�Geezus, what the hell happened?� Christian stared wide-eyes at the pictures flashing across the monitor backstage. The ring was crawling with EMTs, all of them hovering over the prone form of Lillian Garcia. The slender woman was lying very still and it didn�t look like she was conscious. He winced as the EMTs rolled her onto a backboard and strapped the blonde woman into place.
�What happened to Lillian?� Christian asked again. Tearing his eyes away from the screen, Jeff Hardy turned his attention to the blonde Canadian.
�Eric Bischoff happened,� Jeff said softly, and Christian could see the outrage swirling strongly in the cool green depths of the younger Hardy brother�s eyes. �He sicked his cronies on her and Finkel, although that slimy little twerp got away before they could so much as breathe on him.�
�Christ�� Christian raked his hands back through the thick mane of his hair as he returned his gaze to the monitor. Lillian was being wheeled up the ramp now, completely surrounded by WWE officials and medical technicians - Christian could barely see past them to get a glimpse of the victim.
�Who did it?�
�Some punks who call themselves the Island Boys� Jeff sneered in disgust. �Bischoff has them in his damn pocket, they�ve been doing his dirty work now for the past month or so.�
Christian�s eyes narrowed dangerously at that, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. Who could be so inhuman as to attack a defenseless woman? The fact that Bischoff was behind it all didn�t surprise him one bit. The man was known for his cruelty and selfishness when it came to power. No, it was the notion that an innocent bystander had been the focus of Bischoff�s maliciousness that made Christian want to go somewhere and bust some heads. That it had been Lillian was enough to put him over the edge.
Something had to be done.
�Do you know where they�re taking her?� He asked Jeff. Pushing back swirls of brightly colored hair from his forehead, Jeff nodded soberly.
�Yeah, there�s a hospital a few blocks from here.� Curiosity filled the young daredevil�s expression. �Why, you going to go see her?�
�Yes, I am.� Christian turned and began stalking down the corridor, his long legs moving quickly as he made his way towards the exit.
�Hey Christian, wait up!� Glancing back over his shoulder, Christian wasn�t surprised to see Jeff sprinting after him. He�d known as soon as he�d seen the look in the multi-colored haired man�s eyes that this was something he wouldn�t be able to leave alone. It was something he could respect and understand. Christian couldn�t leave it alone either. Something was going to have to be done about Bischoff and his lackeys.
And Christian would be the one to do it.
****************
�Alright Lillian, I need to lay very still for me. Can you do that?�
Lillian�s world was spinning. Through the haze in her mind she could just barely make out the voices around her, although in her disorientation they all sounded jumbled and slurred. Above her, blurry shapes scurried about, some poking and prodding at her. What the hell was happening?
Everything hurt. That realization hit her as soon she tried to move and all of her muscles screamed out in agony. Fear began creeping its way through her body as she struggled to remember how she�d gotten here. What had happened to her?
And then it hit her.
Bischoff. It all came rushing back to her now. The promo contest in the ring with Finkel was clearest in her mind. She�d been arguing with Howard over who was the better ring announcer when it had happened. One minute she was accusing the bald ring announcer of being impotent and the next she was being slammed down onto the mat by two of Bischoff�s henchmen.
Damn it.
�Lillian, can you hear me?�
The voice penetrated though the fog of her brain, startling her. Blinking her eyes rapidly, Lillian struggled to clear her vision. As everything came back into focus she was able to discern that she was in a hospital room of some sort. The man hovering over her must be the doctor, she guessed drowsily.
�Ms. Garcia?�
�Who are you?� She managed to croak out after a great deal of effort. A smile spread across the man�s face at her words.
�My name is Doctor Wallace, Ms. Garcia. You�re in a hospital.� She liked his voice, she decided. It was soft and deep; very comforting. It made her want to curl up and fall asleep for a few days or so. Frowning at her thoughts, she shook them off and tried to focus on the reality of her situation.
�How badly am I hurt?�
Dr. Wallace tsked quietly under his breath as he reached down and plucked her chart off the end of the hospital bed. Skimming over it briefly, he nodded his head and tsked some more.
�Well,� he started, setting the chart back down. �The good news is that nothing was broken.�
�But�?� Lillian waited to hear whatever bad news he was going to give her next.
�Nothing was broken,� he repeated, �however you have several bruised ribs that need to be looked after. On top of that you have a sprained wrist and a minor concussion that will need to be monitored closely.�
Lillian�s breath hissed out between her teeth. A concussion? Great. Just great. This would probably mean she was going to have to stay in the hospital for at least another twenty-four hours. Doctors and nurses would poke and jab at her with their instruments, medicine would be forced into her�
God, she hated hospitals.
�With all that said,� Dr. Wallace drew her attention back to him as he continued. �Do you have anyone who can look after you for the next few days?�
Lillian blinked.
�I-I can go home then?� Dr. Wallace smiled gently.
�Yes, you can. Provided that you have someone who can look after you. If not, I�m afraid we�ll have to keep you over night, maybe longer.�
Lillian�s heart dropped into her stomach. There was no one who could take care of her. No one who would want to anyway. She traveled alone between venues and rarely socialized with any of the talent or the road crew; who was she supposed to ask? Eyes downcast, she felt the tears begin to well up.
She was stuck here.
�Well?� Dr. Wallace smiled patiently.
�There - there�s no one.�
�I�ll take care of her.� Lillian turned to the doorway and gasped.
�Lita?�
*******************
�Whoops, careful there!� Lita caught Lillian before she could fall out of the car and hit the pavement. Smiling in both gratitude and embarrassment, Lillian allowed herself to be helped from the vehicle and into the hotel by the fiery redhead.
�Sorry, guess I�m still a little loopy�� She murmured softly. Nodding in understanding, Lita smiled gently.
�Don�t worry about it. We�ve all been there honey.�
And it was true, Lillian supposed. In Lita�s line of work injuries were almost a permanent fixture - part of the job description. The wrestlers went out in front of millions of people every night knowing that there was a good chance they would be visiting a hospital right afterwards�
�Where are we going?� Lillian asked curiously as Lita helped her into an elevator. Leaning heavily on the lithe redhead, she fought the waves of dizziness that washed over her as the machine lurched into motion.
�Up to Jeff�s room,� Lita answered, �You need to lay down and get some rest.�
�Oh.�
Lita glanced over at Lillian and frowned when she saw the expression on the pretty blonde�s face.
�What?� She asked.
�Why�I mean, why are you doing this, Lita?� Lita�s eyebrows raised at the question.
�Doing what? Taking care of you?�
�Well�yes.� Lillian�s eyes were full of confusion as stared at Lita. �I don�t mean to sound ungrateful or anything. It�s just that before this you and I haven�t even so much as said �hi� to each other. I don�t get why all of a sudden you�re volunteering to play nursemaid to me.�
Lita was silent for a while as she pondered Lillian�s words. Why was she helping Lillian? She couldn�t deny that Christian�s begging had softened her towards the idea. After all, Christian was a good friend to both she and Jeff, and it was obvious that the Canadian�s request ran deeper than just general concern for a co-worker�s wellbeing. No, there was something more there that Christian wasn�t telling her�
But Christian wasn�t the only reason she was helping this woman. When she�d seen the footage of the attack backstage she�d been filled with rage that Bischoff would go so far as to assault Lillian. Lillian hadn�t deserved it, that was for damn sure. Lita knew, as well as everyone else in the back did, why Eric had done it.
For fun.
The bastard had put another human being through pure hell just so that he could be entertained.
It was sick.
�Lita�?�
Startled from her thoughts by the sound of Lillian�s worried voice and the elevator coming to a stop, Lita smiled faintly and led the injured woman through the doors and into the corridor.
�Hmmm?�
�I didn�t offend you, did I? Asking why you�re helping me?� Lita was quick to reassure her.
�No, I�m not offended Lillian.� She grinned suddenly. �To be honest, I�d probably be doing the same thing if it were me.�
�Oh. Okay then.� Lillian�s words were beginning to slur now, indicating to Lita that the medication the doctor had given the woman before they�d left the hospital was kicking in. Feeling the body beside her getting heavier and heavier with every step, Lita finally gave up trying to lead her and just swung her up onto her back piggy-back style. Ever mindful of the woman�s injured ribs, she made sure not to jar Lillian too badly.
�Wait�I can�walk�� Lita smiled when Lillian�s head drooped suddenly and her breathing evened out. She�d fallen asleep, thanks to her medicine. Sighing softly, Lita unlocked the door to hers and Jeff�s hotel room.
�Things are going to get very interesting��
*****************
Christian prowled the corridors of the arena like a panther, focused and deadly. After going to the hospital with Jeff and seeing how badly Lillian had been injured, he�d literally gone on the warpath. Still with him, Jeff struggled to keep up.
�Come on man, we�ve been looking for over an hour. Bischoff�s gone already.� Smiling grimly, Christian kept walking.
�But his bitches aren�t.�
Seeing the crazed look in the blonde man�s eyes, Jeff shivered slightly but didn�t slow his pace. He knew that the monsters who�d brutalized Lillian deserved everything Christian gave them, and more for that fact. Despite all that, Jeff still couldn�t help but be curious as to what Christian�s motives were.
�Um dude, can I just ask you something before you go beat the hell out Bischoff�s thugs?�
�What?�
�Why are you doing this? I mean, since when did you start caring for Lillian Garcia?�
That stopped Christian in his tracks.
�What?� He asked, his voice quiet as he turned to face Jeff. �What does that have to do with anything?� Jeff fidgeted a little under the intense gaze that was being leveled upon him.
�Well, nothing man. It�s just that -�
�Just what? That poor woman was all but mangled tonight and so far, I seem to be the only one who gives a damn about it!�
�That�s not true, you know I didn�t like seeing it any more than you did.� Jeff�s face colored though, what he�d said before bordered on callous and he was ashamed to have even thought about it, let alone voice it out loud.
�Did you see her, Jeff? Did you see how small and defenseless she looked in that hospital bed? She wasn�t even awake, Jeff. Who knows what Lillian must have been thinking when she woke up to find herself in some strange place.� There was real pain in Christian�s voice now. Knowing that it was tearing his friend up inside just thinking about it, Jeff reached out and touched Christian�s arm.
�Yeah man, I saw her. And yeah, I�m just as pissed off as you are. All I�m saying though, is that I�ve never known you to be so involved in something like this before.� Staring hard at Jeff, Christian�s gaze never wavered.
�I want to be involved in this.�
****************
They never knew what hit them. Lounging around enjoying all the luxuries Bischoff had provided for them, Rosie and Jamal, the two men known as the Island Boys were completely unprepared for the assault.
Christian moved like lightning, his feet and hands catching the men in a flurry of well-aimed kicks and punches that had Bischoff�s hired muscle on the ground bleeding and gasping for air. Outside the room, Jeff stood watch just in case any of Bischoff�s buddies were around.
�You lousy son of a bitch,� Christian growled as he yanked Jamal to his feet. Drawing back his arm, he slammed his fist viciously into the other man�s jaw, sending him reeling. Flying backwards across the room with the impact of the punch, Jamal grunted as the back of his head slammed into the wall behind him. Eyes crossing, he slumped to the floor, unconscious.
Turning his attention onto the other half of the Island Boys, Christian�s lips tricked upwards into a mirthless smile.
�I think I just hurt your partner Rosie, what do you think about that?� He spat as he advanced upon the wide-eyed man. Torn between wanting to help Jamal and wanting to save his own skin, Rosie backed away from the crazed man stalking him.
�What the hell is your problem, man?� He half-shouted as he stuck his hands out in front of him as if to ward off any attacks coming his way. Cocking his head to one side, Christian stared hard at the man cowering before him. Then, wordlessly, his arms shot out and he had Rosie by his shirt collar.
�What�s my problem? I�ll tell you what my Goddamned problem is!� Christian�s eyes narrowed dangerously and Rosie could have sworn he saw sparks almost fly from their dark, swirling depths. Yanking the man close to his face, Christian held himself back from completely snapping.
�My problem, Rosie, is that you seem to like beating up defenseless women. I watched you tonight, both you and your partner. You ENJOYED what you did to Lillian, didn�t you?� When Rosie remained silent, Christian gave him a hard shake.
�DIDN�T YOU!�
Jeff popped his head through the doorway.
�Man, we gotta get out of here. I hear voices down the hallway and I don�t want to be around to find out who it is!�
Growling in frustration, Christian shoved Rosie to the floor and stepped away from him, disgusted by the sight of him. Stalking towards the door, the blonde Canadian tossed one last look of contempt over his shoulder.
�If you EVER go anywhere near Lillian again, I will personally see to it that you never get to step foot into a wrestling ring again. In fact, I�ll mess you and your buddy up so bad you�ll wish you�d never even come to the WWE. You understand me?�
Rosie nodded silently, his eyes wide with genuine fear of the man watching him. Trembling, he watched as Christian left the room and pulled the door shut behind him. It was a few minutes before Rosie could bring himself to move, and a quick glance into the corner of the room told him that Jamal was still out cold. Every so often his eyes would slide back to the door as if he were afraid the tall man would return. When he was finally convinced that Christian wouldn�t be coming back , he slowly began inching his way over to his fallen partner.
Setting to work on reviving Jamal, one thought kept continually racing through Rosie�s mind.
�What the hell just happened?�
******************
�How�s she doing?� Lita looked up from the magazine she was reading and smiled when she saw Christian standing in the doorway.
�Better. I�ve been waking her up every three hours but other than that she�s been sleeping like a log.� Christian nodded in satisfaction at that and moved tiredly across the hotel room. Sighing deeply, he let himself fall back onto the sofa and stretched out his legs in front of him.
�Did you do it?� Lita asked, watching the blonde man closely.
�We did it,� Christian answered softly, turning his gaze onto the slender redhead. �Jeff�s still at the arena taking care of some last minute business.�
Suspicion lit in Lita�s eyes.
�What kind of last minute business?� Shrugging, Christian shot her a smug grin.
�Oh, the kind of business that involves Bischoff losing all of his files and talent contracts from Smackdown!�� Lita�s mouth dropped open at that.
�You didn�t�� Covering her mouth, she fought back the laughter that was bubbling to the surface. Chuckling quietly, Christian nodded and laced his fingers together in his lap. The satisfied expression on his face was reminiscent of the cat who�d lapped up all the cream.
�Yep, Eric�s going to be extremely pissed off when he finds out that all his hard work has gone down the drain - well, down the shredder to be more exact.�
�You know he�s going to blame it on Stephanie. The way those two have been stealing people back and forth I wouldn�t be surprised if all-out war doesn�t break out.� Lita�s hazel eyes sparkled with her amusement as the thought crossed her mind.
Christian grinned.
�Actually, that�s what Jeff and I were planning on. This way Bischoff will never suspect it was us.� Shaking her head, Lita went back to her magazine.
�You�re bad, Christian.�
�I know, isn�t it great?�
*****************
Lillian groaned and rolled over onto her side, wincing when her ribs screamed in protest. Letting her eyes drift open, she slowly took in her surroundings. Spotting Lita on the couch, she smiled drowsily.
�Hey�� The redhead�s attention was drawn away from the article she was reading and onto the bed across the room.
�Hey yourself,� she murmured. Moving from the couch over to the bed, Lita sat down on the edge of the bedspread and smiled warmly.
�How are you feeling?�
Lillian grimaced.
�Like I got run over by a Mack truck., but thanks for asking.� Chuckling softly, Lita reached out and gave Lillian�s hand a gentle pat.
�Judging from your attitude, I think you�ll be just fine.� Both of them breaking into giggles, neither one of them noticed when Jeff quietly opened the door and padded into the room. Standing off to the side, he smiled as he watched the two women interact. It was good to see Lillian laughing.
�So what did I do to deserve two gorgeous women in my hotel room?� He joked. Startled, Lillian and Lita gasped when they noticed him.
�Jeff! God, I didn�t even see you there!� Lita smiled and jumped up from the bed, rushing into Jeff�s outstretched arms.
�Mmmm, I missed you baby� Jeff murmured, pressing a quick kiss onto Lita�s forehead.
Lillian watched from her place in the bed as the couple embraced. It was nice, she thought, to see two people so obviously in love with each other. Sighing heavily, she felt her cheeks grow hot when they suddenly turned all their attention onto her.
�So, have you talked to Christian yet?�
Lillian frowned in confusion.
�Christian?� Groaning, Lita booted Jeff in the shin.
�Ow! Okay sorry, guess not.� Watching the exchange between Jeff and Lita, Lillian couldn�t help but have the niggling suspicion that they were keeping something from her.
�Guys? What�s going on?� Sighing heavily and shooting Jeff a dirty look, Lita sat back down beside Lillian.
�Well see, here�s the thing. Part of the reason you�re here is because Christian asked us to take care of you.� Lillian�s eyebrows rose up a little.
�What? Why would Christian do that? I mean, the man�s barely even said two words to me the entire time I�ve been working here!�
�Well,� Lita began, �It�s kinda complicated.�
�Humor me.� Came Lillian�s wry response.
�I did it because I like you.� Gasping, Lillian jumped when Christian came into view.
A shy smile on his face, Christian slowly made his way over to where Lillian was staring at him through wide eyes.
�Guys, can I have a few minutes?� Nodding in understanding, Jeff gently took Lita by the hand and left the room, muttering something about going to find some ice cream.
�So,� Lillian began timidly. �You like me?�
Feeling incredibly awkward, Christian nodded tentatively. Almost hesitantly, he reached out and took the slender woman�s hand in his, amazed at how small it was in comparison with him own.
�I do. I have for a while now, I just haven�t done anything about it before now.� Christian shrugged lightly. � I guess I was too scared to come out and tell you how I felt.�
Lillian felt her heart melting. This was weird, she knew she should be more cautious about this. She always was when it came to men. But for some reason this time she felt like she needed to take a chance. Something inside of her was telling her to just go for it.
Plus�the man was a hottie.
Christian was watching Lillian closely, afraid that his words had been too much for the tiny ring announcer to take in. God, what if he�d scared her off?
�Lillian?� His voice was uncertain.
Smiling gently, Lillian squeezed Christian�s hand.
�I - I think I like you too�Christian.�
*****************
Two months later�
Lillian smiled wearily as she made her way up the ramp and into the back. The show was over for the night and all she wanted to do was curl up in bed with a good book.
And maybe a good man too�
�Hey beautiful.�
Lillian rushed forward into Christian�s waiting arms, the look of complete adoration in his eyes warming her heart.
It felt good to be loved.
�You ready to go?� He asked her, wrapping an arm around her waist and nuzzling her hair with his cheek. Grinning, Lillian nodded and reached up to draw his face down to hers. Pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss, she sighed happily when he suddenly angled her head back and increased the pressure of his mouth on hers. When the kiss broke several seconds later, Lillian was flushed and out of breath.
�I�m ready when you are��
THE END.