to him? I don't see the problem with that." Sasha finally voiced.
"NO! He doesn't want to talk to me." She shook her head emphatically.
"Then what is he doing here Robin?"
"Who knows? Our next show is here, maybe he's just early." Robin grumbled. Sasha rolled her eyes.
"Talk to him. Find out where everything stands." Her friend pleaded with her. She hated to see Robin so upset.
"He doesn't want to talk to me Sasha!" She yelled slamming her hands down on the bar.
"Yes...I do..." Kane croaked from behind her. It was all he could do to get out those three words.
"What are you doing in my club?" Robin growled. Her jaw was so tight it hurt.
"I...Lita and I decided to spend the week...here." He tried to sound normal. It wasn't working very well. Robin only stared at him, arms crossed as she tried not to cry.
"What could you possibly have to say to me after the other night?" Kane withered under her merciless glare.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I..."
"What? You didn't finish breaking my heart?" She cried.
"No. I don't...I never meant..." He stuttered as fear and sadness welled up inside of him.
"Look, I'm not doing this here." She said with finality and reached out to push him away. Kane caught her tiny hand in his.
"Please..." He begged.
"No. Not here, not tonight." She managed as a tear worked its way down her face.
Kane nodded as his broad shoulders drooped. Slowly, he brought her hand up and kissed it before he let go and walked away.
Robin stood stunned as she watched him work his way through the groups of people. Only once he was out of sight did she let the tears flow freely.
"Sasha..." She said dabbing at her eyes. "...I think I ran him off."
"What happened?" Sasha asked between customers.
"I don't know. I didn't let him talk." Robin sniffed and gladly took a handful of bar napkins. "I couldn't stand there... I just wanted to... Oh God Sasha, I miss him." She folded her arms and put her head down on the bar, losing the last of her composure.
"Go find him before he leaves." Sasha all but commanded. She knew how her friend felt about this giant and she wasn't about to let her lose him out of sheer stubbornness.
"No, I'll see you at home. I just want to lie down." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Sasha nodded and squeezed her friend's hand.
Robin waved at some old friends and made her good byes.
"Well, if it isn't my twin." The red headed bouncer said as Robin walked up to the door. She was smiling.
"There you are. I wasn't sure you still worked here." Robin smiled at her old co-worker.
"So... since when do you make famous people follow you home?"
"Oh, you saw him did you?" Robin mumbled looking away.
"Yeah, he's hard to miss..." The other woman laughed. "He really wants to find you."
"I know." Robin said glancing over the other woman's shoulder half hoping to see him. "I've got to go. Don't tell him anything about me okay?" The other woman nodded hugging her.
"You just let her leave?" Lita asked as Kane relayed the encounter to her.
"What else could I do?" He whined looking sullen.
"I suppose you're right." She sighed. "What do you say we get out of here? These Gumby people are making me feel old." Lita let her sideways smile spread across her face. The smile infected him and he nodded.
"Let's go check on Spike. Then we can get something to eat." He offered as they walked out into the chilly Michigan air.
"Sounds good to me." She agreed. "I think you scared her away." She continued pointing to the spot where her care had been.
"Yeah..." He sighed taking a deep breath and shrugging. "If she decides she wants to talk to me, I'll be at the arena next week." He sounded so resigned; Lita was starting to think maybe he was loosing interest.