Part 1
Lita closed her eyes and braced herself for impact as she was roughly torn off of Ivory and hoisted into the air by Edge and Christian. Moving quickly, they slammed her down onto the mat and then rolled out of the ring, leaving her lying on the canvas gasping for air. Rolling over in pain, Lita was barely aware when Ivory flipped her onto her back and covered her for the three count, the crowd booing loudly as the bell was rung. Realizing that she�d lost, Lita curled up into a ball and let the pain and humiliation wash over her in waves, her heart feeling like it was being ripped from her chest. Once she had regained her breath, she shakily got to her feet and faced the crowd, their sympathetic expressions cutting through her like a knife.
�I�m so sorry�, she whispered as she watched them hang their heads in disappointment and shock. It was as if her loss was their loss as well, they were feeling her agony as strongly as she was. Rolling out of the ring, she slowly limped up the ramp and into the back, the weight of her anguish almost too much to bear. Coming through the curtain, her attention was immediately drawn to where the Right To Censor was celebrating their newest member�s victory, the championship belt gleaming brightly around Ivory�s waist as she was lifted up into air by Bull and Goodfather. Unable to watch any longer, Lita turned away and continued down the hall towards the dressing room she shared with the Hardyz, her steps becoming heavier and heavier as she neared her destination. Stopping in front of the door, she took a deep breath and forced her emotions under control, willing herself not to cry. Pushing the door open and stepping into the room, Lita wasn�t surprised to see the Hardyz sitting on the couch in front of the television monitor, murderous expressions on their handsome faces. Hearing the door open, they looked up and focused their attention onto her, their expressions changing instantly from anger to concern. Jumping up, Matt hurried over and enfolded her into his arms.
�Oh God babe, I�m so sorry.� Matt�s voice contained all the anguish and pain that she herself was feeling. Pressing her face into his shoulder, Lita bit her lip to keep from crying and forced herself to remain calm.
�It�s okay Matt, it�s not your fault.� Her words did nothing to dispel his anger though, and he tightened his hold on her.
�Don�t worry Lita, I�m not gonna let them get away with what they did to you; I�ll make them pay.� Lita nodded into his shoulder and sighed, knowing that if she said anything now she�d break down. Pulling back from his embrace, she nodded to Jeff before walking into the small shower area, the door closing behind her. Stripping out of her clothes, she turned on the water and stepped into the shower, letting the hot spray massage her aching muscles. Moving so that she was leaning back against the wall, Lita hung her head and finally allowed the tears to stream down her face, her muffled sobs filling the small shower stall. Letting her emotions take full control, she slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees hugged tightly to her chest. She stayed like that for what seemed like hours, just sitting hunched over in the tiny shower stall crying her eyes out, not even caring when the water turned cold. Hearing a knock on the door, Lita lifted her head and sniffed loudly, her vision blurred by tears.
�Lita honey, it�s me�Matt. Are you okay in there baby?� When she didn�t answer, the door opened and Matt stepped into the room, his eyes resting on the shower curtain.
�Sweetie, come on, I�ll take you back to the hotel. Please baby, talk to me.� Lita could hear the worry in his voice and it almost broke her heart. Getting slowly to her feet, she turned the water off and pulled back the curtain, stepping out onto the floor. Matt was standing in front of her, his face twisted into a mask of concern as he saw the tear tracks that streaked down her cheeks. Grabbing a towel from behind him, Matt wrapped her up into it and pulled her into his arms, his face buried in her wet hair. Once again Lita felt the tears begin to flow and she held onto Matt for dear life, her heart wrenching sobs shaking her body like a leaf in the wind. Matt held her closer to him, his own heart bleeding for her. He wanted so bad to be able to make things right for her, to see her smile for him. Waiting until her tears subsided, Matt tentatively brought his hand up to her face and tipped her chin up so that she was looking directly at him. He smiled tenderly at her and caressed the side of her face with his fingers.
�Baby, it doesn�t matter if you have the belt or not, you�re still a champion in my eyes and you always will be. Let me take you back to the hotel and we�ll get some sleep, okay sweetheart?� Lita smiled sadly and nodded her head, her heart beating almost painfully in her chest as she watched the emotions flit across his face, his adoration for her clear in his chocolate eyes. Sighing deeply, she nuzzled his neck and pressed a kiss against the column of his throat.
�Thank you,� she whispered softly. Matt gave a small smile and rubbed her back lazily, his chocolate brown eyes dancing warmly.
�For what babe?� Lita pulled back in his arms a little and stared deeply into his eyes, her fingers coming up to gently frame his face. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she captured his lips in a deep kiss, their tongues stroking each other and tangling together passionately. Breaking the kiss suddenly, Lita pressed her lips beside Matt�s ear and whispered softly to him.
�For loving me��
Part 2
The next week on RAW�
Lita came running around the corner, catching Ivory in the gut with a devastating spear that sent her crashing into the ground. Getting to her feet, Lita turned around and was met by the very angry referee, who immediately sent both her and Ivory from ringside, both of them protesting loudly. Knowing that she couldn�t disobey the ref, Lita groaned and made her way up the ramp, throwing one last longing look to Matt as he was pounded ruthlessly into the mat by Bull Buchannon. Quickly sprinting to their dressing room, she tore into the room and switched on the television monitor, watching anxiously as the match went on. Sitting back on the couch, she twisted her hands together worriedly, wincing whenever Matt or Jeff took a particularly hard hit. Just as it looked as if the Hardyz were going to win the match, Edge and Christian ran down and interfered in the match, costing Matt and Jeff some valuable time. She watched in horror as Jeff went for the �Poetry in Motion� but was stopped short by Steven Richards, who clocked him with one of the Tag Team belts, sending him flying backwards. The Right to Censor quickly covered him and got the three count, thus winning the match and becoming the new Tag Team champions.
�Oh God no�� Lita whispered as the ref raised Bull Buchannon and the Goodfather�s hands in victory, the Hardyz rolling tiredly out of the ring and going up the ramp. Unable to wait, Lita flew out of the room at a breakneck speed, almost knocking over the people who were standing in the hallway. She met them just as they were coming around the corner, their dejected faces tugging painfully at her heart. Lita threw herself into Matt�s arms, her face burying into his damp hair as he rested his face onto her shoulder. Matt sighed and hugged her closer to him, the pain of losing the titles ripping viciously into him. Stepping suddenly out of his arms, Lita wrapped one arm around his neck and slung the other around Jeff, drawing the three of them together into a group hug. Matt and Jeff held tightly onto her, knowing that it had hurt her too to see them lose the titles that had meant so much to them. Pressing her forehead against Jeff�s for a second, Lita closed her eyes and breathed in.
�You did really good out there guys, I�m so proud of you both. Don�t worry about the belts, you�ll get them back; I know you will because you�re better than anyone else here, you guys were screwed over tonight.� Jeff grunted in agreement and nuzzled her forehead thankfully, happy to have such a good friend. Matt nodded in agreement as well and squeezed Lita�s waist, proud of her for being strong for them.
�Come on you two, let�s go back to the hotel and get some rest. We can plan our revenge tomorrow.� Matt said quietly, taking them both by the arm and leading them back to the dressing room. After getting their gear, the three of them headed back to their hotel and went up to their rooms, Matt deciding to stay in Lita�s room that night. Since their rooms were adjoining, it was no problem for them to move Matt�s stuff to Lita�s room. Setting their bags down on the floor, Matt sent Lita into the bathroom for a shower, telling her he�d have a surprise ready for when she got out. While Lita was showering, he quickly dug into his bag and brought out some lilac scented candles, placing them around the room and lighting them so that the room was bathed in their warm glow. Going back into his bag, Matt dug out his portable CD player and set it up on the sideboard that stood beside the bed, the appropriate CD already popped in and ready to go. Now that everything was ready, he got undressed and changed into a pair of flannel pants, letting his hair down as well so that it rested on top of his shoulders. Hearing the shower suddenly turn off, Matt quickly lay down the bed and waited for her to appear, his stomach suddenly filled with butterflies. Lita came out a moment later, clad only in a pair of his boxer shorts and a sports bra, her long red hair braided and wrapped around her head. Matt�s breath caught at the sight of her, awed by her exquisite beauty. Lita stopped short when she saw what he�d done to the room, her heart melting as her gaze fell to where he was lounging on the bed.
�You�re so sweet baby, you didn�t have to do this.� Lita said softly, her mouth tugging into a breathtaking smile. Matt grinned and held out his arms for her, pulling her in so that she sat straddled atop his thighs, his arms resting on her buttocks.
�I wanted to do this,� he stated quietly, his dark eyes focused on hers as he watched her for signs of her emotions.
�I wanted to show you how much I appreciate you and everything you�ve accomplished here.� Matt�s voice was like velvet, soft and smooth as it washed over her.
�I was thinking about what you said last week - when you thanked me. I realized then just how much I needed to show you how I feel, but I didn�t know how to do it. Driving to the arena today, I heard a song on the radio that said exactly how I feel. It was the perfect way to express myself so I went out and bought the CD while you were taking a shower before our match.� Lita smiled at him as he talked to her, her heart so full of love for him that she was sure it would burst. She watched expectantly as Matt reached over and hit the �Play� button on the CD player, the soft melody of the song filling the room seconds later. Shifting so that he had Lita cradled in his arms, Matt caught her gaze and watched her as she listened to the words.
It�s hard for me to say the things I want to say sometimes
There�s no one here but you and me, and a broken old street light
Lock the doors and leave the world outside
All I�ve got to give to you are these five words tonight
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes, when I couldn�t see
For parting my lips, when I couldn�t breathe
Thank you for loving me, Thank you for loving me
I never knew I had a dream until I dreamed of you
And when I look into your eyes, the sky�s a different blue
Lita�s eyes filled with tears as the words seemingly wrapped around her soul, the knowledge that Matt loved her just as much as she loved him making her deliriously happy. Matt smiled as he watched her eyes light up and fill with happy tears, his own eyes a little misty. Holding her closer, Matt began to softly sing along, his heart and soul pouring into each and every word he sang.
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes, when I couldn�t see
For parting my lips, when I couldn�t breathe
Thank you for loving me, Thank you for loving me
You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out�
Lita�s mouth tugged into a smile as he sang to her, his voice so beautifully soft. They lay there until the song ended, content to just hold each other and let their feelings speak for themselves. Leaning back after a while, Matt nuzzled her face and kissed her softly on her lips, a small smile on his face.
�I love you Lita.� He said quietly, his voice shaky with the conviction of his feelings. Lita smiled back and kissed him deeply.
�I love you too Matthew.� Closing their eyes, they fell asleep in each other�s arms, smiles on their faces as they dreamt about the amazing love they shared with each other�