At the Beginning

Disclaimer: Vince owns the personas, people own themselves.. I own the story idea.

Spoilers: One Night Stand (RVD vs. Cena, Foley & Edge vs. Dreamer & Funk).

Rating: M for language and violence.

Summary: With revenge on his mind, the last thing John Cena expected to do was help someone he was supposed to hate.

Pairings: Lita/Cena (eventually), others to be determined.

Notes: After watching One Night Stand and continuously hoping that Lita will turn on Edge, I took things into my own hands. Now, I know that ECW is it's own separate entity, but I'm treating it differently.. Instead of it's own show, ECW wrestlers will be appearing on RAW and Smackdown. I'm not sure how long this story will go to, but we'll see what we see.. This chapter will be the shortest, just wanted to set the stage and get it posted. I will have another story based around One Night Stand, but different than this one…that story should be posted sometime this week.

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Prologue: The Trouble with Eavesdropping

John Cena frowned as he packed up his gear…blue eyes darkening slightly as the absence of the WWE title belt hit him in the face like a chair shot. He had known, coming into tonight, that was wasn't going to be the crowd favorite.. He was in the WWE after all and the pay per view had been held on ECW territory. Maybe things would've gone differently if Edge hadn't interfered when he did…or maybe they wouldn't have. It wasn't like he could turn back time and do it all over again.. And it wasn't like he was the only one who had lost that night. He did know that there would be hell to pay…and that bastard Edge would be his first target. Shaking his head, Cena hefted up his bag, tugging a hat on his head as he looked around the locker room… feeling in his pocket to make sure he had the keys to his rental car before he left.. Not really expecting for anyone else to be in the arena.. The man just catching sight of someone turning the corner ahead of him, a flash of familiar red hair letting him know who it was.. John wondering why Lita would still be around and if that meant that Edge was in the area too. Making up his mind in a matter of seconds, the former champion followed after her, being careful enough to keep his distance…not wanting her to know that he was following her.. The Diva stopping at one of the locker rooms, knocking once before the door was opened, a hand reaching out to drag her inside…the door closing, but not completely as Cena made his way closer to the locker room.

"Well damn girl, you sure did take your sweet ass time.."

Lita rolled her eyes, "B…that really couldn't be helped. I had one hell of a time trying to come up with an excuse so I could stick around here.. Which means, I can't stay too long.. Otherwise, he'll get suspicious and when he gets suspicious, he gets angry and then--"

"Then that whiny little brat can get angry," Tommy Dreamer declared, wrapping his arms around the redhead's waist, spinning her in a small circle. "If he even thinks about going after you? I'll go after him."

The redhead made a face, "Beulah, could you please tell your husband to put me down? He's starting to make me dizzy." And when she was on her feet, she crossed her arms over her chest. "And I'm serious, I can't stay long.. I just stopped by to--"

"Congratulate me?" Rob Van Dam suggested with a winning smile, wrapping the redhead up for another hug…frowning when she flinched at the action. "Red? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she told him in what she hoped was a convincing tone, "just had some trouble trying to get over here."

Tommy set down the beer he was about to drink, "what kind of trouble?"

Lita shook her head, "it's nothing, okay? Probably just the aftermath of the match."

"That's the biggest load of bullshit that I've ever heard," a voice said then, one that John recognized right off the bat.. "Li, things aren't okay and you know it. When are you going to stand up to that dumb ass and get back into the ring?"

The redhead sighed, "Dawn.. If it was really that simple, don't you think I would've done it already? Every time I think I have a chance to get out…it slips through my fingers. He always finds out and then I'm right back where I started."

Dawn Maria frowned, gathering the younger woman in her arms, "honey…you have got to make a clean break. He's been using you as his personal punching bag for too damn long and if you don't get away from him…"

"I'll figure out something," Lita said, then pried herself out of Dawn's grasp, heading back over to Rob. "Back to what I was coming here for.. Congratulations on winning tonight--"

"Dawn's right, you know.." Rob interrupted his friend, setting the title belt down on the bench in the room. "Red, you have to get away from him.. The only reason it was okay for that stupid ass to be careless with you tonight? Is because you were out there with Tommy and Beulah."

Lita smiled wanly, "you're not telling me anything I don't know, Rob."

Rob smiled half heartedly, hooking a finger under her chin. "Then do something about it.. I'm tired of seeing you with too much makeup on because that bastard thinks it's okay to hit you."

Dawn cleared her throat, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You know, John's probably going to go after Edge tomorrow night…matter of retribution for his interference."

The redheads hot her friend a baffled look, "and this is good news on what planet? In case you're forgetting Dawnie, Cena hasn't exactly been nice to me.. He's verbally attacked me more times than I care to count, he's given me the FU on RAW and at the house shows.. I highly doubt he'd start giving a damn now."

The brunette frowned, "but what he says about you isn't any worse than what Edge says, what he's done is far from what Edge has done and--"

"It hurts more because he, just like the rest of the freaking world, believes every damn word of it." Lita sighed heavily, "it's like everyone has forgotten who I was…and now? I'm just what they want to see. Some stupid slut who just follows Edge around like a lost puppy dog."

Dawn shook her head, "but you aren't.. I know you aren't, everyone in this locker room knows you aren't.. and I think it's time that you reminded everyone out there that you aren't."

Lita attempted a smile at that, "sounds good but.. How do I start? I haven't had many opportunities to really get away from him and--"

"We'll figure it out tonight," Dawn promised with a smile, "you can room with me.. Just go get your stuff when we get back to the hotel and then come down to my room, okay? We'll figure out something."

The redhead gave her a tentative smile, "alright.. But, if that's the case, then I really need to get out of here…and figure out how the hell I'm going to get out of here. He already left and I didn't rent this trip."

Dawn grinned brightly, "then it's settled. You can leave with us, we'll go party a little bit more then head back to the hotel."

"Dawn--"

"I don't care if he won't like it.. He can throw all of the hissy fits he wants, but it won't do him any good." The brunette pulled her friend close for another quick hug, then held her out at arms length. "Did you bring anything with you tonight?"

Lita motioned down to the bag near her feet, "that's all I brought.. My ring gear, that God awful shirt and a change of clothes…which I'm already wearing."

Rob draped an arm over their shoulders, "then we can go right? 'Cos we've been waiting for the two of you."

As the voices started to fade, John wisely stepped away from the door…making his way to the parking lot, hoping that they wouldn't catch up with him. He knew that they really wouldn't appreciate him over hearing their conversation in there, especially not Dawn Marie…and speaking of Dawn, the former champion just had to wonder just when in the hell she had gotten back. Granted, he hadn't really spoken to her much, called her to congratulate her when she had given birth, but beyond that… nothing really. And he certainly didn't know that she was friends with Lita, nor did he know that Lita was apparently friends with Tommy Dreamer, Beulah and Rob Van Dam. It wasn't like he paid that much attention to the redhead to begin with…or maybe he did, but he didn't want to admit to that at the moment.. The point to that, well there was obviously a lot of shit going on…and it had been going on for quite some time. Thinking back on it now, he had kinda wondered if something was going on, something that wasn't exactly kosher between Edge and Lita.. And now he had those thoughts confirmed, but, that was then and this was now.. The wrestler pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being. As Dawn had stated in the locker room, he had revenge on his mind.. Edge was going to pay for what he had done tonight and he would pay dearly…of that much he was certain.