Fic: Never Make a Sound (Lita/Cena, *R*, 1-8/?)

[revivingophelia]

Title: Never Make a Sound
Author: Karen U
Pairing: Lita/Cena, probable Beth/Hunter, possible others
Disclaimer: None of the characters you recognize belong to me
Rating: R
Spoilers: 5/29/2006 RAW
Summary: What will she risk to help her best friend?
Notes: Language, violence, issues of abuse
Another older one I went back to...

Part One

{ ... And now the old things will pass away... I saw your light once, did you see mine... But not all things will pass away... You turned your light off, so I turned mine away from your sadness... Away from the nothing that you feel for me... Is this how you want to go down... Right before my eyes, you are the saddest sight I know... You're quiet, you never make a sound... But here inside my mind, you are the loudest one I know... -Evans Blue, Quote... }

She wiped at the trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth, wincing as she looked at herself in the mirror, part of her unable to believe what she was seeing.

Her jaw was swollen and sore, and while she didn't particularly think it was broken, it was certainly starting to bruise already. There was a laceration on her cheekbone, possibly from the ring he'd been wearing when he'd punched her... The skin around the injury raised and swollen. Blood was still trickling from the corner of her mouth, and a bruise was rapidly forming near her temple... And those were just the injuries she could see. The other injuries, covered by her clothing, would have to be inspected later. All she knew for certain right now was that her shoulder was throbbing and her ribs were so sore she could barely force herself to stand up straight.

Wincing, she slowly made her way out of the tiny bathroom, knowing he was gone and not wanting to stay in the little room and be forced to look at herself in the mirror any longer. Of course, there were mirrors in the main part of the room as well, and the woman cringed as she caught sight of herself in one of them.

Damn it, she couldn't believe this was happening to her... And yet, she could. This wasn't the first time he had hit her; far from it. It was just that he'd always been careful not to leave a visible mark before... Not unless there was a reasonable excuse for it to be there, such as an attack by one of the other guys... Shaking her head, she painstakingly made her way across the room, hating herself for believing, even for a second, that Mick Foley would lift a hand to help her when Edge started using her as his own personal punching bag. Maybe she'd been naive, but part of her had thought that Mick Foley was her friend as well, and not just Edge's friend.

Obviously, she'd been wrong.

Her arm banded across her ribs, Lita made her way over to the bed in the room, sitting down heavily on it. The redhead squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she tried to focus on something other than the pain, knowing she had to do something. He wouldn't be gone forever; she knew he'd come back to the room eventually, probably after having a few two many beers with his friend the hardcore legend... The blond man probably feeling a bit frisky, and if she didn't give him what he wanted, then it would be time for round two.

She wasn't sure if she could handle a round two tonight, not with the injuries round one had left her with.

Unwrapping one arm from around her abdomen, she lifted her hand to wipe at the tears on her face, not sure why she even bothered with crying any longer. It wasn't like it accomplished anything; it wasn't like he cared that he'd made her cry. In fact, deep down, she felt that some small part of him enjoyed it. Or maybe it wasn't such a small part of him that took pleasure in her pain. Maybe it was just his way, had always been his way, and at first, she'd been too grateful about him helping her get away from Kane to even realize it.

Wincing, Lita forced herself into a standing position once more, stopping short at the wave of dizziness that his her, the diva closing her eyes as she tried to gather herself, part of her a little worried that he might have given her a concussion. She wasn't even sure what had set him off tonight, if it was just the pressure getting to him, the concern about the upcoming ECW One Night Stand pay per view... Or maybe he had heard her mutter about him needing to hope that Rob won at One Night Stand, because he just couldn't seem to beat John Cena. Whatever it was, it didn't really matter anymore, what mattered was that it was over, that she'd survived... But she certainly hadn't come out of it unscathed.

Lita moved gingerly as she made her way across the room, her arms once again wrapped around herself, the diva flinching as she looked down at her bag... Knowing that she really wasn't in any condition to try and carry it anywhere... And also very aware of the fact that she didn't really have many places to go. There was only one person she could think of to call, one person that cared, but she didn't know if she had the guts to pick up the phone. She didn't want to ruin things for her friend, didn't want their connection to screw things up...

"She'll kill me if I don't call her," the redhead muttered, bending down painfully to dig through her purse, trying to find her cell phone... Breathing a sigh of relief when she found it. As she flipped the phone open, her gaze flicked to the door, the diva silent for a long moment as she tried to make sure no one was approaching, that he wasn't coming back... He couldn't know about this, couldn't know that they were friends...

Shaking her head, Lita punched in the number she needed, hitting the talk button, lifting the phone to her ear... Hating the fact that she felt like crying when she heard her friend's voice on the other end of the line.

"Beth? It's me. I... I need your help."

Part Two

The blonde woman held the phone to her ear, waving away the curious looks of the likes of Torrie Wilson and Trish Stratus as she strode over to the bathroom of the hotel room, closing the door behind her, turning the water faucet on so that they would be less likely to hear what she was saying. "Lita? What's going on?" Beth asked, the new diva instantly concerned... She knew for a fact that the redhead wouldn't call her unless she absolutely had to, and it was also pretty clear to her that the diva sounded like she either was crying, or had been crying.

"Beth, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be sorry for calling me. I know you wouldn't unless you had to. Just tell me what's going on."

"Are you in your hotel room?" the redhead asked, and Beth sighed, pressing her lips together, not really wanting to admit to the redhead where she was... But knowing that she couldn't lie.

"I'm in Lilian and Trish's room. Maria and Torrie are here, too. They asked me if I wanted to get together after the show, and... It's not important, okay? Just tell me what's going on," the diva said, then paused, waiting for Lita to start speaking... The redhead silent on the other end. "Lita?"

"I have to go," the redhead said abruptly, her voice shaking, and Beth felt a shiver of alarm going up her spine.

"Lita, no... You have to tell me where you are and what's wrong. You cannot hang up this phone."

"I have to go. He's back," Lita hissed out, and then she was gone... Or, at least, not on the phone any longer. Apparently, in her hurry to get rid of the phone, she'd forgotten to end the call, instead just tossing the phone down or something, which made it very easy for Beth to hear the yelling that was starting on the other end of the phone... Edge yelling at Lita...

"Geezus," the blonde woman managed, reaching for the doorknob and heading out of the bathroom, barely stopping to grab her purse before she headed for the door to leave the hotel room.

"Beth, where are you going?" Maria asked, the blonde having to stamp down her irritation as she turned to answer the diva.

"Important phone call... It's from my mom. It could take awhile, so I'm heading back to my room. I'll see you all later," Beth informed them, not even waiting to hear what the others had to say to that, instead hurrying out of the room, the phone still held to her ear... The diva flinching when she heard her friend scream in pain on the other end of the line.

"Oh, God," the blonde managed, quickening her pace, trying to remember what floor Lita and Edge were supposed to be on, knowing they were at least in the same hotel... Fourth floor, she thought. She was on the second. Stopping briefly, she swore softly, not sure where the elevator was... But the stairwell was right there, just a few yards away, so she ran the last few steps to it, hoping that she didn't lose her signal... Able to hear her friend sobbing, Edge yelling horrible things... A loud crash caused her to cringe, Beth quickening her pace as she continued to run up the stairs, throwing the door open on the fourth floor and stumbling out, then heading down the labyrinth of hallways... A startled scream coming from her when she ran headlong into a very large form.

"Hey, hey... Where's the fire? You okay?" the man asked, reaching out to steady her, and then both of them froze when an especially loud scream came from the phone... A scream that could be heard somewhere in the hallway, too. "What in the hell is going on?"

"I have to find her. I have to help her," Beth said, not even really caring who she was talking to right now... A glance up telling her it was John Cena... He had a big mouth, she knew that, had wanted to kick him for the things he'd said about her friend, but the look on his face after he heard that scream... The blonde woman knew he wouldn't just let it go, and like it or not, he was the only possible help she had right now.

"Who? Trish? Torrie-"

"I'll explain later... Please... Just help me. It sounds like he's going to kill her," Beth managed, hating how close she was to crying, then realizing she actually *was* crying. "*Please.*"

"We'll find her. We'll help her," John assured her, both of them jerking at the sound of another scream, Cena taking off towards the noise, clearly trying to figure out which door it was coming from... Turning a corner, he swore at the sound of a thump coming from the room... A woman sobbing and screaming, even pleading...

"Open this fucking door!" John shouted, pounding hard on the door... Hearing the man snarl something at the woman, the woman begging him to stop, telling him she hadn't called anyone, she *swore* she hadn't...

"Just get to the door, Lita! Try and let us in!" Beth shouted, not even noticing the look of shock that crossed Cena's face when he heard the name she yelled out. "Just try to let us in," she pleaded, shaking the door knob... And then, miraculously, they heard a scuttling at the door, and then it was unlocked, Cena shoving it open just in time to see Edge grab Lita by the hair, sending her stumbling across the room, the diva slamming hard into the desk in the room. Beth screamed at the sight, but John just went inside, grabbing Edge and starting an assault while Beth went to the redhead that was trying to cower in the corner... All the while, John wondering just what in the hell he had just gotten himself into... And why in the hell it was that Beth Phoenix had known what was going on in the first place, how it was that the diva seemed to know Lita...

And why he even cared.

Part Three

John Cena stepped back, glancing around at the destruction he'd caused... Not only was Edge unconscious, but the room was totally trashed. He knew he hadn't been responsible for it all, that some of it had come when Edge was apparently beating the holy hell out of Lita, but he was pretty sure he'd managed to destroy a few light fixtures... Not to mention the television, a chair, and the desk in the room. He was probably lucky that the cops hadn't come in and arrested him yet.

Shaking his head, Cena stepped away from his fallen adversary, looking over towards the corner of the room, where Lita was cowering, Beth Phoenix at her side. A frown on his face, John began to make his way over to the two women, shaking out the hand he'd used to repeatedly punch Edge in the face as he did so.

"How bad is she?" John questioned as he crouched down next to the women... Lita jerking at his sudden appearance, the diva cringing at the pain the sudden movement caused. She looked beat all to hell... Cuts and bruises all over her face, bruises on what he could see of her arms. Her shirt was torn, her lip was bleeding, and it appeared that she'd probably had a bloody nose at some point, too... There was some blood on her shirt as well, though he couldn't tell what sort of injury it had come from.

"We've got to get her out of here before he wakes up-"

"And before the cops show up, 'cause somebody had to hear that," John replied, his gaze going back to Lita. "Can you stand up? Can you walk?"

"I... I'll try," Lita whispered painfully, starting to work on getting to her feet, having to use Beth's shoulder to brace herself... John instantly rising to his feet when he saw the trouble she was having, leaning down to get a careful grip on her, then lifting the injured woman in his arms, Lita's fearful gaze turning on him the instant he picked her up. "Put me down-"

"I ain't gonna hurt you. You can barely stand, and I'm guessing even if you do get to your feet, walkin' is pretty much out of the question."

"We need to get her to my hotel room," Beth said as she hurriedly stared gathering Lita's things, shoving anything that wasn't already packed into Lita's suitcase, then grabbing that, her friend's makeup bag, and Lita's purse as well. "We can't take the elevator, though. If someone sees her like this-"

"She needs to go to a fuckin' hospital," John broke in, and Lita shook her head frantically, seemingly trying to get out of his arms.

"No... No hospitals. I won't-"

"Damn it, don't make me drop you. Stop strugglin', Red. I drop you, and you're gonna be hurtin' even worse. I ain't sayin' I'd drop you on purpose, but you tryin' to get down like that makes it a little difficult for me to carry ya. You say no hospitals, then fine. No hospitals."

"I'm on the second floor," Beth said quietly. "My room's only a few down from Trish and Lilian, so we'll have to be careful-"

"I'm up here on the fourth floor. Makes it easier to get her there without people seein' us, and it means we can start lookin' at her injuries faster," John broke in, then looked over at Beth. "When you ran into me, I'd just dumped my gear in my room, then went to find a vending machine. I hadn't even heard anything yet..."

Beth nodded, looking over at her friend... Knowing that Lita's general silence during all of this meant her friend was really hurting. Otherwise, Lita would be arguing with them left and right, and it was damn sure that she wouldn't be letting John Cena, a man she professed to hate with a passion, carry her around if she thought there was even a chance that she could walk on her own. And the realization of just how badly her friend had to be hurting scared her half to death.

"Let's just get out of here," the blonde woman finally said... Quickly heading to the door and sticking her head out, relieved when she didn't see anybody out there. Granted, the hotel they were in had a lot of vacancies since it was a Monday night and all, but still... She'd expected a few people to hear the fight and check to see what was going on. Of course, it was also possible that people just didn't care, didn't think it was any of their business. The thought made her shake her head in disgust, that people would just ignore the sounds of what was obviously a man beating the hell out of a woman... A woman that had been pleading for mercy.

"Room 412," John told her as they exited the room, Beth apparently intent on leading the way... Though she did pause long enough to close the door behind them, leaving the unconscious Edge inside of a locked hotel room. The diva then began to walk quickly down the hall, leading the way to John's room as she carried Lita's bags... Cena carrying a trembling Lita in his arms.

Though she had initially told Cena to put her down, even struggled to get away from him at one point, the redhead was now quiet for the most part, whimpering softly when John took a step that jarred her too much... Leading the wrestler to worry about the possibility of broken ribs. He didn't know how long Edge had been at it when he and Beth had gotten into the room, but given the extent of the redhead's injuries, he had to think it had been awhile... And given the point to which the violence had apparently escalated, he didn't think this was the first time the Canadian had physically abused the redhead, either. Shaking his head, Cena looked down at the woman in his arms, noting the tears on her damaged face.

"It's gonna be okay now, Lita. Me and Beth? We're gonna take care of you. And after what I did to him, that blond bastard's gonna think twice about comin' after you," he told her softly, but when Lita looked at him, he could see the disbelief in her eyes...

He couldn't say he blamed her for it.

Part Four

After Beth had successfully extracted his key card from his back pocket and opened the door, John carefully carried Lita inside his hotel room, sidestepping the bags he'd dropped on the floor earlier, making his way over to the bed in the room. Once there, he put Lita down as gently as he could, knowing she had to be in a terrible amount of pain. Hell, even looking at her hurt right now.

Shaking his head, John turned to look at Beth, watching as the diva dropped Lita's bags next to his, the woman carefully shutting the door and turning the deadbolt, concern evident on her face as she looked at her friend... Her gaze then going to John. "I don't know how to thank you-"

"Don't bother with it. I don't need to be thanked for this," John said, a frown on his face as he looked back over at the redhead, cautiously approaching her, kneeling down next to the bed. Carefully, he reached out and touched her battered face, then sighed, looking over at Beth. "I'm gonna need to go and get some icepacks, something to wrap her ribs with... First aid stuff. Hell, the strongest painkiller I've got here is Advil-"

"It has ibuprofen in it. That's an anti-inflammatory, and I've been prescribed larger doses of it than you get in over-the-counter stuff. We can give her a few of them-"

"I'm right here," Lita spoke up, her voice scratchy and barely above a whisper, John and Beth instantly looking over at her, Cena wincing a little as he looked into her pained and haunted eyes. "Don't talk about me like I can't hear you."

Beth nodded. "Okay, then... I'll get you some Advil, since that's all we've got right now-"

"It's in my shavin' bag," John told her, and the blonde nodded as she made her way into the bathroom, Cena rising to his feet to grab a bottled water from the convenience store bag he'd dropped on the floor earlier. He made a face before opening it, handing it to the diva as Beth came out of the bathroom with Advil in hand. Lita took the water from him cautiously, her hand shaking so much she nearly dropped it, so John reached out to steady her hand, cautiously sitting down next to her, trying not to jar her too much. She sent him a nervous look as he did so, but she allowed him to help her, the diva carefully taking the pills that Beth offered her. John took the bottle from her once she was done, putting the cap back on it and setting it on the nightstand, watching as Lita wiped at her mouth, the diva wincing when she realized that her hand came away with blood on it. Tears filled her eyes then, but when Beth went as if to comfort her, Lita shook her head, knuckling away her tears herself, wincing a little as her hands came into contact with bruised and cut flesh.

"Lita-"

"Not now. Please."

"We can talk about it later," John said, then stood up, looking at each of the women in turn. "I'm gonna go to the nearest store, get what we need to patch you up as best we can. We gotta get those ribs wrapped, 'cause I'm afraid they're at least bruised, probably cracked or broken-"

"I'll be fine," she said shortly, then closed her eyes, sighing. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful..."

"This ain't about gratitude," John stated quietly when she trailed off, the wrestler eyeing the injured diva. She looked so small, so fragile... Her red hair clinging to her cheeks because of a mixture of tears and blood. Cringing a little, John shook his head. "I'm gonna try to get to the store and back as soon as possible, but I'm beggin' the two of you... Don't go anywhere until I get back, and even then, not without me."

"John-"

"I don't know how long that bastard's gonna be unconscious, and I don't want him gettin' his hands on you. So please... Just stay here. While I'm gone, you can try and get cleaned up as best you can, and I'll help when I get back," he said, and while Lita was silent at that, Beth gave a slight nod.

"That's probably the best we can do," she said, watching as John headed for the door, the diva reaching for her purse, starting to take out her wallet.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you money to buy the stuff-"

"Put your damned wallet away. I can handle buyin' some first aid shit. I can also handle some room service, so if you want anything to eat, or she feels up to it, order somethin' and charge it to my room," he told her, then frowned. "But make damned sure it's the room service guy before you open the door, and you might wanna make sure he don't see the redhead."

Beth nodded at that, knowing that Lita's appearance was bound to bring about some questions... Or it had better bring about some questions. It was clear to anyone with eyes that the redhead had been beaten up something awful. "Okay. But John-"

"Don't 'but John' me. Like it or not, I'm the one that helped you tonight, and I wasn't raised to turn my back on somethin' like this. Maybe you're a tough chick and all, maybe you both are, but he's just about as big as the two of ya put together. Me, on the other hand? I can kick the shit out of 'em, and I can't say as I mind doin' that, either. Consider that my reward for my good deed and all of that," Cena told her, then frowned, flicking a look back at the diva on his bed, then returning his gaze to Beth. "I'll be back as soon as I can. When I come back, I'll use my key card, but I'll knock before I enter, okay? Just so I don't scare her by suddenly openin' the door."

"Okay," the blonde said quietly, her hand shaking a little as she ran it through her hair, and John sighed.

"Just hold on 'til I get back, okay? Then you can go in the bathroom and cry all you want, and I'll take care of her while you do. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"We'll be waiting."

Part Five

John knocked softly on the door, waiting a moment before he slipped the key card in the slot, opening the door with some caution. As he entered the room, he found Lita and Beth making their way slowly out of the bathroom, Lita having to lean heavily on her friend. Swearing softly, Cena stepped fully into the room, tossing the bags from the drug store on the bed, making sure the door was shut and locked behind him before he strode across the room, the two divas still barely outside the bathroom door by the time he made it over to them.

"Here, let me carry her," he said softly, one arm carefully coming around the diva's back, trying hard not to hurt her as he put his other arm behind her knees, cautiously lifting her in his arms and carrying her over to the bed. He set her down gently, then looked down at her, taking stock of her injuries. While he'd been gone, Beth and Lita had apparently gotten the blood off the diva's face, though the bruises were starting to look worse, darkening as time went on. There were bruises on her arms as well... And on her abdomen, the skin appearing swollen, the bruises already fairly dark.

"I knew we needed to get a good look at her ribs, so I had her change into a sports bra," Beth said softly, and John nodded, carefully seating himself on the bed next to the redhead, his hand coming out to touch her ribs... Pulling back before he came in contact with her skin.

"Lita, there could be something internal-"

"I don't want to go to the hospital. Please don't make me," she whispered, her whole body seeming to shake, and though he knew it would be best for her if she went to the hospital... He also knew it was well within her rights to refuse treatment if she so chose, and he knew that unless they brought her in there unconscious, then the doctors would have to heed her wishes.

"I'm sure you know we can't make you go. It would just be best if you did," John said quietly, reaching for the bags he had brought in, pulling out the bandages he'd bought to wrap her ribs. Eyeing the redhead, he held up the bandages. "If your ribs are broken, I sure as hell don't want to tape you up too tight, okay? So tell me if it's too much."

Lita eyed him warily, then gave a slow nod, her body trembling more as John's hands touched her, Beth helping to hold the bandages in place as John started to work at wrapping her ribs. The diva hissed softly through her teeth when John's fingers brushed against what appeared to be a welt on the inside of her arm, the wrestler wincing at the sound.

"I'm sorry... I'm tryin' not to hurt ya, I promise."

"If you touch me, it hurts," Lita whispered, her eyes closed now, the redhead obviously fighting tears... And one tear did slip down as she opened her eyes again, turning her head to look at him. "It's not your fault. It's his."

"Stupid bastard," Beth whispered, her own voice a little shaky, and she shook her head. "I can't believe he did this. I know he's hit you before - don't bother denying it - but I never thought... I thought having Mick Foley around might keep him in line."

"He was there," Lita whispered, her eyes shut once more, and because of that, she didn't see the look of utter shock come to Cena's face at that revelation.

"Lita, what do you mean? When me and Beth got there-"

"That was round two. Mick was there for round one, and then they left," she said softly. "I called Beth because I knew I needed help, and then... Then Edge came back, and... He got mad because I didn't want to..."

"Didn't want to what?" Cena questioned, and when Lita looked over at him, there was something in her eyes that let him know exactly what she hadn't wanted to do. "You mean that sick fuck actually thought you would sleep with him after he beat you up?" he asked, and the redhead looked away, her body shaking worse now, and John bit off a nasty curse word, the wrestler now finished with taping up her ribs... Pulling off the button up jersey he was wearing over his t-shirt and helping the redhead to put it on over her sports bra, figuring she wanted to cover up some more, especially considering what she'd just told them... Whether she'd ever meant for them to know about it or not.

"You're safe now, Lita. He's not going to hurt you again," Beth said a little helplessly, watching as John buttoned the jersey up, his large hands fumbling slightly, the wrestler obviously incredibly bothered by everything he'd seen and heard tonight. Maybe he was loud and brash and occasionally totally uncouth, but he apparently had a far different idea of how to treat women than Edge did.

"He won't let it go... He won't let me go," Lita whispered, shaking her head... Her haunted gaze moving over to John, hazel eyes locking on blue. "Don't you think I would have left if he'd let me?"

John froze under her gaze, unable to turn away from the frightened and wounded look in the diva's eyes. "If I'd known... I would have stopped it, Lita. If I'd only known... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry it went this far..."

Lita closed her eyes, swaying slightly as she spoke. "He didn't rape me tonight. He was going to. His hands are so harsh, and it hurts to much... I'm not allowed to say no. He saved me from Kane, so I owe him," she whispered, then opened her eyes, looking at him again. "He's worse than Kane."

John cut a look to Beth, noting that she was crying now, horror on the blonde diva's face, and he couldn't say he blamed her for her tears. He felt like he was going to be sick... Finding this out, never knowing, never suspecting... Cautiously, John reached out to Beth, then to Lita, his arm coming around her as gently as he could manage, easing her against him, the redhead looking up at him with something like fear in her eyes. "What-"

"I ain't gonna hurt you, and I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't wanna. I'm just gonna hold you for a minute, okay?" he whispered to her, and Lita nodded slightly, laying her head on his shoulder, wincing when a sob tried to force its way through her battered body.

"It hurts to cry," she managed to say, and John felt Beth's body shake with a silent sob at that, the wrestler closing his eyes as he held both women against him, trying to offer comfort but knowing they needed more than he could really give.

"I know it does, baby... I know it does."

Part Six

He carefully placed the ice packs against her ribs, the extra pillows and blankets pulled down from the closet in the hotel room, John having used them to make something of a cocoon for the injured diva, trying to keep the ice packs pressed against her. He and Beth had carefully tended to every cut and bruise they could see on the redhead, putting bandages over the worst ones, John trying so hard to be careful, but knowing that even touching Lita was probably hurting her. Shaking his head, he situated the last ice pack against her ribs, gently pushing her hair back from her face before he sat back, critically eyeing his work.

"You try to get some rest, okay? Me and Beth will be right here, and I won't let anybody get to ya," he assured her, and Lita gave a small nod, the redhead trying to get a little more comfortable, closing her eyes as John reached over and snapped off the lamp next to the bed. There was still light in the room, but it was pretty dim, dark enough to make it a little easier for Lita to sleep... If she could manage it given the pain she was in.

Heaving out a sigh, John rose to his feet, making his way over to the bathroom that Beth was in, the door closed most of the way, the wrestler knocking on the door, a sniffle meeting his ears before the diva spoke. "Yeah?"

"It okay if I come in there?" he asked, and in answer, the door was opened a little more, Beth hooking her foot around it to tug it open, the blonde woman seated on the bathroom floor. As he stepped into the small room, she wiped at her face, her expression sad as she looked up at him.

"I never realized..."

"I been fighting that bastard off and on since January, and I never even had a clue. Maybe I didn't always think he treated her right, leavin' her out there to take other guys finishers and stuff, but... I never woulda thought he did this to her," Cena said, shifting from one foot to the other, still not entirely sure how he had ended up in the middle of this. All he'd been doing was heading to the vending machines... And instead, he'd ended up beating the hell out of Edge and helping two women that he didn't really even know. Yeah, sure, Lita had been a thorn in his side for awhile now, but it was clear to him that he'd never really known anything about her.

"You're not her friend. I am. I'm supposed to be her friend, and I didn't know..." Beth said, then shook her head, wiping at her eyes again, and though John wanted to ask how it was that the two divas knew each other - Beth hadn't been in the WWE long enough to make secret alliances - he didn't think this was the right time to ask, not when the blonde was so obviously upset.

"Now we know. And I ain't gonna let it happen again," John whispered, then sighed. "Look, I know you ain't gonna want to leave her tonight, but I also know there's no way we can get her down to your hotel room. She's in too much pain to move her, and I'm pretty sure she ain't gonna want people to see her like this. I may not know her well, but I can at least figure that much out."

"She never wants people to see her hurting. Maybe that's why she hid it so well... But if he ever did something like this before, there's no way she could hide it-"

"Maybe it was never this bad, but it's pretty obvious that he hits her. Probably never much cared whether she was in the mood for sex or not, either. Just took it when he wanted it. And she didn't have any friends, so she didn't have anyone to help her. Bastard probably wouldn't let her get close enough to anyone to ask for help," John muttered, his hands curling into fists at the thought of what the blond man had apparently done to Lita... Beth wiping away a few new tears.

"He didn't know about me. We decided that he couldn't, because as long as he didn't know... It was easier to get to her. She didn't say it that way, but I suspected. She used the excuse that she couldn't put me in the position of being hated just because I was her friend. But I knew there was more to it. I should have pushed. I thought with Mick Foley..."

"I never woulda thought he was the type to just stand by and watch a man hit a woman. 'Course, he stuck barbed wire in her mouth, so I guess he don't really care what he does to Lita... Or what anyone else does to her," Cena muttered. "Fuck... I know I treated her bad... Said shit I shouldn't have, and it was wrong to FU her. Even if I held back and tried to be careful, just to send a message to that fucker... When I put her up on my shoulders, I thought he would rescue her. And when he didn't come down... Shit..."

"When he uses her as a shield, you don't hurt her," Beth said quietly, and John shrugged his shoulders.

"She didn't hurt me then, either. I catch her, she gives me this scared look, and I set her aside. Guess she's more afraid of him than she is of me, though."

"You would never hurt a woman like he hurt her. I barely know you, and even I can see that," Beth whispered, and John nodded, then crouched down in front of her, heaving out a sigh.

"I know you don't wanna leave her... Her stuff's already here, but... You want me to go and grab your stuff, too? Just give me your key card, and I'll be back in ten minutes," he offered, and Beth nodded slowly, reaching into her back pocket, pulling the card out and handing it over, waiting until John stood before speaking again.

"Thank you... Not just for getting my stuff, obviously. For everything. For helping us. For beating him up when I couldn't... Thank you," she said, and John nodded slightly.

"You're welcome. But I ain't finished beatin' him up yet."

Part Seven

John hoisted Beth's bag a little higher up on his shoulder, a frown on the wrestler's face as he walked down the hallway... Freezing at the sound of a voice. "Somehow, I don't think you look much like Beth's mother."

Frowning, the wrestler turned to look at the person speaking to him, John arching a brow as he saw Lilian Garcia standing near the vending machine alcove. "Excuse me?"

"You just came from Beth's room, carrying her bag. She left earlier saying she'd gotten a phone call from her mother and that it could take awhile-"

"I ain't the one that called her, and this isn't what you think," John snapped out, his jaw set as he looked at the little blonde, the champion really not in the mood for this.

"I think that Beth looked very concerned when she left, and I'm thinking that something happened and she needed your help. Is she okay?" the ring announcer wanted to know, and because she really did look concerned, John didn't just take off like he had half a mind to do... The West Newbury native fairly certain Lilian would just follow him anyway if he did so. Frowning, Cena considered the woman's question, not particularly wanting to lie... And physically, Beth was okay. Emotionally, he wasn't so sure.

"She ain't hurt or anythin', if that's what you're asking."

"Not entirely. Who called her tonight, John?"

"That ain't really any of your damned business, actually," Cena tossed back, surprise flickering across his face when a new voice spoke up.

"It was Lita, wasn't it?" Torrie Wilson said as she finally made her presence known, the tall blonde diva coming out from the alcove as well, a diet drink in her hand.

"Why would you think-"

"I think that your knuckles are bruised, which means you probably got into a fight," Torrie said calmly, gesturing to John's hands, and he frowned as he looked down, seeing the evidence of his altercation with Edge... He hadn't even felt it at the time, instead intent on causing the Canadian as much pain as possible, and to be more to the point, he didn't really care about the damage to his knuckles. It was a small price to pay for helping Lita out tonight.

"So?"

"So... I've noticed that whenever Trish or Maria starts talking trash about Lita... Beth gets really quiet, and she always looks... She doesn't like it. I can tell-"

"Maria talks trash about Lita?" John said, then shook his head with a smirk. "Don't she know by now that unless Lita gets taken out by her own damned partner, she ain't got a chance against her? Fair fight or not, the redhead could kick the shit out of Maria if she wanted to, so she better watch what she says."

"How bad is it?" Torrie wanted to know, fully aware that while John was annoyed to find out that Maria went around being dumb enough to talk trash about someone that could easily kick her ass, he was really more upset about something else. The venom in his voice wasn't directed at the dizzy young interviewer.

"Bad enough that she should be in a hospital, but she don't wanna go. Bad enough that when I saw what he'd done to her, I beat Edge unconscious and I still think he deserves a hell of a lot more than that," John snapped out, then shook his head. "I gotta get back to them. Beth's upset, seein' as Red's her friend and all, and Lita's in a lot of pain."

"Do you think-"

"I ain't bringin' you up there. It's probably hard enough on Lita to realize that I know. Granted, she ain't exactly gonna be able to keep people from findin' out what he done to her, given how beat up she is, but... I'm not just bringing new people up there," he said, and while Lilian frowned, Torrie nodded.

"I understand. Just... I don't know where Trish and Maria stand, and I really don't care. I just want Beth to know that if she and Lita need me... I'm here."

"So am I," Lilian put in, and though John frowned a little at that, he gave a slow nod.

"I can't guarantee that they'll be too friendly, especially Lita, with all that's apparently happened to her, but... I'll pass the word on," he told them, the two women thanking him as he walked away... The wrestler pausing to look back at them. "Don't tell the other two what's going on. I don't think they need to know."

"Understood," Lilian said, Torrie nodding as well... John quickening his pace as he made his way to the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time in his rush to get back to the divas, not wanting to leave them alone for too long, part of him afraid he'd left them alone for too long already.

A frown on his face, he shoved the door to the fourth floor open, stepping out into the hallway, his gaze darting around, checking for danger... He figured Edge had to be up and moving again by now, but hopefully he was feeling some major pain and wouldn't be up to attacking anyone else tonight. Reaching into his back pocket, John pulled out the key card for his hotel room, hurriedly using it to unlock the door, then entering his hotel room... Placing both his and Beth's key cards on the counter, then stepping into the room, dropping Beth's bag on the floor.

He could hear rustling in the bathroom, a sign that Beth was still in there, and John sighed softly, stepping closer to the bed in the room, the barrier of blankets and pillows around Lita... Ice packs pressed against her bruised and battered form. She looked very small to him, smaller than he'd ever realized her to be... His hand came out a bit cautiously, John very careful as his fingers brushed over the woman's bruised face... His frown deepening, he knelt down next to the bed, carefully letting his hand hover over hers, noting just how much smaller her hand was than his... She was just so little compared to him... And Edge wasn't exactly a small guy, either. She'd been so vulnerable with him, completely at the blond man's mercy...

"It's gonna be okay, Lita. You may be smaller than him, but I'm not. And he's about to find out just what it's like to pick on someone his own size."

Part Eight

John winced as he rolled over, the wrestler sleeping on the floor of his hotel room, Beth being given the couch for the night... Lita was in too rough a shape for either of them to contemplate splitting the bed with her, neither one of them wanting to be the one to inadvertently hurt the redhead by rolling over or kicking her or... Anything. Because of that, Lita got the bed to herself, and John could only hope she was managing to get some sort of sleep-

A soft sound touched his ears then, and it took John a moment to realize that was probably what had woken him up more than anything else. Moving a bit gingerly, the wrestler sat up on the floor, squinting through the darkness in an effort to figure out where the sound was coming from... Beth on the couch, or Lita on the bed.

Another whimper told him it came from the redhead.

Yawning, John got to his feet quickly, making his way over to where the diva was sleeping... Or supposed to be sleeping, anyway. The curtains weren't quite closed, letting in a bit of light from the street lamps outside, and John could see the glisten of tears on her cheeks as she lay there with her eyes closed. Not wanting to startle her, Cena cleared his throat softly, trying to get her attention, and her eyes slowly opened, shining with tears as she looked up at him.

Quickly, the wrestler got down on his knees beside the bed, not wanting to jar her by sitting on the edge of the bed, but not wanting to be looming over her, either. She seemed okay with letting him help her so far... But he just didn't want to scare her.

"Hey there, Red," he said softly, reaching out slowly towards her... Gently wiping the tears from her bruised face, trying not to hurt her as he did so. "You hurtin' worse? Need some more Advil? Maybe some water?"

Lita bit her lip, worrying the soft flesh as she looked up at him. "I..."

"You hurtin'?" he asked, and when she nodded slowly, he got to his feet, making his way over to the bathroom. Quickly, he shook out a few Advil into the palm of his hand, then grabbed the bottle of water she'd drank from earlier out of the mini-refrigerator in the room. Once that was done, he made his way back over to where Lita lay quietly in the bed, handing her the pills, then helping her ease up into a sitting position. She winced at the motion, hissing through her teeth, and John fought against a curse word at the look of pain on her face. "Lita, I know you said you didn't want to... But maybe you oughtta have those ribs looked at-"

"I don't want to go to the hospital. He could find me there," she whispered, her eyes wide as she looked up at him, and Cena sighed, watching as she slowly took the pills... Uncapping the bottle of water and handing it to her so she could wash them down.

"I'd be there, too, though. I beat him unconscious tonight, and I ain't afraid to do it again, Red. I wouldn't let him get to you-"

"I don't like hospitals. Bad things happen in them," Lita stated stubbornly, and though John knew damned good and well that the redhead needed better care than he could provide, he didn't want to push her on it anymore, not wanting to push her away. Granted, he had no intention of leaving her in this mess - her or Beth - but he knew it would be a lot easier to help out if they were actually cooperating with him.

Giving a small nod, he reached up, gently tucking some of her hair behind her ears. "It's your decision. I ain't gonna push you. It's just hard to see you hurtin' like this, you know?" he told her, very carefully starting to help her ease back so that she was laying down once more... Removing the makeshift ice packs from around her. Most of the ice in them had melted, the towels were a bit wet in spite of the fact that he bought plastic baggies to put the ice in, and he frowned a little as he reached out, touching the shirt of his that she was wearing, finding that material a little damp, too. "Ice packs leaked, huh?"

"Little bit."

"Let me get you another shirt," he said, making his way over to his bag, stopping to toss the towels in the sink along the way. Once he got to the bag, he rummaged through it and pulled out a t-shirt, then headed back over to her. She was sitting up again, the diva trying to work the buttons on the jersey he'd given her to wear earlier, and John reached out to help her, helping the diva shrug out of the shirt once it was unbuttoned, leaving the redhead in the sports bra she'd had on earlier. John let his gaze move over her, noting that the bandages he'd wrapped around her ribs seemed to be holding up... But the skin he could see seemed to have bruises that were darkening more with every hour that passed. "Damn it, Lita... How long has he been hurting you?"

Lita shook her head at that, reaching for the shirt that he'd set down in order to help her get the jersey off. "Please..."

Biting off a swear word, the wrestler gently took the shirt from her hands, pulling it over her head, then helping her to get her arms through the sleeves, very aware of the small sounds of pain she made at almost every motion... Carefully pulling the shirt down to cover her completely... His eyes meeting hers through the semi-darkness. "I'm sorry, Lita. I'm so sorry," he said quietly, watching as she ducked her head, averting her gaze.

"It's not your fault," she whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry for-"

"I'm sorry I didn't see it. Sorry I never noticed... Sorry it took so long for it to be stopped," he told her, the diva slowly laying back down again... Glancing up in surprise when he reached out and carefully took her hand. "I know you don't have much reason to believe in me or trust me... But I will do whatever I can to keep him away from you. I promise you that."

"I don't believe in promises anymore-"

"You can believe in mine."
End Part Eight