Thanks again for the lovely reviews. Concrit is also welcome. Has anyone seen the pictures of Wade from the Dead Man Down premiere? Oh my goodness there is some serious pretty there.

Lisa awoke that morning with a determination that she would confront a demon. She'd received a text from Nattie telling her that there were a few rumours floating round that were less than complimentary about her loyalty to Drew, and casting some aspersions on her fidelity and career trajectory. Lisa knew she had to stop this before it got any further. If Wade caught wind of the rumours he'd try to fix them in his own way, and that would never end well.

She looked over at the man sleeping next to her. He rarely slept this well, insomnia being the friend of so many pro wrestlers. In sleep, his face lost the worried look he usually wore, and she couldn't help but marvel at how handsome Wade was: not in the conventional sense, but he was proud and his features were noble and Lisa could look at him and know this man would never deliberately hurt her.

She slipped out of bed and dressed quickly in sweats and a t shirt. Typing a quick text, she sat down and waited for a response. Once received, Lisa scribbled a quick note and left it on her pillow, before leaving the room.

She sat in the diner nursing a coffee, looking up each time someone walked in. Eventually, it was the person she was waiting for, and she smiled softly.

"I knew you weren't training early this morning. What's up Justin?" She pushed a coffee into his hands.

He smiled at her perceptiveness, and attempted to change the subject. "Where's Wade?"

"Still in bed. Now drink your coffee and talk to me."

He took a sip of the hot liquid and sighed appreciatively, "I did something and I'm not sure you're gonna like it." Justin looked at her apprehensively.

"What did you do?"

"I went to speak to Drew."

She took a deep breath, knowing that wasn't all. "And?"

"And I got angry. I punched him in the face."

He saw anger flash in her eyes, and awaited the inevitable fury. Justin had known how scared and worried she'd been that Wade would get suspended or worse for protecting her, and now here he was, having done exactly what she'd been afraid of. He'd never intended to get violent, but the smug grin on Drew's face had been enough to push his temper to a point of no return.

"Who knows?" she asked sharply.

"No one as yet," Justin shrugged.

"Fucking hell J." Lisa fought tears, and failed. "You knew. You knew how much I worried that Wade would end up fired for doing that. You know I love and need both of you, how could you do that?"

"Lise, it's because I love you that I went to speak to him." Despite her anger, Justin moved to sit next to his best friend and pulled her close. "Do you know what it's like watching a friend like you fall apart because of him? To know that Wade was able to comfort you but there was nothing I could do to make things better for you?"

"But you were making things better. Just by being there."

"I didn't feel like it," he sighed. "Do you want to know what happened?"

She shrugged his arms from around her shoulders, standing up and throwing a few dollars on the counter, "you know what? No I don't. I'm going to text Drew and meet with him and get all this shit sorted once and for all. I'm fed up of being terrified that Wade's going to do something stupid and I'm gutted that I've been let down by the one person I really thought I could rely on."

"Lise," his words were futile as she stormed off. He rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. He'd well and truly messed that up.

Once outside, Lisa kicked a garbage can in frustration, before snatching her phone from her purse and dashing off a text message. She walked along the street until she reached a gym that she'd trained at the last time they'd been in this city. She'd trained along with Drew, she recalled, so she knew he'd be able to find it. Sure enough, ten minutes later he appeared.

"Lisa."

"Drew." She quickly threw up a barrier to her feelings. "Shall we walk?"

"Sure."

They wandered slowly along the street, silence uncomfortable between them. It was Drew who eventually broke that coldness.

"I'm sorry, Lisa."

She stopped in shock, and turned to face him. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I had no idea what I was doing to you."

"And now you do?"

They walked further along and found a bench, both sitting down nervously.

"I never knew you felt forced when we had sex. I swear I thought you wanted it. After you ended the relationship, I was angry. I thought if I made you feel like you always had when we were together, we'd get back together. I thought you saying no was all part of the game. And when you got upset, I guess..." he took a deep breath as what he was about to say made him feel sick, "I guess I felt like you deserved it. I wanted you to hurt."

"I know our relationship was fucked up Drew, god I didn't know if I wanted you or if I didn't most of the time, but that last time, in the hotel room? You raped me." She could say that now. She finally believed it.

"I know. And if you want to go to Vince, I won't deny it."

She looked up, surprised, noticing for the first time the bruising around his eye. Slowly, tentatively, Lisa reached up and touched the damaged skin. "Is that what Justin did?"

He shrugged it off. "I deserved it. I deserved what Wade did to me and I deserved what Justin did. I've been bloody stupid Lise. I loved you, I didn't want to lose you, but I ended up driving you away and then I hurt you."

"We were fucked up, Drew." Lisa whispered softly.

"I know that now. Lise, were we ever ok?"

"I don't think so. I don't think we knew what we were doing. It was too intense, too exciting and confusing."

"Those times... that you were saying no, when we were together... did I force you?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word, but she knew the implication.

"I... I don't think so. I might have said no but meant yes and gave you mixed messages."

"I never meant to hurt you."

Tears began flowing down her cheeks in earnest. "Why carry on hurting me then? Why spread rumours? Why rape me? Why make threats?"

"I was angry, and I was lashing out. I knew you wouldn't come back to me willingly, but I thought if I made you weak you'd need me. And when I saw you with Wade I knew. I think I always knew that you and him had something, even before you did. I was so fucking jealous I just... yes, I did mean to hurt you. But only because I wanted you back."

"You came so close to destroying me." She wiped at her eyes with her sleeves. "So fucking close. If I didn't have Wade and Justin I don't know what I would have done."

"I know. Look, I can't change what I've done, what's been said, I know that. But... I'll stop the rumours. I'll put word around. I'll leave you alone." He sounded almost frantic.

"What's changed?" Lisa was struggling to understand. "Why now? Why decide now that you've had enough of hurting me?"

Drew bit his lip. "When Wade threatened me, it made me angry, and I resented that he had you and I didn't. He spoke to me again, and he said something and I realised I was hurting you but at that point I was too angry to care. I think it was starting to seep in. And then I saw you last night, I don't even think you realised I was there, but I saw you with Wade and you smiled, and I realised you'd never smiled like that with me. You were happy. Justin... he confirmed that for me. I realised I'd lost you, and I should give up the fight. If I ever wanted you in my life again I needed to turn things around."

"I'm sorry."

He was taken aback by her apology. "You have no reason to say sorry to me."

"Yes I do. I'm sorry I couldn't be happy with you. We had some good times and we've tainted those." She forced a smile. "I'm not going to say that we'll ever be friends again, because although we've turned a corner here, I'm still not fixed. Wade is getting there with me, but what our relationship did to me scarred me pretty bad and that's going to take time to deal with."

"I understand. I know you don't trust me, and I deserve that, but I promise I will move on now. No more threats, no more rumours, and no more lies."

"Thank you." Lisa stood up and put one hand on Drew's shoulder, squeezing it slightly. He sat, slumped, head down, and she couldn't help but feel partly responsible for his dejection. Despite that, she walked away, needing the comforting arms of the one she loved.

Wiping her eyes again, she held it together long enough to get back to the room she was sharing with Wade. She swiped her keycard in the lock and walked in, grateful that he was awake. He immediately walked over to her and gathered her in his arms as her floodgates broke and she fell apart: this time, for the last time.