Chapter 2

As Edge waited for Lita to arrive to go over script changes for their monologue, Shane tapped Edge on the shoulder.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Shane asked

Edge looked at Shane with a raised eyebrow. He found it odd that Shane was asking how he was doing when he'd never cared before.

"Good, just waiting for Lita. We're on in 10 minutes." Edge replied.

Shane smiled to himself. Edge mentioning Lita was a great segue to what he had been there to discuss.

"Oh yeah, you guys are up first. Enjoy being hated out there." Shane said to break the ice even further.

Edge didn't respond, he just smiled. He was still wandering why Shane was there in the first place. He was quite certain it wasn't so he could wish him luck.

"Speaking of Lita and being hated, it's no secret that Lita and I aren't on the best of terms." Shane continued.

Edge laughed to himself. He had heard Lita curse Shane's name on more than a few occasions. Lita's hatred for Shane ran deeper than Edge could understand. Without knowing all the history between them and how Shane had totally manipulated and used her to hurt John, Edge figured the hatred stemmed simply from the fact that Shane had been on somewhat of a power trip in the last several months.

"Yeah, I know." Edge responded nonchalantly.

"So that's why I'm here. I know you two are close and even though I can't say Lita and I will ever be on good personal terms, she's a great athlete and an important commodity to this company. Regardless of what she thinks I do care about her well being."

Edge loved how Shane used the word "commodity" as if she and all the wrestlers for that matter were simply products to drive ticket sales and not actually people.

"Okay. I'm sorry to be rude Shane, but what are you trying to tell me?" Edge asked hoping that Shane would get to his point and quickly.

Shane folded his arms across his chest and shifted his eyes to make sure no one could over hear what he was about to say.

"Well, some of the other divas have noticed bruises on Lita where they shouldn't be. We're not talking bruises you get from a typical night in the ring, we're taking about bruises that someone has put there on purpose." Shane said.

Adam turned to look at Shane. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I guess what I'm trying to say Edge is that recently Lita hasn't been performing up to her regular standards. I think it has something to do with what's going on when she leaves the arena. I hate to say it, but we all know Cena has a temper. More than a few of the other wrestlers are concerned that he's hitting her." Shane said, again smiling inside.

Edge's eyes grew wide and his jaw stiffened. "Cena better not be hitting her" he thought to himself. But before he could get too angry, he wanted to be certain that what Shane was saying was true. He had been working with Lita for a long time now and hadn't noticed a thing. On the other hand, Lita's not one to let people know when she's hurt. She likes to play the tough girl as if nothing really affects her. What Shane was suggesting was pretty serious and in all honesty it just didn't seem like something John would do to Lita or any woman for that matter.

"Wait a second Shane, John hitting Lita?" Edge asked.

Shane looked around him. A serious look coming over his face.

"It's not me saying it, it's just something the other divas are concerned about. But then again," Shane retracted a little. He didn't want to lay the b.s. on too thick. "You know how women are. They like to gossip and make a big deal out of everything. Women just love to create their own drama." Shane finished.

Yeah, Edge thought to himself, Shane should know all about it. He was a bigger bitch than any one of the divas backstage.

"Sorry man, I just can't believe all this. Me and John aren't exactly drinking buddies or anything, but from what I can tell, he's a pretty cool guy; and he loves Lita." Edge replied scratching the back of his head and trying to convince himself of his own words.

"I hope you're right. I figured if anyone would know the truth it'd be you. Again, outside of business, Lita can live whatever life she wants to, but when her personal life starts affecting her in ring performance, that's when we all start to worry. And between you and me, I wouldn't wish that kind of abuse on anyone." Shane said trying hard to act as if he was truly concerned about Lita's well being.

Edge gave Shane a friendly smile, inside though his stomach was turning. "What if it's true?" He asked himself. The one part of his brain knew it wasn't, but that voice inside his head kept haunting him. If it was true, he didn't want to be the guy who just stood by and let it happen.

Shane gave Edge a friendly pat on the shoulder before he left.

"Hey, good luck out there Mr. Rated R Superstar." He said with a crooked McMahon smirk.

As Shane walked off he knew that Edge would be too smart to fully believe the accusations he'd created against John, but on the other hand he could see Edge's wheels were turning. The seed had been planted and as far as Shane was concerned the first part of his mission had been accomplished.

John smiled at Lita and pulled her hair away from her face.

"Lita you're on in 2 minutes." A stage hand told her.

Lita watched as the young woman scurried off while she received further instructions through her headphones.

"Better get to your Rated R Superstar." John said playfully.

Lita rolled her eyes. Both her and Edge couldn't wait until that whole ridiculous gimmick was over. She didn't mind so much the boos from the crowd, and neither did Edge, but she hated having to act like what she and Edge had was nothing but sexual.

Lita and Edge had always been first and foremost friends. The sexual attraction was always there of course and they had both made the huge mistake of acting on this most basic of instincts. Neither wanted to hurt the other or those they loved, but both would always be the first to admit that sleeping together wasn't the brightest thing they could have done. Regardless, their relationship was never about just sex. It was about friendship, respect and trust. The sex just happened to get in the way.

Off in the distance, Edge watched as John tilted his head to kiss Lita gently on the neck. He could see how her eyes simply lit up with his touch. Edge still felt somewhat guilty for the way things ended between her and Matt. She wanted Lita to be happy and until now thought she had finally found that happiness with John. The look on her face made him smile, but he couldn't cut through the conversation he had just had with Shane. What if that beautiful smile was all an act? What if Lita was just too afraid to act unhappy around John for fear that he would hit her? The questions in his mind tortured him.

"Ready?" Lita asked breaking Edge away from his thoughts and blank stare.

Edge smiled wide at Lita.

"Let's do this girl." He said.

As the two swept the curtain away and started walking down the ramp to the ring, a chorus of boos filled the air. Both had their best acting faces on for the night. As Edge held Lita's hand, he squeezed it tighter than usual. Lita noticed it right away and the suggestion confused her. Edge in his mind made a mental note as he strutted down the ramp and into the ring. Before the night was over, he would be sure to make sure everything was truly okay with Lita. He had to.

Chapter 4

"So who all is going to Toronto for the promotion?" John asked as he and Lita lay in bed. The sun had just risen and John and Lita were enjoying a peaceful morning before Lita would have to leave for a WWE promotional trip.

If she had it her way, Amy wouldn't be going at all. She loved moments like these and because of she and John's hectic lifestyle, they were few and far between. She couldn't help but almost fall back asleep as her head rested on John's outstretched arm. The other arm wrapped across her body as his hand gently feathered her skin. At times John's touches were so soft, so sweet, Lita was sure she had died and gone to heaven.

"Randy, Trish, Candice, Dave, me and..." Lita paused for a moment. She really didn't want John knowing that Shane McMahon would be there as well. After everything Shane had done to them, John had still not let go of his anger for the man. It ran so deep sometimes that it actually scared Lita more than she would ever admit.

"And who?" John asked curiously.

Lita hesitated and bit her lower lip. She knew that John would flip out as soon as Shane's name escaped her mouth.

"Shane." She said.

John sat up immediately. Already his blood began to boil.

"You're not going then. It's final." John demand.

Lita looked at John. She pulled a sheet over her chest and sat up behind John kissing gently on his back. She wanted to ease his mind any way she could. It's not like she blamed John for the way he was acting, but all the same she hated being told what she could and couldn't do. She was a big girl, John would just have to deal with it.

"John, don't worry. The guy hasn't said two words to me in months. He knows if he gets near me I'll kick his ass." Lita said and then nudged John in the side playfully. She desperately just wanted to change the subject.

John wasn't buying it though. The whole idea of Lita being miles away from him and knowing that she and Shane would be staying at the same hotel bothered him. It wasn't a subject he could just drop at the snap of a finger.

"I know but I haven't had the title for two months. Now that I have it again I'm sure he's already thinking of ways to piss me off, just to make me look bad in front of Vince and Stephanie. You know him and Stephanie have that crazy sibling rivalry thing. I just don't want to see you caught in the middle again." John confided.

As Lita rested her head on John's shoulder she knew John was right. Who the hell knew what was going on in the mind of Shane McMahon now that John had the title again. Hell, for all Lita knew, she was invited to attend the promotion in Toronto simply so Shane could separate the two and get Lita alone. On second thought, it's not like there weren't other Superstars that would be there. She would just be careful to make sure Dave or Randy was by her side the whole time.

"Please lay back down John. Really, everything will be fine. Shane's all bark and no bite." Lita said as she massaged John's shoulders, finally getting him to turn to her.

When John saw Lita's face he couldn't help but to smile. In his heart he knew Lita would be able to take care of herself. Selfishly he wanted to be her protector at all times, but part of the reason he fell so deeply in love with her was because she was tough. Tougher than most guys he'd crossed on the Southside of Boston.

"I'm sorry babe. I know you could whoop my ass let alone a spoiled little pussy like Shane. Can you forgive me?" John asked, smirking the whole time.

Lita couldn't resist the dimples. It wasn't about forgiving, Lita loved the fact that John was so protective of her. It was about making up and the sex that would surely follow.

As Lita stood by the door holding her bags, John ravished her with kisses. Lita envied the fact that at 12:30 in the afternoon, John was still in his boxers with no plans but to workout and then lounge around all day.

"You know I'll be thinking about you the whole time." Lita said as John continued to kiss her.

John could hardly pay attention to a word she was saying.

"John!" Lita said trying to get his attention.

John finally stopped the onslaught of kisses and looked up at her.

"Sorry babe." He said once again smirking.

Lita smirked back and then grabbed for her jacket. As John took a step backwards and watched her, his mind began to wander back to the last Raw taping. He'd been wanting desperately to ask her why Edge seemed more than close to her recently. For days he kept telling himself it was nothing, but his mind kept replaying the moment Edge whispered something to her, not knowing that John had been watching from a distance. That one simple act had been haunting John no matter how hard he tried to erase it from his memory.

"So", John started as his eye drifted toward the ground and he uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck. "Edge seems to be 'friendlier' than usual." John started.

Lita finished putting on her jacket. She hadn't noticed. But then again, Lita and Edge were so close that even when he showed more concern than usual, Lita figured that was Edge just being Edge.

"What do you mean?" Lita asked.

John held his breath for a second and then breathed out. He knew in his heart that he was probably going to a place he shouldn't be. Especially since Lita was just about to leave town. But, sometime men aren't the brightest creatures in the world when it came to women, and he would be the first to admit it.

"It's just I saw him whisper something to you last Monday. Seemed kind of odd." John replied, trying hard to make it seem nonchalant.

As Lita watched John shift uncomfortably, she recalled the moment when Edge had asked her if she was doing okay. Things were really starting to get weird. First Edge showing extra concern for no reason at all, now John starting to get jealous over Edge showing concern, and all for no reason at all. It was as if a storm was brewing out of nothing and Lita had no control.

"John, Edge and I are friends and always will be. If that's going to be a problem then we need to sit down and talk." Lita said, now starting to get somewhat irritated.

John had no problem with Edge per sea, but the fact that he and Lita were so damn close did strike a chord with him. If John didn't realize it before, he was starting to realize it now. Yes, he hated the fact that Lita and Edge were still such good friends.

"Then we need to talk." He said almost without thought.

Again, John cursed himself not only for his timing, but for the fact that he really was making a little thing into a big thing. Lita for her part couldn't believe what John had just said. How could such a thoughtful and beautiful man be such a jealous paranoid jerk all in one stroke.

"John, how can you be such an asshole?" Lita asked angrily.

She didn't really think John was an asshole, but in this very moment he was and she wanted to be sure he knew it.

While Lita turned to leave John grabbed for her arm. He really didn't want her leaving like this. But just as John tried to grab her, Lita whipped her arm away, opening the door, and then closing it before John could get in another word.

Chapter 7

When Lita arrived home she dropped her bags to the floor as soon as she walked through the door. Her body still ached and she was exhausted. All she really wanted to do was sleep the rest of the day and not wake up until the next Raw. She hoped at least by then the bruises will have gone and her body would feel back to normal. Unfortunately for her, Raw was in two days.

"Hey baby!" John greeted her with a huge smile on his face.

He had been counting the minutes until she would arrive home. When he finally saw her he couldn't help but to lift her off her feet in a bear hug like embrace.

"Ouch!" Lita moaned.

Normally such an enthusiastic hug would have been welcomed, but not today. As soon as John heard Lita moan in pain he let her go and took a step back. Immediately he remembered that she mentioned something about falling while she was in Toronto to him earlier.

As Lita rubbed the side of her arm, John looked her over closely. He saw some discoloring on her arm. A bruise for sure. Then he looked at her face. The first thing he noticed was the unusual amount of make up she was wearing. He looked closer. Then he could see it, one huge bruise on her cheek and a cut lip.

"Lita, baby, what the hell happened?" He asked concerned about her condition.

Lita looked away. Even though she and John shared no secrets, she was still embarrassed over the whole situation.

"Well John, me and some of the other wrestlers had a few drinks last night at the hotel bar. I was upset over the argument we had before I left. I guess I just had a little too much to drink and fell." Lita explained trying hard to recall an evening she really had no memory of.

"You fell? How much did you have to drink Lita? Why wasn't Dave or Randy looking out for you? Didn't anyone notice how drunk you were getting?" John asked.

He and Lita had often times held there own when it came to drinking. John has seen Lita tipsy on several occasions, but never fall down drunk. It just didn't sound like something she would do. Not only did she have a pretty high tolerance, but she also knew when to stop.

"John, it's no one's fault but my own. I'd rather just forget about the whole thing." Lita replied.

"Did anyone see you fall? Were you alone?" John asked.

"I'm not sure to tell you the truth. All I can remember is being at the bar drinking and then waking up the next morning feeling like crap." Lita explained. "Apparently Candice is the one who helped me back to my hotel room."

As soon as John heard the name Candice he began to get suspicious. For all he knew, Candice probably let her get drunk just so Lita would look like an idiot in front of her peers. Getting "help" from Candice is like the kiss of death. John knew that Candice doesn't help anyone unless there's something in it for her.

"Candice huh? Was Shane there during any of this?" John asked knowing where there's smoke, there's fire.

"No thank God, but he did find out about what happened and gave me a warning about drinking on company time before we all boarded the plane." Lita confessed.

"The nerve of that guy." John spat. "Fuck him and his warning!"

John was getting hotter by the minute.

"Listen Lita, just stay away from Candice. She is nothing but trouble. And as long as she's sleeping with Shane, she can't be trusted. As far as Shane goes, I might have to have a few words with the hypocritical son of a bitch." John finished.

"No John, please don't. I'd just rather you forget about the whole thing. It's embarrassing enough. If you start confronting Shane then he'll get pissed and use it against us. Just let it drop." Lita begged.

She could still see the anger in John's eyes and wasn't completely sure he would comply. She grabbed him gently by the arm.

"Please baby, for me." She begged as her pleading eyes held John's. The expression on her face practically melted him into submission.

John smiled at Lita as he brushed his thumb gently across the bruise on her face. He hated the fact that he wasn't there in Toronto to watch over her. She never would have gotten so drunk had he been there.

"Okay Lita, for you." He replied smiling even wider as he continued to caress her face. "You know, even with a few cuts and bruises, you're still the sexiest WWE diva ever. I kind of like the tough look." John said jokingly.

"Tough, that's right, and don't you forget it." Lita replied as she moved her face closer to John's until their lips softly met each other in a soulful kiss.

When John and Lita arrived backstage at Raw, Lita was already in full make-up. Even though she had now fully recovered physically, the marks were still there.

"Okay now promise me you'll take care of yourself out there tonight. No more bruises. People might start to wonder, you know what I mean?" John said to Lita jokingly as he looked at her holding her face in his hands. Little did he realize that his words would soon become a reality.

"Yes daddy." Lita replied sarcastically with a smile on her face.

John smiled back and kissed Lita before heading off to go over his match with Umaga. Lita went the other direction to meet with Edge. Not only were Lita and Edge called on to do the opening promo, but to also have a match later on in the evening as well.

"Any changes for tonight?" Lita asked as she approached Edge who was reviewing the script outline for the show.

In the back of her mind Lita was hoping for a last minute change. In her condition she really didn't want to have to be in the ring.

Edge turned and looked at Lita.

"None yet." He replied as he turned back to review the script before handing the paperwork off to Lita.

"Here you go. You want to look it over?" Edge asked.

As Lita went to take the script from Edge, Edge noticed a discolored mark on her arm. At first he thought maybe it was a smudge of some sort, but then looking at her further he noticed something even more awkward about Lita. Her make-up. Edge couldn't recall the last time he remembered her wearing so much. Sure, her character called for her to look as slutty as possible, but this was ridiculous.

"What's up with all the make-up Lita? They hiring interns to do make-up now for the divas?" Edge asked in a sarcastic manner.

Lita cursed herself. She didn't want to have to start lying to Edge.

"No, I did it myself." She confided.

As Edge rubbed the bottom of his chin, the look on his face turned from a smirk, to something more serious. Not only was Lita's arm discolored, but there was a small cut on her lip. Edge couldn't help but to think the worst. Ever since the seed had been planted about John having a bad temper and sometimes taking it out on Lita, Edge had found himself being a little more protective around her than usual.

"Care to tell me how you got that cut on you lip?" He asked point blankly.

Lita's heart almost fell to her stomach. The fact that she was still living under a shadow of guilt for what she thought she did in Toronto was already too much to bear. Edge had almost become like a brother to her since their breakup. She feared he would only be disappointed in her for being such a lush.

"I fell." Lita said nonchalantly.

"You fell, since when did you become so clumsy?" Edge asked. The suspicions of John getting rough with her now becoming stronger in his mind.

"It happens Edge. No big deal. Can we just change the subject please?" Lita replied now getting somewhat testy.

For the most part, she had been doing a pretty good job of covering up her bruises. No one had noticed except of course John and now Edge. Leave it to Edge though to pick up on something like that. The two knew each other like the backs of their hands.

Edge at this point didn't want to make a scene. He could tell Lita was embarrassed, but at the same time he wasn't about to just sit by and let John beat on her. His mind raced as he thought about what to do. The first thought that stole into his mind was to simply kill John, but Edge knew better. He would confront John about it that was for sure, but he needed to wait until he cooled down. On the other hand, the last thing he wanted to see Lita do was go home with the man after the show. God only knew what he might do to her.

Chapter 11

When John rounded the corner he immediately saw Edge standing at the doorway to his and Lita's hotel room.

In less than 24 hours John had been stripped of his dignity, he had been stripped of the title belt and now he was being stripped of the only woman in the world he cared for and loved. He found it hard to believe that Edge even had the balls to show up knowing that John and Lita were sharing a hotel room. With the blood boiling deep in his body, John went after Edge to finish what they had started at the arena.

"Edge look out!" Lita screamed as she saw John running toward Edge with his arm reared back and ready to strike him.

Before Edge could even gather what was happening, he was greeted with a hard right hook to the face. Immediately he fell to the floor and John was on top of him. John's fists were pounding on Edge one after another while Edge tried desperately to cover up. Lita in the meantime tried to pry John off of him, but John was just too strong. She practically got hit herself in the process. Lucky for Edge though, Lita was enough of a distraction for him to gain some leverage and roll John off of him.

"You son of a bitch!" John yelled at Edge as the two continued to go at it.

"Stop!" Lita yelled at both of them, but just as before, neither one was listening. This time she thought, someone was going to wind up dead.

"You think you're real tough hitting a woman huh Cena?" Edge spat as he drove a fist hard into John's stomach.

At this point, blood was now staining the carpeted hallway of the hotel. As the two men continued to fight Lita ran back into the hotel room to call security.

She hated seeing two men that she loved dearly beating the living hell out of each other and not being able to do anything to stop it. They were tearing each other apart bit by bit and in Lita's mind, for no good reason at all. John hated Edge based on his assumptions that Edge was trying to get Lita back. Edge hated John because he thought John was beating on her. Both men were wrong, but yet both men were too damn stubborn to see the flaws in their assumptions.

By the time security finally arrived to stop the fight, the damage had already been done. Both Edge and John stood with battered bodies and bloodied faces. And both of them would need to see a doctor.

Lita was once again standing between two men she thought she knew, but feeling worlds away from both of them and very alone. Did she really need all this drama she thought to herself. Would the fighting ever stop? While security still held John and Edge tightly to prevent any further hostility, Lita shook her head. Wiping tears from her eyes she walked over to Edge first and stood before him.

Without even a warning, Lita slapped Edge hard in the face.

"I'm a big girl Edge. Do you honestly think that if John was hitting me I would stay with him? Listen closely because I'm not going to tell you again. John has never, ever laid a finger on me. Case closed!" Lita announced and then turned away and walked over to John.

John stood looking at the woman he loved. He could hardly believe she just slapped Edge in the face, but he was also very proud of her for doing it; that was until he also received a hard slap to the face.

"Damn it John, why are you so stubborn? Edge and I are friends. I love you, but if you can't at least deal with that fact then maybe we shouldn't be together." Lita said as she fought hard to keep from breaking down.

Lita was determined to not compromise on that matter especially since the whole issue of her and Edge being friends had more to do with trust then any beef John may have had with Edge. John would have to trust her. If he couldn't do that, then their relationship would be dead before it even really got started.

As Lita stormed off, John and Edge stood dumbfounded watching her leave. Both were rubbing their jaws. Each one had suffered numerous punches to the face, but the one that hurt them the most was the one delivered from Lita.

The following day Stephanie called Candice to her office. There were a lot of things she needed to find out and Stephanie was sure that Candice would be the key.

Candice stood outside of Stephanie's door not prepared for the barrage of questioning she would have to endure. In her mind, she was there to discuss the negotiation of her new contract. Not that she actually trusted Shane, but he did promise her a considerable increase in pay for her part in the whole Toronto fiasco. Candice couldn't wait to hear just how much of an increase that would be.

"Come in." Stephanie called out as Candice knocked on the door.

When Candice opened the door, she sauntered into the office full of confidence. Stephanie remained sitting behind her desk while Candice walked over to her with a smile so sweet it would make anyone sick. Stephanie could read right through it though. If Candice thought she was getting away with anything by acting sweet and innocent, she had another thing coming. Growing up the daughter of Vince McMahon and being one of two heirs to the WWE fortune, Stephanie had seen her share of deceit and dirty business dealings. For better or for worse, Stephanie had grown to be just as shrewd as the rest of the McMahon family. In this case, it would serve her well.

"So Candice, I believe we have a lot to talk about." Stephanie suggested.

Candice's smile got wider.

"Well I just want to say that I really appreciate you renegotiating my contract." Candice confidently stated.

Stephanie smiled at her. She couldn't believe Candice actually thought they were going to discuss her contract. She almost felt sorry for the ex-Playboy playmate, but only a little.

"Contract negotiation? No Candice, you're here concerning a much more serious matter." Stephanie retorted.

The smile on Candice's face dropped almost immediately. She tried to retrace in her mind which one of the many things she had done in the last month that Stephanie caught wind of and wanted to discuss: Sleeping with Shane, sleeping with 3 of 5 members of the Spirit Squad, sleeping with the head of security from the last show. And then it dawned on her: Toronto.

"I've been informed that on your recent trip to Toronto, you helped Lita to her room after discovering she had a little too much to drink. Care to tell me about that?" Stephanie asked.

Candice shifted in her chair.

"Well, it was just like you said. We were all at the bar when I noticed Lita try to get up and almost fall. I decided to help her up to her room and make sure she got to her bed okay." Candice replied biting the bottom of her lip.

"Well, I called the hotel, they mentioned something I found somewhat interesting." Stephanie said pausing to check Candice's reaction. Then she continued. "They said that after Lita checked out of her room they discovered a broken lamp and dried blood on the corner of the night stand. If you helped Lita safely to her bed, why the blood? Why the damaged lamp?" Stephanie continued knowing she had Candice trapped.

"All I know is Lita was fine when I left. I didn't have anything to do with her falling." Candice nervously explained.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow.

"Okay Candice. Let's change the subject then. You and Shane have been sleeping together for quite some time now, and according to Shane, screwing each other during shows." Stephanie said.

"No, not true, well at least not any more. We were. But it was his idea. He forced me into it. I was afraid if I didn't I would get fired." Candice pleaded.

Candice knew the rules better than anyone. All the wrestlers had contracts that clearly stated they were not to engage in any extra curricular activities while on company time. That included drugs and sexual romps with each other or outside parties.

"I'm sorry Candice, but rules are rules. We're going to have to let you go." Stephanie said.

Although she was never a big fan of Candice, it was actually Vince and Shane who convinced her to sign Candice to a contract in the first place, she did feel sorry for her. Stephanie knew that Shane deserved to be "fired" just as much as Candice did, but Shane was a stock holder and a McMahon. Unfortunately for Candice, she didn't have the money or the last name to give her the same immunity that Shane had.

Upon hearing that she had just lost her job, Candice was almost in tears. If not for the fact that she was now so pissed at Shane she wanted to kill him with her own two hands, she would have been broken down then and there. But instead she decided that whatever it took, Shane would go down with her. Just as John had learned about a woman's scorn, Shane would learn it as well.

"It was Shane's idea." Candice started out as Stephnaie raised an eyebrow. "Shane wanted to see bruises on Lita so he asked me to help out. I let her fall when we got back to her room, but that's what Shane wanted. I was pissed at John, so of course I helped. Shane came up with an idea to accuse John of beating Lita to make him look bad. All we needed was physical proof and we got it in Toronto." Candice confessed, finally letting the truth be told.

Stephanie was shocked at what she heard. She could hardly believe she was even related to a man like Shane.

"Okay Candice, I'm glad you told the truth. Your termination will take place immediately following Raw next week. After that I don't want you to step foot in this building or any building where a WWE event is taking place ever again. Is that clear?" Stephanie said sternly as she rose from her desk and leaned in toward a now distraught Candice.

Candice waited for Stephanie to finish and then shook her head in agreement. As she rose from her seat and walked out the office door, she buried her face in her hands and cried. The reality of what she had done now cutting through her like a sword.

Chapter 13

Lita and John stood together alone staring at each other for the first time in a week; a very long week. John lowered his eyes and reached for Lita's hand, but Lita immediately pulled away.

"I gotta go." Lita said as she attempted a quick escape.

It was good to know the truth, and even though she could excuse Edge for his actions, it wasn't so easy to dismiss the way John handled the whole situation. If John could have only handled his jealousy, then Shane's little screw job never would have made the impact that it did. John would have been able to see that Edge was simply concerned for Lita's well being and that's why he suddenly became protective of her. Instead, John did exactly what Shane wanted him to do, go after Edge and truly make himself appear as the animal Shane was accusing him of being.

"Wait baby don't leave, please." John pleaded as he grabbed for Lita's hand and pulled her back to him.

John held Lita's face in his hands and stared sincerely into her eyes.

"Didn't anything that Stephanie had to say make a difference? What was I supposed to think? This was all Shane's doing. Let's pick up the pieces and get back to where we were." John pleaded again as he moved his face closer to hers, dying for a kiss.

Lita once again turned away. John just didn't get it, and Lita was growing even more irritated.

"Yes, Shane fucked us over and I hope the little shit pays for it, but Shane didn't make you attack Edge. Shane didn't make you hate a man simply because you assumed he wanted me back. Shane isn't making you jealous of other men." Lita replied as her voice grew louder.

"Fuck John, you couldn't possibly have made it any easier for Shane to make you look like an asshole." Lita was now yelling.

Her words were harsh and she knew it. After months of frustration and confusion, Lita was now letting go of everything she had been holding back. She loved what she had with John before the Toronto incident and hated the fact that there was now stronger doubt in their relationship than ever before.

Then finally the last blow.

"Maybe I should be thanking Shane for helping me see the real you." Lita spat and then she was out the door.

John clenched his jaw. His first reaction was to punch something, but he held back. His body had endured enough in the last week, and the last time he hit something out of anger, he ended up breaking his hand. The only thing John would be willing to break his hand on was Shane's face. But, since Shane was nowhere to be found, he could only stand there and suck it in.

Why was Lita so hung up on this one issue, he asked himself. Isn't jealousy a sign of love? Edge had accused him of beating her, what else was he supposed to do, lay down and take it? John couldn't help but to let his street reasoning get the best of him. It was time to head back to Boston and get with his buddies. Get back to his roots. God knows if any of his childhood friends saw how torn up Lita was making him, they'd rib him to no end. John was doing just fine before Lita came along and if Lita couldn't see him for the man he truly was, then it was her loss. He would be fine...Just fine. As John left the room and headed out of the arena, the words lingered in his head. What started with a definitive statement slowly echoed in his mind with less impact. What ended with a period, now ended with a question mark. But nonetheless, John was going back to Boston to see his buddies. Surely a night with the boys would wash away all the bullshit in his mind.

Shane rounded the corner looking left and right at every turn. He couldn't help but to think that each corner could be a potential run in with either John or Edge. He knew when he walked into the room where John, Edge, Lita, Triple H and his sister had gathered that something was up. He assumed the worst, but wanted to hear it straight from the woman he knew had the answers. Shane recognized he had to keep cool. That was the key to being a McMahon, never let them see you sweat. It was the one thing he learned most from his father as a businessman. Any sign of weakness, and you're as good as dead.

"Excuse us ladies." Shane said as he saw Candice gathered with some of the other divas.

Before Candice could excuse herself, Shane held her arm to make sure she knew he wanted her to stay.

Candice planted a fake smile on her face as the other divas left. She knew why Shane was there and if it wasn't bad enough that she had just been fired, her night had now gotten worse.

"What the fuck did you tell Stephanie?" Shane started abruptly.

"Nice to see you too Shane." Candice responded as she pulled her arm away from Shane's grip.

Although Shane wasn't necessarily known for his temper, it was obvious to Candice that Shane was not in a normal state. Candice could actually see sweat forming on his brow.

"Okay Candice, lets get one thing straight before you start playing your little games." Shane continued. "You're one thing, a good fuck. Otherwise you're nothing to me. Which means if you don't tell me what you told Stephanie, I'll make sure you don't see another penny in your life." Shane threatened.

Candice almost laughed out loud but knew better. Shane was a powerful man, but he often over estimated just how much power he had. In her mind he confused being spoiled and having everything handed to him, for being a man with real authority.

"You want to know the truth Shane?" Candice asked flirtatiously as she moved closer to Shane and ran her fingernail delicately underneath his chin.

She wanted to tell Shane the truth. Because of him she had been fired and humiliated. Candice had warned that if she went down, Shane would go down with her, and if she was anything, she was a woman of her word.

"I told Stephanie about our little plan." Candice confessed as she smiled up at Shane.

Shane couldn't believe what he was hearing as his eyes practically popped out of his head.

"You what?" He asked, simply because he didn't know what else to say.

Candice put a hand on Shane's cheek and kissed him on the lips. She was the ultimate seductress and her kisses were more a death wish than a blessing.

Shane turned in a fit of anger. He knew that Edge, John and Lita would be looking for blood and if he wasn't paranoid about getting pummeled from one or all of them before, he was even more paranoid now.

As he rung his hands through his hair a look of despair crossed Shane's face.

"You bitch!" He spat at Candice.

Then without warning Shane smacked Candice hard in the face.

The impact made Candice fall to the ground and even Shane was somewhat startled by the impact.

Candice grabbed her cheek and sucked back the tears that desperately wanted to escape. As she rose to her feet she held her stare now locked in on Shane's eyes. Shane for his part was fuming inside but the look he received from Candice made him unconsciously take a few steps backwards.

With Candice now stepping closer to Shane, she dropped her hand and grabbed Shane's tie to pull his face closer to hers.

"You're forgetting Shane. I've got nothing to lose now that I don't have a job. You just signed your own death wish asshole."

Candice pushed Shane and then walked away. Before rounding the corner she looked back at Shane one last time and ran her tongue seductively across her lips. It was time now to start planning revenge.

Chapter 14

Later that night, Vince McMahon was backstage reviewing show footage when Candice Michelle walked over to him.

"Mr. McMahon." Candice muttered in a hushed voice.

When Vince turned to her he noticed right away that her face was stained with tears and there was a cut on her lip.

"Candice, what happened, are you okay?" He asked alarmed as he pulled her aside so no one would bother them.

Candice looked to the ground. Her years of overacting and drama queen behavior would now come in handy.

"Mr. McMahon, I know this is my last night here, but I never expected for things to turn out this way. I just wanted to try and get my job back." Candice confessed as the words she had been planning in her mind were now spilling from her lips to perfection. The Academy of Art & Sciences would be proud.

"Candice, what are you talking about? Why is your lip cut?" Vince asked.

Candice held her stare toward the floor. She feared if she actually looked Vince in the eye, he may see what was behind them. And what was behind them was pure and sweet revenge.

"Shane." She muttered.

Vince raised an eyebrow.

"Shane? What about Shane?" He continued.

"Shane attacked me. I thought I could trust him. We'd been sleeping together off and on but all of that stopped a few weeks ago. I guess since this was my last night he decided he wanted one more go around." Candice confessed as she buried her face in her hand and started to sob.

As Vince listened to the young woman the veins in his forehead were now starting to show. Candice gathered her breath and then prepared herself for the knockout punch.

"Your son raped me." She declared.

Vince's face now grew even redder. Whether the accusation of Shane raping Candice was true or not, Vince could not afford for this kind of thing to get out. The WWE was trying desperately to hold onto it's spot in primetime television programming. The fact that his only son and co-owner of his very own wrestling empire could possibly have raped one of their high profile divas would not look good to advertisers and studio executives alike.

Vince paced back and forth scratching his head. Finally he stood before Candice and looked her directly in the eye.

"Listen, I don't know what you intend to do, but let me handle Shane. If this is about getting your job back, well, we'll have to discuss that later. If you need money I can offer you whatever you think you need to get through this. But let me handle my son." Vince demanded.

Candice fought desperately to hide her grin. She knew Vince well enough to know he had a very bad temper. If Vince said he was going to handle Shane, that meant only one thing for Shane: pure hell. The best part about all of this is that Candice was beating Shane at his own game. Now he would know what it's like to have someone truly mess with your life, the exact same way he had been messing with John and Lita's lives over the past few months.

Candice was having such a good time at Shane's expense that she decided to draw blood even further. What did she care now? If Shane was going to be exposed for the person he really was, she may as well not hold anything back.

"If you need to find him check with Torrie. He's been sleeping with her too." Candice said as she watched the expression on Vince's face go from angry to much worse. That piece of information was much easier for Candice to deliver. It was the only thing she had said to Mr. McMahon in the last five minutes that was actually true.

As Vince marched through the hallways looking for Shane he stumbled upon Torrie.

"Where's my son?" He demanded of her just as Shane had emerged from the office door behind her. Both of them were now looking extremely guilty and Shane actually still had lipstick on his face.

"Excuse us Torrie, we have a business matter to discuss." Vince requested, which sent Torrie scampering off like a shadow in the night.

"What's up pops?" Shane asked trying to play it cool, but all the while trembling like a little child inside.

The fact that Shane had managed to get a quick one from Torrie didn't help him relieve the stress that had been building in him since the night began. Not only would he have to worry about John and Edge coming after him, but Shane now had to worry about Candice getting back at him as well. He knew better than anyone that she was the one he needed to fear most of all. In his mind though this was her last night. Raw was now over and she was officially no longer a WWE employee. If he needed to he would simply put a restraining order on her to ensure he never had to see her again.

"I saw Candice just a few moments ago. She was crying and had a cut lip. Do you know anything about that?" Vince asked directly.

Shane knew he was in deep shit now. He'd lied to many people before, but he simply didn't have the balls to lie to his father.

"I lost my temper dad. She's a bitch. She's trying to cause problems backstage. Ask Stephanie, she'll tell you all about it. That's why she got fired." Shane explained. Shane had managed to tell the truth without telling Vince the whole truth.

"She said you raped her." Vince replied.

Shane's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe Candice had actually accused him of rape.

"That's insane, she's insane. You can't believe her dad." Shane pleaded.

"Have you been sleeping with her?" Vince asked.

"Yes, I have, but you know how she is. She's a slut. Who wouldn't take advantage of something like that?" Shane said realizing that his words had lost all reasoning and did nothing to help him in Vince's eyes.

"Damn it Shane!" Vince suddenly erupted. Vince would be damned if his company suffered financially simply because his son couldn't keep his pants on.

Vince then grabbed Shane angrily by the collar and stared at him. His eyes were practically bulging out of his head. You could literally see the steam coming from Vince's ears. If people thought that Vince overacted on television, they were completely wrong. If pushed too far, the man had a temper worse than most and he wasn't afraid to show it.

"Dad, what are you doing, I didn't rape the bitch." Shane said trying hard to pull Vince's hands off of him.

Finally, Vince let go of Shane's shirt and took a step back. His breathing was heavy and all Shane could do was pray that it would all be over soon.

"Okay Shane, since you'd rather be off fucking divas than helping your sister, mother and I run a business, than maybe you need to start thinking about selling your stock options." Vince concluded.

Shane couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was his dad actually suggesting he give up his part of the company? There would be no way in hell.

"You've got to be kidding, I'm you're only son, there's no way..." But before Shane could finish, Vince cut him off.

"Then I'll buy you out myself you ungrateful little bastard!"

And with that Vince stomped off not allowing Shane any chance to respond.

Chapter 15

As Lita aimed directly at the cue ball, she imagined Shane McMahon's head was the nine ball. "Crack!" A perfect hit and Lita won the game.

"Nice game Lita. Not even becoming a WWE diva has slowed your game one bit." Said a guy affectionately know as "Shorty".

Shorty was actually 6'7" and close to 280lbs of muscle. Not only was he a struggling wrestler laboring away on the Indy circuit, but he had known Lita for well over ten years. When they first met it was at the very bar Lita was at now. Back then Shorty, Lita, The Hardy's, Edge and Christian were all struggling to make it in the business. The tiny little bar that sat on the corner of 54th in Manhattan had become a second home to all of them. It was the only place they could find to just chill out after putting on a show for less than 100 people. Things had definitely changed though in the last ten years and Lita decided it was time she revisit where she came from. She knew that with success came a price to pay; loss of privacy, higher expectations and a busier schedule. What she wasn't prepared for was all the politics and greed that came to make the WWE what it is today. Shane was a perfect example of everything that was wrong with a multi-million dollar family owned business thriving in this day and age.

On the other hand, John Cena was a perfect example of everything that was right with the business. Despite all the lies and deceptions, there were still people in the business like himself who just wanted to wrestle and still be a normal person. Added drama not allowed.

"I try not to let that go to my head" Lita responded as she smiled at her friend and followed him back to the bar for a drink.

A thousand questions were running through Lita's mind as she was finally able to get some perspective on her life, little hole in the wall bars have a way of doing that to you. Would she be so angry with John were they not in such a crazy business? A business that not only took a toll on your body, but your mind as well. A business where you play a character, yet are often identified by people on the outside by the character you play. Lita would be the first to admit she has made some mistakes in her life. Matt and Edge were two of them. But she was allowed to make mistakes. She was no different than anyone else. As Lita reasoned all of this in her mind, she couldn't avoid the one simple question that had been screaming at her the loudest. Does John deserve another chance? Would it all be worth it?

As Shorty handed her a beer, Lita looked to the doorway where a ruggedly handsome, yet somewhat scruffy looking character walked through the door.

"Edge!" Shorty called out to his old buddy.

When Edge saw Shorty standing at the bar, he nodded to him and smiled. Edge had actually been the only one of the original gang that still frequented the place when time permitted. It was dirty, maybe a little on the rough side, right up Edge's alley.

As Edge got closer to the bar he saw to his surprise the long red locks of hair that could belong to only one person.

"Lita, holy shit, what brings you here?" He asked. Truly surprised.

Lita looked up. She really wasn't in the mood to see Edge. Shorty was enough to give her the comfort she needed. He was the only one of her friends who had yet to be "affected" by the wrestling industry. In other words, he still held the innocence of being just one of the boys, as opposed to a WWE "Superstar".

"Just needed a drink. How are the bruises?" Lita asked commenting on Edge's face and the fading reminder of his fight with John.

"They're nothing. With or without them, I'm still one sexy bitch." Edge exclaimed jokingly, which got a good chuckle out of Shorty.

Lita couldn't help but to laugh either. It was comments like that, that helped her to remember why she remained friends with Edge despite all they had been through. He just had a way of breaking the ice regardless of the circumstances.

While the bartender poured Edge a shot of whiskey he sat down on the stool next to Lita. It was obvious that things were still weighing heavy on her mind.

"So, uh, how are things with John?" Edge asked hesitantly. Given the circumstances, he really didn't know what else to ask at the time.

Lita for her part had no idea how John was. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since Raw. She hoped he was okay although she knew that wasn't the case. He had just been accused of beating up a woman, and even though the whole thing had been made up by Shane and Candice, the internet had gotten hold of the accusation and now rumors were flying around like crazy. To a certain extent, his reputation had been damaged. Selfishly, Lita hoped that John was also missing her as much as she was now missing him. That alone should be enough to keep him down.

"I don't know Edge. I'd rather not talk about John. For now, we aren't really a couple." Lita declared. Her voice almost cracking as she spoke.

For as much as Edge didn't really get along with John, even after everything that has happened, he still felt Lita was making a big mistake. The chemistry between the two was undeniable. Even in those times when they were backstage trying to keep their relationship separate from business, the sexual energy between them was out of control. Everyone knew they were a couple, even when they so adamantly denied it.

"Uh Lita?" Edge interjected methodically rubbing the bottom of his chin. "We need to talk."

Lita raised an eyebrow and then ordered another beer. Whenever Edge wanted to talk, it could go on for hours. The man had a gift for gab.

"Talk away." She said.

"I was wrong about John. I know now he would never hurt you physically or mentally. At least not on purpose. I said some things to piss him off. I got a little over protective. The fight we had? He was just reacting the way any guy would have reacted in that situation." Edge said.

Lita laughed to herself.

"Yeah, like a jealous asshole." She retorted.

Edge shook his head. Through his lifetime he had discovered one important thing about women; he would never be able to figure them out.

"Okay, so if he didn't get a little jealous you'd be bitching that he didn't love you enough." Edge responded.

Lita had to admit, he did have a point. Still, Lita felt there were better ways to show you love someone.

"I guess I don't know that I'm ready to jump into another relationship. Especially with another wrestler. I'm a WWE diva. My job is to hook up with men on national television. Vince is adamant about keeping my character as slutty as possible, and all the divas for that matter. John obviously can't handle it." Lita finished hoping that Edge would just let the whole thing drop.

Edge leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Okay Lita, just trying to make up for my part in whatever is going on between you and John. But…"

Lita rolled her eyes, here came the Edge meets The Brady's moral of the day.

"…besides me, there's nobody that's perfect. If you keep waiting for Mr. Right you'll end up getting Mr. Right Now instead." Edge explained, not quite sure what he was saying.

"What?" Lita asked confused by the statement.

"I guess what I'm saying is you need stability in your life Lita. You need John." Edge said and then leaned in and kissed Lita on the cheek before placing some money on the bar and getting up to leave

"See ya Shorty." Edge said to the bigger man and then headed out the door as Lita watched him go.

A frantic knock came to Stephanie and Triple H's door. God forbid they actually enjoy an evening to themselves.

Triple looked to Stephanie with an arched eyebrow.

"Who the hell?" He asked.

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders as she got up from the couch to answer the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see her brother standing before her.

"Shane?" She said as she stared at her brother who had obviously been drinking.

Shane looked over Stephanie's shoulder to see a very annoyed Triple H behind her. He nodded toward him with a half smirk planted on his face.

"Shane you're drunk. What are you doing here?" Stephanie asked.

"Dad's going to buy me out of the company. I need you to talk to him. He thinks I raped Candice." Shane explained.

Stephanie looked back at Triple H and rolled her eyes. She had heard the accusations Candice had made and the evil McMahon side of her was saying to herself, "that a girl." If Shane was looking for sympathy, he would not get it from her.

"Well did you?" Stephanie asked.

Shane's eyes widened. He was starting to wonder if his family was going crazy.

"Are you crazy? I don't need to rape someone just to get screwed. Especially not a slut like Candice." Shane responded defensively.

By now, Triple H was moving toward the door. He could tell that Stephanie may need a little assistance in getting Shane to leave.

"Well quite frankly Shane, after what you did to John and Lita, nothing about you surprises me." Stephanie said.

Shane smirked to himself. He had come to ask for Stephanie's help and knew that he would need a miracle to get her to oblige.

"Why do you care so much about them anyway Stephanie?" Shane asked.

"Why not care? They work for me Shane, they work their asses off for our company, the least we can do is show them some respect and not try to destroy their personal lives." Stephanie said as she shoved a finger in Shane's chest.

Shane raised his hands in the air.

"Whatever Steph." He replied.

Triple H sighed heavily. He had, had just about enough of the conversation and quite honestly just wanted to get his wife into bed.

"Hey Shane-O, think we can carry on this conversation some other time? You need to go back to wherever you came from." He said stepping closer behind Stephanie as he placed a hand around her waist and kissed her on the neck.

Shane looked between the two of them and smirked. To a certain degree he envied their relationship, and ever since Triple H married into his family, he had become that much more desperate to prove to his father that he should be the sole heir to the company. The fact that he would have to someday share the company with not only his sister, but Triple H as well killed him. In his mind, Triple H was simply a wrestler, not a businessman like himself. He knew nothing about TV program maneuvering, corporate deal making, or milking time for advertising dollars. Unfortunately for Shane though it wouldn't matter much what Triple H knew or didn't know if he couldn't convince Vince to change his mind. Triple H and Stephanie would be running the company without him.

"I'm here to discuss business Triple H, if you could please give my sister and I a second." Shane suggested. The alcohol not only had removed any and all of his common sense, but had also led him to believe he had bigger balls than he actually did.

Triple H made a motion toward Shane. Shane could be as condescending as he wanted to any of the other wrestlers, but not to him. As Triple H pushed forward, Stephanie placed a hand on his chest to hold him back.

"Shane, what do you want?" Stephanie asked impatiently.

A soft look came over Shane's face as he looked into his sister's eyes. He knew he would need to somehow gain her sympathy's.

"Okay Steph, first off I was wrong for what I did to Lita and John. You're right." Shane started with about as much sincerity as an elephant.

"Okay, then apologize to them." Stephanie retorted folding her arms across her chest.

Shane looked to the sky. She wasn't exactly making this easy on him.

"Whatever. Listen, I did not rape Candice and even if I did I have every right to that money. It's not fair what dad wants to do. You have to talk some sense into him." Shane pleaded.

Stephanie held her ground and Triple H smirked behind her. Shane looked over at Triple H and squinted slightly in anger. He then turned back to Stephanie with puppy dog eyes.

"Please Stephanie, talk to dad. I need you." Shane begged.

Stephanie wasn't budging. It may have been a hard lesson for Shane to learn, but it needed to be taught. Even if Vince did decide to buy Shane's stock, it's not like Shane would be suffering. He still held investment properties all over New York. What would hurt Shane though the most is that he would be stripped of whatever power he had.

"Sorry Shane, I can't do that." Stephanie replied and then slammed the door in Shane's face.

As Shane stood behind the door in utter shock, he knew he had just about reached the end of his rope. There was only one more person he could turn to for help, and that in itself would be one of the biggest challenges he would have to face.

As Lita entered her apartment, the apartment that she and John shared, she threw her jacket and keys on the nightstand and plopped on the bed. It had been a long night but a good one. Lita was actually able to have fun with the help of her old friend Shorty. Edge of course had also managed to make her smile and before she fell asleep, her mind listened to the echo of Edge's words. He was right, she needed stability, but she wondered if John could really be the rock she needed.

As Lita continued to drift into a deep sleep, the vision of John impressed on her mind, she was startled by the sudden ringing of the doorbell.

Looking to the ceiling and wondering if she should even make the effort to get out of bed, Lita slowly rose up and got to her feet. When she did, it felt as though her head weighed a ton. She had drank quite a bit of alcohol at the bar, but the real issue was that she was simply too tired to stand. Almost unconsciously, she dragged her feet across the floor as she moved to answer the door.

Lita's grogginess had gotten the best of her as she looked through the peephole and barely made out the figure waiting behind the door.

"Who is it?" She called out.

"Delivery." Said the man on the other side.

Lita scratched the back of her head. "Delivery?" she asked herself. "Just what time is it anyway?"

Lita turned to look for the clock. She supposed she had fallen asleep so hard and so fast the night before that it was now morning. Although tempted to pull up a shade in her darkened apartment to verify her assumption, she decided instead to simply open the door.

Chapter 17

Lita rubbed her eyes several times before she took a chance in believing what she saw. Standing before her at the doorway was the most beautiful man she knew...John Cena.

John's smile was wide, his dimples shooting through the sides of his cheek as he held tightly to a bouquet of flowers.

"May I come in?" John asked innocently.

Lita brushed a hand through her hair. She knew there would be no use in fixing herself up, but she tried anyway. Even though in her heart she still held reservations about John, she had been longing for him all the while. The fact that he appeared before her at a time when her defenses were down certainly didn't help her to stand her ground. She was one of the most stubborn women on the planet earth, but for know she was too damn tired to be stubborn. Edge was right, John was the one she needed in her life. Her rock. She decided that despite her stubbornness, maybe it was time to throw caution to the wind and just give it another try.

"Sure, come on in." Lita said with control in her voice, even though inside the butterflies in her stomach were killing her.

John smiled and took a step forward until he stood within inches of her. His eyes holding steady on her face.

"These are for you." He said extending the flowers out to her.

Lita looked at them and blushed. She had never been a girlie kind of girl, but she did have a soft spot for flowers.

"You didn't have to do that John." She said as she took the flowers from his hand and immediately nervously turned to place them on the coffee table inside the living room. It was almost as if she was seeing John for the first time and they were teenagers getting ready for their first date.

By the time Lita returned, which took less than half a second, she was in awe with what she saw. There was John Cena on bended knee, his hand reached out to hers.

Shane arrived at Candice's door pounding furiously. That fact that his very own sister refused to help him angered him to no end.

"Coming!" Candice yelled from within as she wrapped herself in a loose fitting and very revealing robe.

Candice peaked through the keyhole to find out who it was and then opened the door.

While tying the front of her robe together to make sure Shane wouldn't get any free peaks, she leaned casually against the doorway. She knew in her mind why Shane was there and she loved every second of it. She couldn't help but to smile at him and waited for him to beon

"Is there something funny?" Shane asked as he noticed Candice's amused look.

"No, not at all. Just a little surprised to see you here especially since you know I'm not you're little bitch anymore Shane." Candice said.

Shane smiled to himself. He couldn't help but to respect Candice's fire, but at the same time he hated the fact that she was playing with him. Worse even still was the fact that he had to put up with it if he wanted any chance of getting Vince to change his mind.

"Oh you're still a bitch Candice, and let's get one thing straight, I cut you off, not the other way around." Shane said satisfied with his comments.

Candice wanted to burst out laughing. Even though she knew Shane was on the verge of practically begging for her help, he still tied to act as if he was in control. The notorious McMahon ego would be the death of him and he was too stupid to realize it.

Candice smiled at Shane and then grabbed the door and started to slam it in his face, but Shane was able to stop it.

"Okay Candice." He said now taking a more serious tone. "I think you know why I'm here." Shane said.

"Yes I do Shane and if you try anything stupid not only will you not get your money back, but you'll also be pissing blood for the next week." She warned.

Candice had felt the sting of Shane's hand on her face and she wasn't about to let that happen again.

Shane raised his hands in innocence.

"Have I ever tried anything before? If there was any raping going on it was you raping me." Shane replied unable to control his unfiltered mouth.

"Dream on Shane." Candice said rolling her eyes.

"Can I at least come in?" Shane asked after a moment.

"No". Candice replied sharply.

Shane started to pace as he collected his thoughts. If he couldn't convince his own sister to plead in his case to Vince, how would he ever expect Candice to do it? It was obvious she enjoyed watching him suffer.

"Okay Candice, I know you well enough to know what you want, so here's my offer. I get you your job back and the woman's title, and you talk to Vince and tell him the truth." Shane said with a smile feeling confident that she would accept.

Candice looked to the sky as if she was mulling over the offer. She tapped a finger on her chin and then after a few seconds just for the hell of it she finally retorted.

"No." Candice replied.

Shane immediately grew angry.

"No! What do you mean no? You little bitch." He said as he made a motion toward her and grabbed her arm roughly.

Candice grimmaced briefly from the pain but then realized she had nothing to be afraid of. She was the one who held all the cards. If Shane wanted to play, he would have to play nicely and by her rules. She immediately pushed Shane away while pulling her arm from his grip.

"Not only are you a jackass Shane, but you're a dumbass as well." Candice replied rubbing her arm as Shane stood before her with a hardened look on his face. "Here's what I want: my job, the woman's tile, a new contract and an apology. Not only to me, but to Lita and John as well. I want them to know that you were the one responsible for all the lies not me. I don't tell Vince the truth until you've fulfilled all my requests." Candice said sternly smiling inside.

Shane stood in utter disbelief. Candice had balls, and even he had to admit, she had bigger balls then him. The fact that he would have to apologize to John Cena was the worst part of the whole deal in his mind.

"Okay Candice, deal." Shane said admitting defeat.

Candice folded her arms across her chest as she watched Shane turn to leave.

"Uh Shane, don't you owe me something? It IS part of our deal or have you forgotten?" Candice asked.

Shane turned back to Candice with a smirk on his face. Let the humiliation begin.

"I'm sorry Candice." Shane said with his head to the ground, unable to actually look her in the eyes.

"Nope, that's not good enough. You want your precious money back Shane I want you on your knees when you apologize. For some reason I just don't feel the sincerity with you on your feet." Candice said sarcastically.

Shane looked at Candice with stupid smirk on his face. Dollar signs were ringing in his brain, and so he humbly obliged.

Chapter 18

Lita looked at John in utter amazement while standing there frozen and on the verge of tears. Was he really going to propose to her, she asked herself?

Then suddenly the phone rang. Lita rolled over in her bed. At first she had no idea were she was, but was quite surprised to find herself not standing in front of John, who was on one knee, but rather in her bedroom alone with the phone blaring in her ear. She looked at the clock sitting next to the phone: 8:10am. Then she looked toward the window. Even though the blinds were down she could still see sunlight creeping through. "Damn It!" She screamed to herself. It was all a dream.

"Hello!" She said into the phone enraged that she had been awoken out of one of the best dreams she had ever had.

"Whoa baby doll, calm down, it's Shane McMahon." Shane said on the other end of the phone.

Lita rolled her eyes. The son of a bitch had a habit of destroying everything beautiful.

"What do you want Shane?" She asked annoyed.

"I want you to come to my office. There's something I need to tell you." Shane said.

"Do you actually think I would come see you alone? No way. I don't trust you Shane. Not only do I not trust you but I don't trust myself. With no one around I just might be tempted to kill you with my two bare hands." Lita warned.

"Whatever baby doll. You may be tough, but if it came right down to it I would have no problem putting you in your place." Shane replied smugly.

If the truth be told, both he and Lita knew that Lita could kick Shane's ass any day. Not only was Shane a pussy, but Lita had motivation.

"Can't whatever you have to say be said over the phone?" Lita asked.

Shane wished that it could have but that wasn't part of the bargain. Candice demanded that he apologize to both Lita and John face to face, like a man, and she had ways of finding out if Shane would actually follow through with it. Shane's hope in calling Lita first would be that he wouldn't have to meet with John one on one at all. Simply apologizing to Lita was good enough in his mind.

"No." Shane said abruptly. "Listen, just come to the arena early, I'll meet with you there." Shane ended trying hard to make himself sound harmless.

Lita thought about it for the moment. She had no idea what Shane was planning and she didn't want to get suckered into one of his manipulative little games. On the other hand, there would be other people around and she now knew not to trust Shane no matter what he said. She also knew that Stephanie was on her side, so if Shane tried anything stupid, Lita would be quick to notify her.

"Okay Shane. Goodbye." Lita replied and then slammed down the phone.

As she lay back in her bed she tried hard to fall back to sleep, but she just couldn't do it. Instead she was left longing and wandering if the moment her and John reunited would ever truly come.

"I owe you an apology." Shane said, unable to make eye contact with her for the short amount of time it took to say those five simple words.

Lita raised an eyebrow and laughed to herself.

"An apology huh? Who's holding the gun to your head Shane because this sure as hell isn't coming from you."

Shane smirked. Lita was of course right. Shane would never have come to apologize under his own free will. He stepped closer to Lita as he held his half smile. He had to admit, despite the attitude, he loved her red hair and the smell of her body. Lita though stepped away from him the second he motioned closer.

"Please Shane. Your advances may work on some women, but not me." She said refusing to be intimidated by him.

Shane stepped away. Lita was a tough woman, so regardless of whatever approach Shane decided to use to soften her up, she wasn't buying any of it.

"Can't we just get back to where we were, before all this?" Shane asked mockingly.

"Oh, you mean when you set me up by sending me flowers and then took advantage of me when I was drunk?" Lita snapped back.

"My intention was never to hurt you baby doll, it's your boyfriend John I wanted. You just got in the way. So for that, I'm sorry. Friends?" Shane asked extending his hand out to hers.

The temptation to kick Shane in the McMahon family jewels at that moment was almost overwhelming for Lita, but lucky for Shane she was able to control her anger.

"Sorry Shane, but the touch of you skin would probably make me puke. Wouldn't want to cause a scene now would we?" Lita remarked.

Shane shrugged his shoulders and just when he was about to turn and leave, he was shoved hard against the wall. The impact almost knocking the wind out of him as John Cena held Shane by the collar, choking him by his tie, and stared him directly in the eyes.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing Shane? You got a lot of balls to even be near Lita right now." John said shoving Shane harder against the wall with almost every word.

Shane looked at John with wide frightened eyes. His attempt to avoid John all together had back fired. What the hell was he doing at the arena so early anyway he wondered to himself.

"John stop, its okay. He came to apologize." Lita explained as she placed a hand on John's shoulder.

Her concern was not for Shane, but she didn't want John to do anything that would jeopardize his career. Whether they liked it or not, Shane was after all the boss's son.

"Apologize, right. Shane-O can take his apology and go fuck himself with it." John responded, shoving Shane hard against the wall once again.

"John please." Lita said, now truly concerned that John's temper would get the best of him and he would do something stupid. "He's not worth it."

John's eyes remained locked on Shane. He could feel Shane wilting beneath his grip as he struggled to get himself free. Finally, John let him go.

Lita then wrapped her arms around John's waist and pulled him back while Shane stood trying to catch his breath and fix his tie.

"Get the fuck out of here Shane before I give you what you really deserve." John threatened.

Shane then straightened up with an arrogant smirk and held his hands in the air. He had finally gotten the message once and for all and he was thankful that he was able to at least walk away. As he took several steps backwards before turning to leave, Shane had hoped that his little "apology" was enough to make Candice tell Vince the truth.

As John watched Shane leave, Lita still held him around his waist. She was physically and emotionally drained and couldn't help but to simply rest her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked her.

Lita raised her head and moved John to face her. Edge was right, John was her rock, the man she wanted to be with the rest of her life. Whatever issues they had between them could be worked out. She was convinced of that. John was a good man, the right man, the man she wanted to marry.

"John, I'm sorry. I've been way too hard on you. With everything that's happened, I just want us to be together now." Lita told him.

John brushed a hand through her silky hair as a smile came across his face.

"I love you baby." He said and then bent down to kiss her.

Chapter 19

Shane barged into the women's locker room holding the back of his head, still feeling the pain from John's hard shove, and desperately looking for Candice. The diva's that were in the locker room getting ready for the show looked over at Shane with shock and amusement. Some ran to cover themselves up while others just simply held their laughter. "Had the boss's son gone mad?" They wondered.

Shane's act of bravado only moments ago in front of John was simply that, an act. Truth be told, when John grabbed Shane by the collar, Shane thought for sure he would end up with a fist in his face or much, much worse. He was thankful that Lita of all people was there to save his ass. Candice though would not be so nice.

"Candice." Shane called while the other divas remained to watch what was about to happen.

When Candice turned to see Shane standing there in the middle of the woman's locker room she became extremely amused.

"What's wrong Shane, hurt you head?" She asked as she observed he was rubbing the backside of his head.

"Whatever Candice. I did everything we discussed. You can ask John and Lita yourself. Now, go talk to Vince before I drag you to his office myself." Shane threatened.

The other women all turned to each other and whispered. They had no clue as to what was going on between Candice and Shane, but whatever it was, it was interesting as hell.

Candice laughed to herself. In her mind she had decided that Shane had, had enough and that regardless of whether Shane actually apologized to Lita and John she would tell Vince the truth eventually. She simply wanted to see Shane squirm a little. But, every time Shane opened his mouth he seemed to dig himself into a deeper hole. Candice was the last person he needed to be threatening right now. He had already laid his hands on her once, she'd be damned if he would do it again. At least not until she got the first punch.

"Shane, Shane, Shane, still using threats to get your way?" Candice replied as she made her way seductively closer to him.

"Ladies, I have an announcement to make." Candice said knowing she had an audience. "Shane McMahon is an over-paid, spoiled little jackass who can't last longer than five minutes in the sack." Candice pronounced with content.

All the girls broke out laughing. Shane on the other hand was not happy at all and just when he was about to grab Candice by the arm, 'BOOM', she got him with a right hook square in the face. The strength of the hit threw Shane backwards and on his ass as he held his now bleeding nose.

"Okay Shane, NOW I'll go talk to Vince." Candice said smiling as she sauntered away and out of the locker room.

After the show John snuck up behind Lita and wrapped his arms around her. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

"I want to take you home, now." He demanded.

Lita's eyes lit up. The sound of his voice was music to her ears. The more Lita took time to reflect on what Edge had told her about John, the more she could see deeper into his soul; past his jealous fits and at times bad temper. These two simple things did not make up the entire person that was John Cena. He was underneath it all caring, protective, sweet and funny. He was most importantly the rock she needed in her life. She now knew that no matter what, he would be there for her. To defend her if she needed it. Even through hard times, they had somehow managed to come back to this point. A point where they started and now would end.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Lita replied smiling up at John.

As John and Lita made there way out the door and back to their home, Edge watched them leave in the distance. Even though he had never really experienced the kind of love that John and Lita shared, he was glad to see Lita experiencing it herself.

As John and Lita approached the front door to their home, it started to feel just like old times when everything was new, and the whole world was open before them with endless possibilities. John had realized after spending time back in Boston that whatever challenges he faced in being involved with a fellow wrestler like Lita that it was all worth it. He had seen too many of his friends back home still searching for that special someone. Most of those guys were too proud to admit that they could actually fall in love. Not John. Lita was quickly becoming his soul mate. He knew in the back of his mind that no matter how many of his buddies had told him to forget about her and play the field, that all of them wanted a woman like Lita. This time, as both were finally home, John would never let her go again.

"Wait." John said as Lita opened the door and was about to walk in.

John smiled at Lita then lifted her off of her feet, carrying her into the living room as if they were newlyweds. Lita laughed to herself. She definitely wasn't used to this kind of treatment and never expected it from John.

As John kicked the front door closed with his foot he proceeded to carry Lita to their bedroom and lay her down gently on the bed. Falling next to her he stared into her eyes and ran a finger through her hair.

"Lita, I missed you, I missed this." He told her.

John had missed being with Lita and being able to forget everything else that was going on around him. When he was with her he had no worries of WWE Title pushes, backstage politics, press appearances or autograph signings. All of that changed of course the second Shane made it a point to fuck with their lives, but now that was behind them. John was sure of it. They had both learned a hard lesson and were now a stronger couple for it. As John thought back on the recent months he smiled to himself and wondered if he should actually be thanking Shane for making them the couple they were today. Nah, the little bastard deserved nothing but life long misery. It was Lita and John who got themselves to this point. Regardless of Shane's interference in their lives, they would have become who they are today all on their own. John was sure of it.

"Can we make a deal?" Lita asked John who now lowered his head to kiss her just underneath her chin.

"What baby?" John asked as his breath began to grow deeper.

"No more jealousy." Lita whispered. "There's nothing you ever have to be jealous of John. I love you and I only want you, no one else."

John lifted his head and once again stared down at the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

"I love you too baby, and no matter what it takes, no more jealousy." John replied.

"Good, now help me forget the past couple of months." Lita demanded with a huge smile on her face before placing her hands on the back of John's neck and moving his face closer to hers until their lips crashed together.

As the two continued to kiss each other with every ounce of passion they had been bottling up inside, John worked to removed Lita's clothes. He took his time though moving slow and soft. He wanted the experience of feeling every part of her body in his hands. It was more than just about physical attraction for him, it was about being one with the woman he loved.

Lita felt John's hand move up and down her body. She quivered every time he removed a piece of her clothing as she could feel the cool air coming from the fan above them, but John was always quick to warm her with his hands. Maneuvering in a way that kept her safe from all the elements beyond them. What had felt like chills now felt like a warm bath as both John and Lita's infatuation grew stronger.

Now that John had Lita completely naked he let his mouth and tongue drift along her neck all the way down to her navel. Lita in the meantime unsnapped the button on John's shorts allowing herself to trace every chiseled muscle along his abdomen. Before long, both John and Lita's bodies were engaged in perfect synchronicity. Their movements subtle, yet powerful.

"Lita." John said before finally entering inside of her. "I don't want this to be a temporary thing, I want this to last forever." He confessed.

The words penetrated through Lita's brain as one word seemed to ring repeatedly though her head. Only one word could represent the true meaning of what John was saying. But before Lita jumped to conclusions, she simply wanted to enjoy the moment. John and Lita had been yearning for this for months now. It was more than just about sex, it was the fact that they were satisfying each other on every level. So while John moved his hips into Lita's she took a deep breath and let him lead the way. There would be plenty of time to discuss the one thing that had been on her mind, and now seemed to be on John's mind as well. This was no time to discuss the one word that would hold them together for ever. The topic of marriage would have to wait until morning.

THE END